Uganda has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Vietnam aimed at increasing production of coffee, roeports said on Monday.
According to the MOU, Uganda and Vietnam will exchange technicians and researchers, study and elaboration of projects of technical assistance, exchange scientific and technical information in the field of agricultural research conducted in the two countries.
According to Uganda’s minister for agriculture, animal industry & fisheries Vincent Ssempijja the partnership targets 14 areas including marketing, training, research & technical information.
Vietnam is known to have experienced an increase in coffee exports from less than 2 million bags in 1991 to 27.5 million bags per year, making the Coffee sub-sector in Vietnam worth US Dollars 3.6 Billion..
In Uganda Coffee was maintained among the 12 Priority Commodities in the Agriculture Sector Strategic Plan and the National Development Plan that was designed to guide Uganda’s development to Middle Income Status.
This prioritisation by Uganda Government has contributed to growth in both quantity and quality of Coffee Exported from Uganda thereby creating more jobs and creating more wealth for our people.
By 2014, Coffee generated over $410.1 million which is 31.7% of the agricultural export revenues and maintained its position as the biggest agricultural export from Uganda having generated over $134.8 million which is 10.4% of the total.
Uganda is currently the 8th coffee export country across the globe with a total export earning of 635million U.S dollars.
CN/abj/APA