Experts in the food and agriculture sector are meeting in Kampala for a week to discuss standards for fresh fruits and vegetables including garlic, potatoes and eggplants, kiwi fruits and fresh dates.
The Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (CCFFV) meeting which is hosted by the Government of Uganda together with the Government of Mexico has attracted over 200 delegates from 50 countries.
Speaking at the opening session, the Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives (MTIC), Amelia Kyambadde, noted that despite the challenges, trade in fresh fruits and vegetable has been growing steadily over the last five years.
“Ugandans have continued to face challenges penetrating the lucrative international markets due to non-compliance to international standards,” she said.
According to the Minister, Uganda has been effectively participating in developing standards related to quality and safety of food and agricultural products.
“The implementation and application of relevant codex standards, has helped Uganda’s exports to penetrate key markets in the various food sectors significantly fruits and vegetables, and fishery products,” Ms. Kyambadde said.
In her speech the Minister of Health Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng said the Government is in the process of streamlining the national food control system in order to respond to current and emerging food safety issues.
Fresh fruits and vegetables from Uganda are mainly exported to the European Union (United Kingdom, German, Belgium and Netherlands), Middle East, USA and the East African Community (EAC) region.
Statistics from Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) show that in 2015 Uganda exported 7,900 tonnes of fruits worth US$3.2 million and 12,000 tonnes of vegetables worth US$127 million.
Uganda is a member of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), an international food standards body which was formed by the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
