Kalungu district authorities have passed a new rule to regulate the growing, selling, and purchasing of vanilla.
The ordinance, approved on November 27, 2024, is designed to improve vanilla quality and safeguard farmers’ interests against theft.
Under the ordinance, all Kalungu district vanilla farmers are required to register, and anyone purchasing vanilla from the district must have a license granted by the district.
The passage of the new ordinance has caused a lot of celebration among Kalungu district vanilla growers.
One of the residents of Kyamuliibwa parish in Bakijjulula sub-county, Francis Yiga, said that their goal is to preserve the quality of the vanilla crop in order to expand its market and help people out of poverty.
Read Also: Empowering Serere District Youth through Vanilla Farming
However, the chairperson of Kalungu vanilla purchasers, Musa Kintu, wants the government to register vanilla growers rather than the vanilla buyers themselves as stated in the ordinance.
Read Also: Uganda’s Vanilla Export Growth Hits 78% within Five Years
In December 2023, the ordinance was approved by the Attorney General and published in the gazette following collaborative efforts with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and validation by the Ministry of Justice.
The district authorities have planned to set up designated purchase locations in each parish for the purchase of vanilla, streamlining the market process.
