Overview:
According to the letter from the European Commission, Directorate-General for Health (DG SANTE), Uganda has achieved a satisfactory degree of compliance, leading to the decision that official controls at a harmonized increased level by national competent authorities at the entry into the Union will no longer be carried out.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) has welcomed the decision of the European Union to lift the ban on pepper exports from Uganda.
MAAIF on Friday, 22 December 2023, announced that the peppers of genus Capsicum (other than sweet) originating in Uganda have been removed from Annex I to the EU Regulation 2019/1793.
According to the letter from the European Commission, Directorate-General for Health (DG SANTE), Uganda has achieved a satisfactory degree of compliance, leading to the decision that official controls at a harmonized increased level by national competent authorities at the entry into the Union will no longer be carried out. Instead, routine checks will be performed, streamlining the process for Ugandan pepper exports to the European market.
“This recognition is a testament to the continuous efforts made by Ugandan producers and regulatory authorities to meet and exceed international quality standards,” the ministry said.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Maj. Gen. David Kasura-Kyomukama said, “This positive development is a result of collaborative efforts between the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, and various stakeholders involved in the pepper production and export chain and reflects the commitment of the Ugandan government and its partners to ensuring the quality and safety of agricultural products for international consumers.”
Hot pepper is one of Uganda’s non-traditional exports under horticultural commodities.. In 2021, Uganda exported $4.89M in Pepper, making it the 49th largest exporter of Pepper in the world. At the same year, Pepper was the 43rd most exported product in Uganda. The main destination of Pepper exports from Uganda are: Germany ($1.68M), Italy ($1.14M), Spain ($1.04M), United Kingdom ($311k), and Netherlands ($150k).
Globally, United States of America (USA) is the leading consumer of hot pepper, followed by Germany and Vietnam respectively. The fastest growing export markets for Pepper of Uganda between 2020 and 2021 were Germany ($1.1M), Italy ($623k), and Spain ($275k).