Posted on October, 2, 2024 at 10:54 am
The Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries (MAAIF), Frank Tumwebaze, has said that the recently signed protocols between Uganda and China will significantly boost the trade balance between the two countries.
MAAIF on behalf of Uganda and the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC) on behalf of the Chinese Government signed two protocols during the recently concluded 9th Forum on China-Africa Cooperation held in Beijing from 2nd to 8th September 2024.
The two protocols include the Protocol on inspection, quarantine, and sanitary requirements of wild aquatic products, including Nile perch fillets, headless and gutted Nile perch, fish maw, fish skins, and fish scales; silver fish products to be exported from Uganda to China; and the Protocol on inspection, quarantine, and sanitary requirements for the Export of Dried Chilies from Uganda to China.
The second protocol formalizes an agreement on the export of dried chilies as it opens up the door to accessing one of the world’s largest chili consumer markets.
Today, Tumwebaze said the protocols will significantly tackle the Uganda-China trade imbalance that has negatively impacted Uganda for years.
“The signing of the two protocols, therefore, represents a significant leap forward for Uganda’s agricultural export development and will contribute to creating a balance of trade with China,” he said.
Tumwebaze, who on Tuesday was speaking to reporters in Kampala, noted that with the combined efforts of the Ministry of Agriculture and the private sector (producers, processors, exporters, etc.), Uganda is well-positioned to meet the demands of the Chinese market while ensuring the highest standards of food safety and quality in its exports.
There have been numerous calls and complaints from the general public, especially those involved in the export of wild aquatic products, which include Nile perch fillets, headless and gutted Nile perch, fish maw, fish skins, fish scales, silverfish products, and dried chillies, over difficulties in exporting products to China, which Tumwebaze acknowledged.
“As a country, we have not been exporting chilies to the Chinese market because it is an international norm that before any country exports products of plant origin to another country, a scientific assessment must be undertaken to understand the risk of introduction of new or exotic pests into the importing country. In this case, background research was done jointly by the scientists of the two countries; high-risk pests were identified, and mitigation measures were jointly agreed upon, leading to the signing of the protocol on dried chillies,” he said.
“While the Chinese market for wild aquatic products like Nile perch fillets, headless and gutted Nile perch, fish maw, fish skins, fish scales, and silverfish is enormous, most of these products have not been going through official channels, but instead they have been moving through non-designated trade routes and consequently reaching China as if originating from other countries,” he added.
The protocol, Tumwebaze said, was a requirement to ensure that all wild aquatic products that qualify to go to China are safe for human consumption and are given a stamp of approval by the Chinese authorities.
Source: Chimreports