BEES for DEVELOPMENT

1st Certification in 2004 (Fresh fruits)
2nd Certification in 2005 (Cotton)
Current status:

Organic smallholder farmers: Approx 38,000
Organic wild production: Approx. 1,300 collectors
‘In conversion status’: 15,824 smallholders

Beverages
Coffee
Cocoa
Vanilla
Ginger

Fruits and Vegetables
Pineapples
Mangoes
Papaya
S/Bananas
Chilies

Oils
Sesame
E/oils (Lemon grass)
Shea butter

Fibers
Cotton
Bark cloth

Organic wild freshwater fishery
Organic wild shea butter
Honey (in conversion)
Hibiscus calyxes (in conversion)
Cardamom (in conversion)
Black pepper (in conversion)

2. Organisations and institutions

Training, extension and research

MAAIF

NOGAMU

NGOs like LOFP

Networks (PELUM and SATNET)

EPOPA/SIDA, Hivos

UMU

Makerere University

Certifiers:

Uganda Organic Certification Ltd (UgoCert)

IMO

Ceres

Soil Association

Ecocert

BCS

3. Ugocert certification programmes

Uganda Organic Certification Ltd (UgoCert)

Partners:

IMO

Ceres

Our services are available throughout Africa, south of the Sahara

Uganda Organic Standard (UOS)

EU Regulation 2092/91

NOP Regulation

JAS

Bio Suisse

Naturland

KRAV

Soil Association

4. UgoCert requirements for organic certification of Apiculture

Description of location of the hives

Nectar and pollen sources of essentially organically grown crops or natural vegetation

Not near GMO flowering plants

Good distance (3 – 4 km) away from major sources of contamination (urban centres, waste dumps, industrial areas, water works)

No feeding on conventionally grown nectar and pollen producing crops

Any treatment of the hives must be with organically approved materials

Bees wax for new foundations must be organic. At harvest, hives must be left with reserves of honey and pollen for them to survive.

Artificial feeding only allowed where the survival of the hives is endangered

Origin of bees and reproduction must be organic or one year conversion period for EU requirements. From then onwards only apiaries own organic colonies are allowed with 10% non-organic queens or wild swarms

Use of synthetic repellents during harvesting is prohibited

Use of synthetics in management of storage pests is prohibited

Destruction of bees in combs as a method associated with harvesting is not permitted

There must be no commingling with other honey qualities during harvesting, storage and processing

Finally the whole production process must be described, labelled and monitored for compliance

Certification costs

Application/Registration fee (0.5 USD per beekeeper – 150 USD for a project)
Inspection costs
- Inspection fees (100 – 250 USD)
- Transport by public means (depends on distance)
- Subsistence (modest accommodation and meals)
Administrative fees (150 – 250 USD)
Certification fees (250 – 1,000 USD)

5. The certification process

Contact us for a discussion and the application pack
Study the information, fill in the application forms
Submit the application forms with the application fee
We will review and send you a proposal with a provisional quotation
Once you pay the quoted amount or an agreed percentage, 1st inspection of the production will be organised and conducted
The results of the inspection will be assessed, an inspection programme suitable for the production will be developed and an invoice made
If the certification programme is agreed, then a certification contract is signed
An agreed % of the invoice has to be paid
For organic apiculture, a second inspection in the second year of the production (1 year of conversion) could get the project certified
Organic certification is renewed every year

The UgoCert Organic Quality Mark

Uganda Organic Certification Ltd
ACORD Building, Ggaba Road
P.O. Box 33743, Kampala. Uganda.
Tel: +256-041-269 416
Fax: +256-041-2979162
info@ugocert.org
ccwalaga@ugocert.org

Contact Charles Walaga
Uganda Organic Certification Ltd
Email: ccwalaga@ugocert.org

Download Charles Walaga's PowerPoint presentation here (182kb .pps file)