HOW UGANDA ACHIEVED AND MAINTAINS A RESIDUE MONITORING PLAN
Alice Kangave, MAAIF, Uganda

 Introduction

Bee keeping in Uganda started as honey hunting long ago. The following played a major role to improve the bee keeping industry.

• CARE
• FAO
• IDEA
• MAAIF
• UNIDO
• NAADS, MTTI
• BfD

The Process of Standardisation

The process of Standardisation and Certification of Uganda honey for the EU market started in 1999 when UNIDO decided to assist MAAIF in the process.

• Prof. Helmut Horn from University of Honhenheim Stuttgort Germany was contracted
• 1999 a baseline study was conducted
• Honey sample collection from 9 ecological zones of Uganda.
• In 2001, 214 honey samples were harvested directly from the hive and stored in a cooler box from the following districts; Kabale, Rukungiri, Bushenyi, Mbarara, Rakai, Masaka, Kibale, Mubende, Kampala, Mukono, Luwero, Nakasongola, Apac, Lira, Kamuli, Jinja, Kaberamaido, Soroti, Mbale, Tororo, Kumi, Iganga, West Nile, Bwindi and Sembabule.
  

Honey sample collection

Map of Uganda showing where honey samples were collected

Honey harvesting from top bar hives

Honey sample squeezing and labelling

• The honey analysis was done in Germany and all the determinations were done according to the International standardized methods.
• The samples were analyzed for the following;

  - pollen analysis
  - water content
  - electrical conductivity
  - HMF content
  - invertase activity
  - diastase activity
  - proline content
  - ph value
  - fermentation
  - free acidity
  - lactones and total acidity
  - sugars
  

• During the sample collection it was realized that most hives were not colonized so in Sept-Dec 2001, Prof. Helmut trained;

  - 78 bee keepers in queen rearing and colony multiplication
  - honey packers and processors in honey quality control
  -18 lab technicians in honey analysis

Training sessions

In 2003 another baseline study on quality of honey in 5 regions of Uganda was conducted

• 300 honey samples were collected and analyzed by Prof. Helmut
• 144 honey samples were analyzed by Chemiphar laboratory
• Ring trials between Chemiphar lab and the University of Honhenheim resulted in similar results.
• The results gave us the characterization of Uganda honey and were used to revise the Uganda honey standards.
• The formulation of the National Apiculture Policy has been completed and awaiting approval by the cabinet.
• MAAIF developed statutory instruments as a support for the legislature on honey.
• MAAIF coordinated all stakeholders to form an umbrella body called the Uganda National Apiculture development Organization (TUNADO)
• TUNADO objective is to bring beekeeper’s associations and other stakeholders together to ease coordination and improve the performance of the Apiculture industry.

The National Honey Residue Monitoring Plan (NHRMP)

• MAAIF in close collaboration with the stakeholders and with assistance from UNBS, UNIDO, UEPB, formulated the NHRMP
• It is a core requirement for countries importing honey into the EU market to submit NHRMP to the EU commission every year
• Mr. Peter Martins from Honey International Packers Association participated in the finalization of the NHRMP for 2005 in Sept.2004 which was submitted in Dec. 2004 to the EU commission.
• This resulted in Uganda being listed among the countries to export honey to the EU market (EU journal commission Decision of 11th March 2005)

Key issues in the NHRMP

INTRODUCTION AND GENERAL INFORMATION

• Legislation concerning the use of substances in Annex 1
  (Directive 96/23/EC Article 7.1)
• The legal basis of the Competent Authority
• Infrastructure of the official services
• The Local Authority (Districts)
• Relationship with other agencies (UNBS, TUNADO)
• Institutional framework
• Laboratories
• Level of competence of laboratories
• National tolerance limits for maximum residue limits (MRLs)
• Official Sampling Procedures
  

BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON PRODUCTION

• Type of production
• Production planned to be exported to EU

RESIDUE MONITORING PLAN

• Objectives of the plan
• Groups of residues covered (Annex 1)

Frequencies and level of controls

TARGETING CRITERIA

• Results from previous years
• Changes based analysis of the residue plan of the previous years.

Comments from EU

• Summary of legislation
• The specificity of samples
• Measures taken if there is a positive case
• The details of substances analyzed
• Response to these comment was made and submitted to EU

Official launching of honey to the EU

• MAAIF
• EU
• TUNADO
• UNIDO
• NAADS
• UEPB facilitated the launching on 3rd May 2005.

The National Residual Monitoring Plan for 2006

• This involved the revision and updating the NRMP of 2005
• The objectives of the plan
• Groups of residues covered (details are found in Annex 1)
• Details of the methods of analysis
• Frequencies and levels of the controls
• Targeting criteria
• Results from previous years
• Changes based on analysis of the residue plan of the previous years

After submission of the NRMP 2006 to EU commission using the previous format they sent us templates which they advised us to use.

Table 1 has the following sections

• General information on the Competent Authority – organisation chart
• The National Residue Control Plan – Legislation
• The Laboratory Network
  - National Reference lab-UNBS
  - Chemiphar Laboratory

Table 2

• Residual Plan

- Group of substance to be monitored
- Compound residual
- Screening method
- Confirmatory method
- Screen method detection limit
- Confirmation method detection limit etc.

Table 3

Regulatory Programme for Control of Residuals in Food.
The above topics in table 2

Table 4

• Results of Regulatory Programme for Control of Residuals in Food

- Group of substance to be monitored
- Compound of residue
- Number of samples
- Decision limits
- Number of non-compliant results (above decision limit)

Table 5

• Guideline on the compounds considered in the NRMP

Constraints

- Legislation on apiculture
- High costs to analyse the honey samples for the different
  parameters

Way forward

• Investments - Bee Natural Products
• Implement National Apiculture Strategic Plan
• Implement Apiculture Export Strategy
• Collection centres
• Districts eg. Mukono
• Radio messages
• Law enforcement
• Honey Inspectors

(left) Log hives and an apiary (right) - Uganda

Contact Alice Kangave:

Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries.
P.O BOX 102 Entebbe.
Tel. +25671273059
Email: akangave@utlonline.co.ug

  Download Alice Kangave's PowerPoint presentation here (576kb .pps file)