Uganda has laid out an bold roadmap to remodel its agriculture sector right into a high-value, climate-resilient engine of financial development, calling for deeper funding and collaboration from the UK and international companions.
Talking on the fifteenth UK-Africa Enterprise Summit in London, Uganda’s Senior Presidential Advisor on Agribusiness and Worth-Addition Growth, Dr. Hillary Musoke Kisanja, outlined the nation’s complete technique to shift from uncooked agricultural manufacturing to value-added agribusiness, in alignment with Uganda Imaginative and prescient 2040.
Dr. Kisanja emphasised that whereas agriculture stays the spine of Uganda’s economy–contributing about 24 % to GDP and using over 70 % of the population–true transformation lies in worth addition.
He famous that processing, packaging, and funding in export-ready commodities are important to unlocking the complete potential of Uganda’s agricultural sector, producing employment, rising farmer incomes, and driving industrialization.
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He highlighted the espresso sector as a key success story. Within the 12 months ending February 2025, Uganda’s espresso exports grew to US$1.72 billion–a 70.71 % increase–driven by rising international demand, improved costs, and a nationwide shift towards specialty espresso, branding, and premium packaging.
He added that related progress is being made within the dairy, cereals, and horticulture sectors, the place native processing is creating jobs, lowering post-harvest losses, and strengthening provide chains.
Dr. Kisanja additionally addressed the pressing have to climate-proof agriculture, citing the rising frequency of erratic climate patterns in Uganda, together with floods and extended dry spells.
He mentioned Uganda is actively investing in options resembling irrigation and water administration programs to stabilize manufacturing throughout seasons, whereas digital agriculture instruments like climate forecasts, cell functions, and satellite tv for pc imaging are enhancing decision-making for farmers.
Sustainable farming practices–including agroforestry, soil conservation, natural fertilizers, and resilient crop varieties–are additionally being promoted to construct long-term productiveness and resilience.
These efforts, he famous, are already producing tangible leads to precedence sectors resembling maize, rice, espresso, dairy, and fisheries, the place farmers are reporting greater yields, diminished losses, and elevated incomes even beneath altering weather conditions.
On the matter of worldwide cooperation, Dr. Kisanja reaffirmed Uganda’s sturdy partnership with the UK, describing it as each historic and forward-looking. He known as for joint analysis and innovation partnerships to harness UK experience in agricultural expertise and local weather modeling. He additionally invited UK funding in agro-processing vegetation, chilly storage infrastructure, and packaging industries to speed up worth addition.
Dr. Kisanja careworn the significance of financing mechanisms that assist climate-resilient agriculture, notably for smallholder farmers and agribusinesses. He inspired collaboration on revolutionary monetary fashions and emphasised the significance of supporting youth and girls entrepreneurship within the agribusiness sector, which he described as important to constructing the subsequent era of African agricultural leaders.
Based on Dr. Kisanja, such partnerships could be mutually useful. Whereas African international locations profit from elevated productiveness, job creation, and meals safety, UK traders acquire entry to fast-growing markets, diversified funding portfolios, and long-term financial returns.
Uganda’s agribusiness imaginative and prescient, he famous, aligns with key continental and international frameworks. These embrace the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which promotes agriculture-driven industrialization and regional integration; the African Continental Free Commerce Space (AfCFTA), which is opening new markets for intra-African commerce; and the United Nations Sustainable Growth Objectives (SDGs), notably these centered on ending starvation, selling respectable work, fostering innovation, and addressing local weather change.
On the coronary heart of Uganda’s broader financial technique is Imaginative and prescient 2040, an bold plan to develop the nationwide economic system from its present US$50 billion to US$500 billion. Dr. Kisanja defined that agribusiness, industrial growth, and technological innovation are key drivers of this transformation. He underscored that the plan just isn’t merely aspirational however grounded in motion, knowledge, and concrete funding alternatives.
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He concluded with a name to motion for international traders, urging them to spend money on climate-smart agriculture, assist worth addition initiatives, and co-create sustainable options with Uganda.
He mentioned Uganda is open for enterprise, prepared to guide, and ready to supply a steady and investor-friendly atmosphere.
“Africa stands at a pivotal second. The challenges are great–but so are the alternatives. Uganda is able to lead, innovate, and collaborate,” Dr. Kisanja acknowledged.
The UK-Africa Enterprise Summit, now in its fifteenth version, brings collectively high-level stakeholders from governments, the personal sector, and growth businesses to discover commerce, funding, and sustainable development alternatives throughout the African continent.
