Overview:
The UK is partnering with Uganda to transform its agricultural sector. British High Commissioner Lisa Chesney details how UK investment, technology, and trade policies will help boost exports and support farmers.
KAMPALA, Uganda — The Minister of State for Trade, Gen. Wilson Mbasu Mbadi, said Wednesday that Uganda aims to increase its annual agricultural export earnings to $20 billion by 2040 through a closer partnership with the United Kingdom.
Mbadi made the comments at the inaugural UK-Uganda Agro-Industrialization Forum held at Serana Hotel in Kampala. He highlighted the government’s Agro-industrialization Programme as a key strategy to enhance the commercialization and competitiveness of the country’s agricultural sector. While agriculture currently employs more than 70% of the workforce, he noted its full potential remains untapped.
“If we add value to our products and double their value, we can increase our export earnings to USD$20 billion by 2040,” Mbadi said. He explained that this ambitious goal will be met by facilitating credit access for small-scale farmers, providing long-term capital for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and improving agricultural production with better seeds, fertilizers, and irrigation systems.
Mbadi emphasized the U.K. as a critical partner, noting that in 2024, Uganda’s exports to the U.K. were $28 million, against imports of $71 million. To help close this trade gap, the minister proposed several areas for enhanced partnership.
He encouraged U.K. companies to invest in Uganda’s key agricultural value chains, including coffee, maize, beef, and dairy. He specifically highlighted opportunities in agro-industrial parks and in facilities for processing, packaging, and regulatory compliance.
Mbadi also pointed to the U.K.’s expertise in advanced agricultural technologies as a resource to improve Uganda’s productivity. He added that Uganda Airlines’ direct flights to the U.K. would help facilitate the export of goods like fish, coffee, fruits, and vegetables, overcoming logistical barriers and boosting trade.
British High Commissioner to Uganda Lisa Chesney echoed Mbadi’s sentiments, stating that the U.K. is committed to helping Uganda’s agricultural sector through a partnership focused on trade, technology, and investment.
“Whilst other countries are raising tariffs, you can rely on the UK to keep tariffs with Uganda down to nothing,” Chesney said. She explained that the UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme provides tariff-free access for 95% of Ugandan goods, including coffee, fruits, and vegetables.
Chesney cited several examples of this collaboration, including UK firm Nexus Green’s rollout of solar-powered irrigation schemes with farmers, a project supported by more than $100 million in investment from the Government of Uganda and UK Export Finance. She also noted that the UK’s £39 million Climate Smart Jobs programme is working to boost productivity and climate resilience for farmers in Northern Uganda.
Chesney added that the British High Commission recently took Ugandan coffee companies to the London Coffee Festival to help them access the UK’s over £1 billion coffee market. She concluded that the forum, which included representatives from both governments, businesses, and farmers, was a vital step toward strengthening economic ties and achieving mutual growth.