Overview:
Ocailap underscored the critical need to develop a competitive animal feeds industry anchored on locally available raw materials such as maize, soybeans, sunflower, cottonseed, cassava, sweet potatoes, and fish meal.
Uganda is positioning itself to seize emerging regional markets for agro-processed products, leveraging its vast agricultural base and policy-driven interventions to boost value addition and exports.
Speaking at the 16th National Competitiveness Forum (NCF) held on Thursday, October 23, 2025, at the Golf Course Hotel in Kampala, the Acting Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury (PSST), Patrick Ocailap, delivered a keynote address on “Regional Opportunities for Uganda’s Agro-Processed Exports.”
Ocailap underscored the critical need to develop a competitive animal feeds industry anchored on locally available raw materials such as maize, soybeans, sunflower, cottonseed, cassava, sweet potatoes, and fish meal. He said that by tapping into these abundant resources, Uganda can produce high-quality, affordable compounded feeds that not only support domestic livestock production but also enhance export competitiveness.
Ocailap noted that rising incomes, rapid urbanization, and a growing middle class across Africa are driving a sharp increase in demand for processed foods and animal proteins. He revealed that by 2040, demand for processed foods is projected to increase sevenfold, emphasizing that Uganda is well placed to capture a substantial share of this expanding market.
Currently, Uganda exports 58 percent of its products within Africa, with more than half of its animal feeds destined for regional markets. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), he added, presents an unprecedented opportunity by connecting Uganda to a market of 1.4 billion people with a combined GDP exceeding USD 3 trillion. Highlighting the government’s ongoing efforts to empower farmers and producers, Ocailap said that through the Parish Development Model (PDM), government has already disbursed UGX 3.209 trillion to 3.251 million beneficiaries as of October 2025.
He further detailed sectoral allocations for the financial year 2024/25, noting that UGX 350.3 billion was allocated to piggery, UGX 334.2 billion to coffee, UGX 325.8 billion to poultry, UGX 289 billion to goats, UGX 247.9 billion to maize, UGX 154.4 billion to banana production, UGX 135 billion to beef cattle, and UGX 134 billion to cassava production, among others. Ocailap said these investments are boosting production, strengthening backward linkages with smallholder farmers, and unlocking new opportunities for value addition.
The National Competitiveness Forum, now in its 16th edition, brings together policymakers, private sector leaders, and development partners to discuss strategies for enhancing Uganda’s productivity, export potential, and participation in regional and global value chains. With initiatives like the PDM and AfCFTA integration, Uganda’s agro-processing sector is poised not just for self-sufficiency but for tenfold growth in regional competitiveness.