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Government, in partnership with the Grain Council of Uganda, Pearl Bank, Pride Bank and Housing Finance Bank, has also established a Shs176 billion Large Scale Commercial Farmers Facility.
KAMPALA — Government has said it is banking on large-scale agricultural transformation, particularly grain commodities, to drive Uganda’s export earnings under the Tenfold Growth Strategy.
The Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury (PSST), Mr Ramathan Ggoobi, said government is targeting to raise exports from the current 12 percent to 50 percent of GDP, with agro-industrial products playing a central role.
He said this would be achieved by increasing the export value of agro-industrial products to about $20 billion, raising manufacturing’s share of exports from 16 percent to 20 percent, and doubling the share of medium- and high-tech products in manufactured exports from 21 percent to 50 percent.
Mr Ggoobi made the remarks on Thursday while meeting private sector stakeholders to discuss off-take opportunities for grain commodities in Uganda.
“As part of the effort to boost the knowledge content of the ATMS, there is need for processing of agricultural commodities into finished goods that meet global market standards,” he said.
He added that government is working to establish a reliable mechanism for adequate production and supply of raw materials to sustain domestic manufacturing.
Mr Ggoobi also highlighted ongoing government interventions aimed at increasing production at household level, noting that the Parish Revolving Fund (PRF) had disbursed Shs3.78 trillion as of April 2026 to about 3.7 million beneficiaries.
He said many of the beneficiaries have invested in livestock production, including goats, beef and dairy cattle, and sheep, while others have invested in crop production such as maize and cassava.
“These investments are critical because maize and cassava are key raw materials for the manufacture of animal feeds for livestock and fish farming,” he said.
Government, in partnership with the Grain Council of Uganda, Pearl Bank, Pride Bank and Housing Finance Bank, has also established a Shs176 billion Large Scale Commercial Farmers Facility.
The facility is aimed at providing subsidised loans to large-scale commercial farmers to boost production of maize, beans, sorghum and animal fodder, which are considered strategic inputs for both food security and agro-industrial growth.
Officials say the interventions are expected to strengthen Uganda’s grain value chain, reduce dependence on imports and increase competitiveness in regional and international markets.