The Commissioner for Crop Production and Protection at the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Alex Lwakuba, said Uganda risks missing out on lucrative export opportunities due to inconsistent farm output and substandard produce.
He made the remarks while officiating at the launch of Control Union, a Netherlands-based product certification firm that has expanded its presence in Uganda to support exporters in meeting international standards.
“We have no consistent performance among farmers, and even what reaches the market is not enough to sustain trade relationships,” Lwakuba said.
He noted that while agriculture remains a cornerstone of Uganda’s socio-economic transformation, low productivity and unreliable supply chains continue to trap many farmers in subsistence cycles.
According to Lwakuba, boosting production alone will not be sufficient unless it is matched with strong and reliable market systems.
“Production and markets move together. Markets facilitate production by providing a reliable outlet for what is produced,” he said.
He also highlighted concerns about product quality and safety, stressing the need for strict compliance with international requirements if Uganda is to expand its export footprint.
“Sanitation and quality assurance are critical. What we put on the market must meet the requirements of the end user,” he added.
Uganda’s agricultural strategy is increasingly focused on improving productivity, strengthening value chains, and aligning output with both domestic and global demand.
Meanwhile, Tadeo Kalamaga, Managing Director of Control Union Uganda, said the company is targeting key export destinations in Europe and the United States, which remain major consumers of Uganda’s agricultural produce.
“We are supporting exporters mainly in agricultural products because major crops like coffee, cocoa, vanilla, sesame and chia seeds are largely consumed in the European and American markets,” Kalamaga said.
He added that the firm aims to help farmers and exporters meet the certification and compliance standards required to access premium international markets.
“So we are here to support exporters and producers to access those markets by implementing systems and standards required for entry,” he said.
Despite the vast opportunity presented by the expanding global agro-market, analysts say Uganda’s success will depend on its ability to address long-standing bottlenecks in productivity, quality assurance, and market coordination.