The latest Food Security Monitor released by Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa has underscored the need to strengthen staple food value chains—particularly maize, beans, and rice—to enhance food security and boost Uganda’s regional trade competitiveness.
The report provides a comprehensive snapshot of market dynamics across Eastern, Southern, and West Africa, emphasizing the importance of resilient production systems, efficient supply chains, and well-coordinated regional trade. It also positions the Food Security Monitor as a critical tool for policymakers and market actors by offering timely data to guide decision-making in the agricultural sector.
In Eastern Africa, staple food markets are experiencing mixed price movements driven by seasonal supply changes, cross-border trade flows, and localized climate pressures. In Uganda, maize prices rose from USD 390 to USD 412 per metric tonne, reflecting strong regional demand and the country’s expanding role as a key supplier to neighbouring markets.
The report notes that maize, beans, and rice remain central to both food security and trade across the region, with demand continuing to grow alongside population increases and deeper integration within the East African Community.
“Reliable market intelligence is essential for strengthening food systems and enabling farmers, traders, and policymakers to respond to emerging opportunities,” said David Wozemba.
“The Food Security Monitor provides critical insights that support evidence-based interventions to improve productivity, stabilize markets, and expand regional trade,” he added.
Uganda’s strategic geographic position and strong agricultural base continue to underpin its role as a major exporter of staple foods. The country supplies maize and beans to key regional markets, including Kenya, South Sudan, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
However, the report also highlights persistent structural challenges affecting food systems across the region. These include climate variability, rising input costs, and disruptions in global fertilizer supply chains, all of which continue to influence production costs and food prices.
To address these challenges, the report emphasizes the need to strengthen productivity, improve post-harvest handling, and expand structured grain markets in order to enhance the competitiveness of Uganda’s staple food value chains.
Through its programmes in Uganda, AGRA is working with government agencies, farmer organisations, and private-sector partners to improve seed systems, strengthen grain aggregation and storage, and facilitate access to regional markets. These interventions are helping farmers reduce post-harvest losses, improve grain quality, and meet regional standards.
As demand for staple foods continues to rise across Africa, the report stresses that investments in resilient production systems and competitive value chains will be critical to ensuring food security while expanding economic opportunities for farmers and agribusinesses.
The Food Security Monitor tracks food security trends, commodity prices, and trade dynamics across the continent, providing evidence-based insights to guide policies and investments aimed at strengthening Africa’s food systems and regional trade.
