Kampala | Uganda’s flagship agro-industrial innovation, the Presidential Initiative on Banana Industrial Development (PIBID) and its commercial arm, the Banana Industrial Research and Development Centre (BIRDIC), have scooped top regional awards for excellence, quality, and innovation in East Africa.
Their flagship product, Tooke, emerged as the Platinum Winner of the East Africa Brand Quality Award for the Most Preferred Baking Banana Flour — a recognition that cements its status as a regional leader in agro-processing and industrial innovation.
PIBID and BIRDIC also took home titles for Best Sector Exhibitor and Most Innovative Exhibitor at the recently concluded national trade fair, highlighting Uganda’s growing competitiveness in value addition and agricultural industrialization.
Dr Florence Isabirye Muranga, the director general of PIBID, said the recognition was a reflection of Uganda’s steady progress in transforming agriculture through innovation and research.
“These awards are a testament to the good work Uganda is doing in industrializing our local produce,” Dr. Muranga said.
“The Tooke brand shows that our farmers’ hard work can yield globally competitive products when supported by research, innovation, and quality standards.”
A pioneer in banana value addition, Dr Muranga also underscored packaging as one of the sector’s continuing challenges, calling for greater investment to meet both local and international market requirements.
Derived from Uganda’s staple crop matooke, the Tooke brand has become a symbol of homegrown ingenuity — demonstrating how agricultural innovation can stimulate industrial growth, create jobs, and strengthen food security.
As PIBID and BIRDIC celebrate this milestone, their success reaffirms the potential of Uganda’s agricultural sector when driven by innovation, quality, and value addition from farm to finished product.
