KOICA through ITC star empowers hundreds of Ugandan farmers in agribusiness

The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), through the International Trade Centre (ITC)—a joint agency of the United Nations and World Trade Organization—is empowering Ugandan farmers in agribusiness.

Since 2022, ITC has been implementing the STAR Project (Strengthening Agribusiness Resilience and Competitiveness) in 10 districts in Northern and North-Eastern Uganda, focusing on the shea, oilseeds, and cassava sectors.

Yeni Soh, Associate Programme Officer at ITC, stated that the project is enhancing the capacity of SMEs to become competitive and climate-resilient, while also strengthening market linkages.

Running until 2026, the project helps farmers, especially those in shea production, cassava growing, groundnuts, and sesame, to add value to their products.

“We are upskilling them in various areas, including market competitiveness, packaging, branding, marketing, climate-smart agriculture, and post-harvest handling,” Yeni said.

Additionally, the project offers training on climate change management and climate-smart agriculture to tackle climate impact.

To open market opportunities, ITC STAR supports 10 agribusinesses and farming cooperatives in attending the ongoing Jinja Agricultural Expo.

Yeni mentioned that this aims to expose farmers from Northern Uganda to various agribusiness stakeholders, buyers, processors, and new skills.

Grace Akot, chairperson of Agago District Farmers Association, a beneficiary of the KOICA-ITC Jinja Expo trip, shared that they have learned to add value to their products, particularly shea products.

Anthony Badru Ochen from Nyekorach SACCO noted that they are now making cooking oil from sunflower and have gained insights into business competitiveness.

However, all farmer groups are seeking government funding to propel their businesses.

“Since we’ve received training from the ITC STAR project, we want to expand production, but we need more machines to do this,” Ochen said.

Akot added, “We also need to export our products since they are organic and can compete on the international market. Therefore, we need government support, especially UNBS certification and other relevant documents.”

The Jinja Agricultural Show, under the theme, “Innovating Pathways to Farm Business-led Agro-industrialisation,” has attracted numerous local and international organisations showcasing new innovations in agricultural mechanisation, value addition, post-harvest handling, and digital marketing.