Nakadama rallies private sector players on agric value chain investment

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Third Deputy Prime Minister Lukia Isanga Nakadama has asked more private sector players to invest in Uganda’s agricultural value chains.

She says the Government will continue providing the necessary policy support and investment incentives.

Nakadama says because agriculture is the backbone of Uganda, policies such as the National Export Development Strategy (NEDS) 2020-2025 and National Organic Agricultural Policy (NOAP) 2019-2029  are critical in guiding private-sector engagement in agriculture because the transformation of Uganda's agricultural markets cannot be achieved by the Government alone where it requires strong collaboration between the public and private sector organisation in the agricultural value chain.

"When stakeholders work together, they create suitable opportunities for farmers and agribusiness. This collaboration is essential for creating green and decent jobs for the youth and women in agribusiness, strengthening rural enterprises to drive economic growth, and developing climate-smart solutions to ensure environmental sustainability," Nakadama said.

She urge the private sector to invest in value addition, supply chain efficiencies and farmer capacity building and farmers to embrace innovation, adopt best practices and grab the opportunities that are before them.

Guests being educated on how the DMF project has been working for 12 years by a Swissconnect official.

Nakadama was giving a keynote address on sustaining inclusive market growth in Uganda at the official close-out of the Dynamic Markets for Farmers (DMF) project and the launching of the Horti- markets Dynamic Uganda (HMD) project at Mestil Hotel and Residence in Kampala on February 27, 2025.

Swisscontact Uganda, the organisation that has been spearheading the project, country director Arafat Hossain, said this event marked the end of a 12-year initiative that has transformed Uganda’s cocoa and honey sectors by improving livelihoods, strengthening policy frameworks and unlocking market opportunities for thousands of smallholder farmers. 

According to him, the DMF project has demonstrated that smallholder farmers do not just need support but also access to markets, finance, knowledge and technology.

The results of this approach have been profound, that over 23,000 farmers have seen their incomes rise significantly, with cocoa farmers reporting a 142% increase in earnings and beekeepers seeing a 127% boost in their incomes.

Hossain said the project facilitated over shillings 91,975,000,000 ($25 million) in private sector investment, exceeding the phase budget by 16 times—proving that agriculture is not just viable, but highly investable.

‘‘DMF-supported farmers who contributed to a 54% increase in Uganda’s national cocoa exports, showcasing the power of structured market linkages.

Community savings groups mobilised shillings 225 million ($60,000), demonstrating that farmers can achieve financial resilience when given the right structures.

"What is most critical is that these results do not end with the project, but farmers, co-operatives, and businesses now have the capabilities, networks, and resources to continue their growth without direct external support," Hossain said.

Agriculture state minister Fred Bwino Kyakulaga said over 23,000 farmers have benefitted from education on planting cocoa in the right way to get better yields and extension services from agricultural officers from the districts and how they can use their land whether small or big to land to intercrop cocoa with bananas, maize, beans to get food for consumption and cash from cocoa.   

According to DMF project manage Kenneth Aedu, at the beginning, cocoa was being grown in only 16 districts, but they are now over 70. 

The function was attended by cocoa farmers, beekeepers and other farming sector stakeholders.