‘We went to seek partnerships from the Netherlands’

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Thirteen winners of last year’s Best Farmers competition travelled to the Netherlands on October 4-11.

They were grouped into five clusters — dairy, coffee, poultry, bee-keeping and entrepreneurship for each to explore innovations in their respective fields.

In the past four weeks, we have covered the dairy, coffee, poultry cohorts and maggot farming. In the last of a five-part series, Joshua Kato shows how two Ugandan agripreneurs sought Dutch markets and farm technology to raise quality and boost exports.

During their study trip in the Netherlands, two Ugandan agripreneurs, Pius Kwesiga, the director of Nile Fresh Products and James Kanyije, owner of KK Foods, had two missions: To secure new markets for Ugandan produce and to explore affordable irrigation and farm machinery solutions.

Securing grain markets

Kwesiga grows soya and sunflowers and his organisation aggregates the same crops from several farmers.

He was seeking market for the crops.

Kwesiga’s target was Koudjis Nutrition BV, a Dutch livestock feeds company that has a facility in Njeru, Buikwe district in Uganda, requiring 200,000 tonnes of maize and soya annually.

Geoffrey Mukama, the technical sales manager at Koudjis Uganda, revealed that poor‑quality grain are a key stumbling block in production.

“We set specifications and samples passed the test, but deliveries were different. The 5,000 tonnes supplied for trial were rejected,” he said.

Still, he expressed optimism: “We are sure we shall get the quantities we need if we work closely with farmers.”

In the meantime, Koudjis is importing raw materials. Kwesiga, having identified an opportunity to be a local supplier of grain, set out to meet Koudjis officials in the Netherlands.

He says the meetings were fruitful, with agreements reached in principal on potential supply. Nile Fresh Produce Ltd is a leading producer of maize grain in Uganda, leveraging fertile soils around the Nile basin.

The company produces maize, soya beans, sunflowers, as well as fruits and vegetables for local, regional and European markets. Kwesiga says they guarantee production and marketing of about 100,000 tonnes annually from their nucleus farm and contract farmers, aligned with commitments from importers and processors.

Expanding horticulture exports

For Kanyije, the trip was about expanding markets for fresh vegetables.

KK Foods, established in 2011, has grown into one of Uganda’s leading exporters of fruits and vegetables. The company already supplies Europe, but is keen to broaden its reach.

“We are committed to building a sustainable network of farmers to produce organic farm products for a healthy global population,” Kanyije told his hosts.

KK Foods also provides farmers with extension services, including irrigation, cold‑room storage, market research and value chain development.

Kanyije works with over 15,000 farmers countrywide. The company exports a wide range of produce, including African eggplant, hot pepper, okra, passion fruit, apple banana, avocado, ginger, sweet potatoes, papaya, pineapple, cassava, vanilla and sweet corn.

At TIJMS Mechanisatie

Beyond markets, the farmers explored mechanisation and irrigation solutions at Tijms Mechanisatie, a Dutch family business established in 1948.

The company specialises in agricultural machinery, irrigation and garden equipment, with a presence in Africa.

“We must improve mechanisation on our farms and introduce affordable irrigation systems,” Kwesiga emphasised. Affordable technology, he noted, is key to boosting productivity back home.

Lessons for Uganda’s farming sector

From their Netherlands visit, Kwesiga and Kanyije highlighted several lessons for Uganda:

Access to quality inputs

Farmers need affordable seed‑loan packages backed by private sector research.

Mechanisation

Uganda requires about 5,000 tractors annually. Innovative models such as “tractor Uber” or lease‑purchase schemes could help farmers access machinery.

“We know that many farmers cannot afford upfront payments for tractors, but we can start an Uber system under which farmers can locate the nearest tractors and pay for usage.”

Irrigation

Affordable solar‑powered irrigation could enable three high‑yield seasons per year. Uganda’s soils and water proximity offer comparative advantages.

Storage facilities

Investment in viable produce storage from district to parish level is critical to reduce post‑harvest losses.

Premium markets

Access to foreign markets motivates farmers to meet standards, enhancing production and competitiveness.

ICT adoption

Digitising the value chain; from geo‑mapping to farm management; would improve efficiency and sustainability.

Improve quality

“Off‑takers here put a lot of emphasis on quality and quantity,” Kwesiga said.

Kanyije added that sensitising farmers on export standards is now a priority if Uganda is to penetrate the Dutch market.

Fact file

The 2024 winners that travelled to the Netherlands included Professor Paul Kibwika (overall winner), Brenda Tusiime (1st runner[1]up, Kabarole), Meridah Nandudu (2nd runner-up, Bulambuli) and Abbas Sekajja (Wakiso/ Luwero).

Others were Tom Okao (Lira), Janny Oyella (Gulu), Joyce Omiat (Bukedea), Emmanuella Oroma (Nebbi), Allen Atuhaire (Sheema), Joseph Nkandu (NUCAFE), Godfrey Bwaya (Elgon Coffee Growers), Apollo Gabazira (Iganga) and Martha Matovu Namabiro (DAFAN).

They were joined by two self-paying agripreneurs — James Kanyije of KK Fresh and Pius Kwesiga of Nile Fresh.

The best farmers competition is organised by Vision Group in partnership with the Embassy of the Netherlands, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, dfcu Bank and Koudjis Nutrition BV.

Since the competition began in 2014, there have been 121 winners, with 111 having travelled to the Netherlands.