Harvest Money Expo 2026 ends — as it happened

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Edited and presented by Joseph Kizza
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 5:00 PM 

 WATCH 

'THANK YOU'


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 4:25 PM 

📸 Coffee training in pictures

Training on coffee by 2024 Best Farmer Joseph Nandu, the founder/executive director of the National Union of Coffee Agribusinesses and Farm Enterprises (NUCAFE).

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 3:58 PM 

Godfrey Kimera of City Sites Agro Unit dealing in tomato farming and value addition has been explaning to expo-goers how their agribusiness works.

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 3:00 PM 

'Make your yard a gold mine'

Reporting by Jackie Nalubwama:

Harriet Nakabaale, an urban farming expert in Kawaala, has urged expo visitors to embark on horticulture in their homes, no matter how small a space may be. Her home is on a 50 by 30ft plot from which she reaps massively and her advice is. “Love your small space because you can do a lot with it. Because I have a small space, I use high-raised farming.”

Nakabaale reminds us all of the biblical David versus Goliath victory. She says to be successful, one needs to be innovative, resourceful and work with whatever one has at home.

“I use everything: tanks, bottles, pipes and even cups. I also plant along my fence; I planted grapes on my fence and I now make wine," she says. She sells a bottle of wine at sh30,000.

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 2:30 PM 

'Form cooperatives to unlock govt support'

Reporting by Richard Ategeka:

Farmers across Uganda have been urged to organise into cooperatives at village level to unlock government support, access affordable financing and strengthen their bargaining power in the market. 

Speaking at the 10th edition of the Harvest Money Expo, Dr Elyeza Bakaze, a senior research officer from the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) – National Crops Resources Research Institute (NACRRI), said cooperatives remain the most effective pathway for farmers to access innovation, training, and government programmes. 

“If any innovation is to be brought to farmers, it can easily trickle down through cooperatives rather than working with individuals. When they sell collectively, they avoid exploitation by middlemen and gain stronger bargaining power.”

Bakaze emphasised that beyond marketing advantages, cooperatives make it easier for farmers to demand government services such as training, machinery and agricultural inputs. 

“When it comes to inputs and trainings, cooperatives can easily demand services from government. An individual farmer cannot do that effectively."
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 1:47 PM 

Reaping from Harvest Money Expo

Reporting by Jackie Nalubwama:

Vision Group’s Harvest Money Expo, which began on Friday has left visitors all the happier for the purchases they made. For three days, the farming bug has clearly caught expo visitors, who have been leaving Kololo Ceremonial Grounds, the venue, with green purchases. Some visitors have attested to the importance of their purchases and warmly thanked the expo for bringing together different players in the agricultural sector and other supporting sectors. 

Florence Kleto from Bugema University said the expo has been a worthwhile experience. “I have bought a macadamia seedling and I am happy that I got contacts from different industries and marketing groups. When I get money, I will buy from them."

Another visitor who sang the expo’s praises was Arnold from Kampala, who bought fruit seedlings, mango, apple guava and orange. Walking away with a bag of maize seeds, Rogers Wandera from Mukono said if the expo was going another day, he would return.

From Kasangati, Frank Lumu had his hands full with different seedlings, including matooke, rosemary, tangerine, cinnamon, soursop, orange, mango and avocado. “I love fruit and even my children will enjoy it."

Miriam Igihozo, a Senior Four student at Extreme High School in Namayumba, was happy after buying a jackfruit seedling. “Our school supports tree planting, so we are allowed to plant trees. I have a jackfruit seedling and I will plant it at school. I love the fruit."

Themed 'Farming as a Business', the expo urged Ugandans to seriously consider the green gold in agriculture by following best farming practices shared by experts at the expo.

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 1:10 PM 

Snails are more than a slimy delicacy

Reporting by Jackie Nalubwama:

At the Bombo Army Secondary School exhibition stall at the Harvest Money Expo, students have impressed visitors with their snail snacks and snails in a box. Senior Four student Alex Ssentongo says snail are both beneficial and tasty. “Schools buy snails from us."

They also use snail shells to feed poultry by crushing them and mixing the powder in the poultry feed. Snails also make a tasty bite when prepared well.

“We wash the shell and snail, and then we bore a hole at the back of the shell. Thereafter, we add some salt to help excrete slime. We then remove the snail from the shell and wash it with hot water. We put it in a bucket of lemon juice (citric juice), which helps remove any slime that had remained. The snails are then boiled for 15 minutes and the water is drained after. Frying follows, like you would beef or liver," says Ssentongo.

He says they collect the slime to make skincare products and soap.
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 12:45 PM 

'They are tasting, asking questions and learning'

Reporting by Umar Nsubuga:

Exhibitor Julius Bigabwa, owner of Biglad Agritourism Farm, is using the Harvest Money Expo platform to teach Ugandans the business power of macadamia.

For Bigabwa, this year’s edition is about the fact that macadamia is not just a nut; it is a complete value chain. At his stand, visitors encounter a variety of macadamia products rarely seen together in one place. There is macadamia butter, smooth and ready for bread spreads, pure macadamia oil suitable for cooking and cosmetics, crunchy macadamia snacks, finely milled macadamia powder and a unique blend of macadamia mixed with honey. He is also exhibiting quality macadamia seedlings for farmers interested in starting their own orchards.

Bigabwa says he is thrilled by the response. “Many Ugandans did not understand what macadamia is or how profitable it can be. But at this expo, people are tasting, asking questions and learning."
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 12:20 PM 

🥑 Training on Hass ovacado by Nilecado...

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 11:56 AM 

Reporting by Jackie Nalubwama:

The Harvest Money Expo is God’s gift to farmers. It connects them to fellow farmers, experts and most importantly, financial partners. Many farmers want to leap into commercial farming or at least grow to a larger scale than subsistence farming, but end up hitting a snag, owing to financial hurdles. Thankfully, one of this year's sponsors, Uganda Development Corporation (UDC), participated in the Harvest Money Expo to meet farmers because they provide financing options to them. 

Sarah Watsemwa, an investment officer at UDC, says their participation in the expo is part of their corporate social responsibility because they support farmers. “Our mandate is to work with farmers to add value to produce,” she said.

She says farmers receive funding through equity financing. “We own a stake in the enterprise. When you are done with the payments, you can buy us out. Additionally, when you are in need, we give shareholder loans as well, so that we are on track with the loan.

Watsemwa says they also check that companies are buying raw materials from farmers by monitoring and evaluation. “We also want to see development of local entrepreneurship and whether people are employed or is it only your family?”

Any farmer can get financial assistance from UDC as long as he or she writes a business proposal and sends it to the executive director, Dr Patrick Birungi. However, to receive the funds, she says UDC deals with four sectors: agro-manufacturing or value addition, minerals, services (like road construction) and pharmaceuticals.
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 11:17 AM 

WATCH

Jjumba Crispus, the team leader at AfricroozE, an e-bike company that believes that everyone should have access to clean affordable transport no matter their level of income.


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 10:32 AM 

Reporting by Jacky Achan:

The ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Uganda, Frederieke Quispel, has said there is significant business potential in Uganda’s agriculture sector and commended the Danish government for establishing a Danish pavilion at this year’s Harvest Money Expo, where Danish companies are exhibiting products and opportunities in agriculture.

She encouraged other countries to follow suit by setting up national pavilions at future editions of the expo, noting that she looks forward to the 11th edition with even broader international participation.

Quispel said the Netherlands continues to showcase how it does business with Uganda by sharing knowledge and skills, adding that Dutch organisations are set to invest €100m (sh425b) in the coming years.

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 10:20 AM 

WATCH

This is what the Harvest Money Expo is all about 👇🏽


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 9:46 AM 

📸  A moment with the CEO....

On Saturday, Vision Group CEO Don Wanyama took a stroll around the exhibition stalls to interact with the Harvest Money Expo exhibitors and visitors alike. During his interactions, Wanyama awarded exhibitors who have been part of the event for the past editions.

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 8:30 AM 

📸  An experience like no other

The last two days of the expo have been experiential for the thousands that have showed up at Kololo. Sunday will be no different, with visitors expected to stream in to check out the hundreds of exhibition stalls as well as attend the training sessions.

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 8:20 AM 

📝 Sunday training sessions

Sunday's sessions will feature the following:

▪️ Commercial vegetable farming and green housing
▪️ Poultry
▪️Opportunities in growing pasture for cash
▪️Hass avocado, agronomics and management
▪️Cattle breeding
▪️Fish farming and management
▪️Piggery
▪️Coffee

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 8:10 AM 

 DAY THREE BEGINS 

Good morning everyone. We return to Kololo Ceremonial Grounds in Uganda's capital Kampala for the third and final day of this 10th edition of Harvest Money Expo.

Happy new month!