UDC helping farmers get ahead financially

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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 the event’s sponsors, Uganda Development Corporation (UDC), participated in the expo to meet farmers because they provide financing options to them.

Sarah Watsemwa, an investment officer at UDC, said 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 explained that 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,” she said.

Watsemwa said 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 if it only your family?” she said.

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 said UDC deals with four sectors: agro-manufacturing or value addition, minerals, services (like road construction) and pharmaceuticals.

The Harvest Money Expo 2026 is made possible by Vision Group, in partnership with the Kingdom of Netherlands, ENGSOL, aBi, Pearl Bank, Pepsi, Tunga Nutrition and the Uganda Development Corporation.

Others are Heifer International, Roke Telecom, Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Denmark and Uganda Revenue Authority.