Despite the many challenges and constraints that surround them, private agricultural firms have been at the forefront of change and development in Northern Uganda in recent years.

Through innovative, farmer-focused products and services they have boosted productivity and helped small holder farmers increase and diversify their incomes, and strengthened the region's resilience to a changing climate.

The first key message of the first "Northern Uganda Agribusiness Partnership Forum", held June 28 in Gulu, was to acknowledge this contribution.

The second was to recognise the potential to do much more. The forum was hosted by the UK Government funded ‘NU-TEC' initiative (‘Northern Uganda - Transforming the Economy through Climate Smart Agribusiness') which supports the private sector to invest in ways that benefit the smallholder farmers and the northern agro-economy.

The programme will help over 150,000 households to increase their income by 2021. Representatives from government, the commercial sector and other agricultural initiatives gathered at one of NU-TEC's implementing partner's offices in Gulu to understand NU-TEC's innovative approach, its success to date, and to discuss the programme's ambitions for the future.

The event also served as a platform for agribusiness firms to showcase their products and services and learn from each other's innovative business models - many of which have led to "triple bottom line" success: higher profits; and benefits to the farmers; and a more climate resilient economy.

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