Spices can reap $20m
Nov 18, 2002
Local spice production has the potential to earn Uganda $20m by 2007, up from $3.5m during the 2001/02 financial year.
By Macrines Nyapendi
Local spice production has the potential to earn Uganda $20m by 2007, up from $3.5m during the 2001/02 financial year.
Florence Kata, the Executive Director of Uganda Export Promotions Board (UEPB), said it is envisaged that the sector will grow by 90% per annum over the next few years.
Kata said during an export strategy workshop for the horticulture sector at Hotel Africana last Friday, that the spices industry’s low awareness levels in the country also reflect the present limited production.
“Although the sub sector has grown rapidly in percentage terms in recent years, Uganda remains an insignificant player in the major markets,â€she said.
It was anticipated that the bulk of the sub-sector growth will come from red birds eye chillies, vanilla, cardamom, and black pepper.
Spices do not form an integral part of the traditional diet of the bulk population, limiting the size of the domestic market.
Apart from vanilla that is grown on smallholder crop basis, spice production is basically controlled by spice exporting firms. There are nine firms engaged in significant levels of activity of which two of them have just entered the European markets.
Spice dealers were advised to encourage contract farming amongst rural people.
However one participant said, “Some people were advised to grow chillies but nobody turned up to buy the product from them, because the farmers had messed up the procedures hence harvesting a different crop.
Farmers should also be sincere to their partners,†Srini Vasan said.
Local spice production has the potential to earn Uganda $20m by 2007, up from $3.5m during the 2001/02 financial year.
Florence Kata, the Executive Director of Uganda Export Promotions Board (UEPB), said it is envisaged that the sector will grow by 90% per annum over the next few years.
Kata said during an export strategy workshop for the horticulture sector at Hotel Africana last Friday, that the spices industry’s low awareness levels in the country also reflect the present limited production.
“Although the sub sector has grown rapidly in percentage terms in recent years, Uganda remains an insignificant player in the major markets,â€she said.
It was anticipated that the bulk of the sub-sector growth will come from red birds eye chillies, vanilla, cardamom, and black pepper.
Spices do not form an integral part of the traditional diet of the bulk population, limiting the size of the domestic market.
Apart from vanilla that is grown on smallholder crop basis, spice production is basically controlled by spice exporting firms. There are nine firms engaged in significant levels of activity of which two of them have just entered the European markets.
Spice dealers were advised to encourage contract farming amongst rural people.
However one participant said, “Some people were advised to grow chillies but nobody turned up to buy the product from them, because the farmers had messed up the procedures hence harvesting a different crop.
Farmers should also be sincere to their partners,†Srini Vasan said.