Uganda has listed a number of ready trade and investment opportunities in the country’s agriculture sector that European countries could take up.
During the ongoing 3rd Uganda-European Union Trade and Business Forum, the state minister for agriculture, Bright Rwamirama, said the country has various opportunities in agro-processing and value addition.
Under dairy and dairy products, Rwamirama said: “Capacity of over 3.5 billion litres annually presents investment opportunities for powdered milk production, flavored and UHT milk, butter and ghee production, cheese, cream and ice-cream and establishment of collection and distribution facilities.”
The minister said Uganda has capacity of 16 million cattle, 17.5 million goats, eight million pigs, five million sheep, and 120 million birds for poultry, “all with potential to more than double; all ideal for meat exports, leather processing, animal feeds manufacture and commercial breeding, abattoirs of international standards.”
“Investors have huge opportunities in; Manufacture of vaccines (Foot and Mouth Disease); Leather Industry; Manufacture of animal feeds and concentrates (setting of animal feeds factories); Abattoirs of international standards and honey,” Rwamirama said.
Investors were also tipped to consider taking up opportunities in value addition for Coffee, Tea, and Cocoa as well as instant coffee plant and processing, blending and marketing of Ugandan tea.
Uganda also needs investors in a cocoa processing plant, with the current production of over 30,204MT.
“ Opportunities exist for aquaculture development. For example aquaculture parks, cage farming, fish feeds manufacture, fish breeding, premium species e.g cage fish, eel fish,” the minister said.
He also highlighted slots in the organic tropical fruits and vegetables field, where he mentioned packaging of fruits and vegetables, export of dehydrated fruits and vegetables and export of fruit concentrates. “There is huge potential for citrus, pineapples, Mangoes, passion fruits, bananas and others,” he said.
“Our target is to increase agricultural exports from the current USD 1.4 billion to USD4 billion annually in the medium term. These exports will be largely absorbed in regional markets, European Union and Asian countries to mention but a few.”
“For all this effort, we call upon our strategic partners, many of whom are present here, to join us on this roadmap for the agricultural development agenda,” the minister said.
The 3rd Uganda-EU Business Forum 2024 is running under the theme, Boosting Trade and Investment.
