Kampala, Uganda | Patricia Akankwatsa | Uganda is intensifying efforts to unlock serious investments and promote collaboration in its agrifood sector, recognizing that despite vital growth, fundamental funding gaps, coordination challenges, and protection misalignments are impeding the sector’s fleshy doable. With a like a flash rising population of simply about 46 million people and a reliance on agriculture for twenty-four% of its GDP and 70% of employment, the nation faces urgent food security challenges, as highlighted by over 34% of its population remaining undernourished.
To tackle these urgent disorders, the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries (MAAIF), supported by the Meals and Agriculture Group of the United Countries (FAO) and other key companions including the African Field of industrial of the Top Minister (OPM), National Planning Authority (NPA), and Agribusiness Incubators Community (AAIN), convened the Uganda Agrifood Programs Investment and Financing Convention on June 24-25, 2025 at the Uganda Industrial Learn Institute, Namanve.
The two-day tournament aimed to provoke investments and foster collaboration in direction of achieving agrifood systems transformation below Uganda’s upcoming National Pattern Conception (NDP) IV (2025/2026-2029/2030).
Talking on the convention, the Minister of Insist for Animal Industry, Hon. Lt. Col. (Rtd) Shiny Rwamirama, affirmed the govt.’s unwavering commitment.
“The government is doing the entirety imaginable to produce positive that we catch resilience and produce production that truly suits the build aside a question to and aloof possess affords for earnings,” he acknowledged.
Minister Rwamirama highlighted fundamental strides in easing rep admission to to more reasonably priced financing for price chain actors. He pointed to the capitalization of monetary institutions such because the Uganda Pattern Bank (UDB) and the introduction of centered credit facilities, including the Agriculture Cooperative Facility in collaboration with the Bank of Uganda.
“For somewhat a while, the field in agriculture used to be rep admission to to more reasonably priced credit, cheap capital for financing agriculture. Govt has addressed this,” he renowned.
He added that lisp grants are if truth be told reaching smallholders, allowing them to make investments in chosen enterprises.
“I’m chuffed that on every occasion I exit to catch field work, I meet very wrathful faces of Ugandans,: the Minister remarked, acknowledging the positive influence of these initiatives.
He also prolonged gratitude to FAO, describing the organization as a “steadfast, expert partner” for its persisted technical red meat as much as the Ugandan govt, in particular through MAAIF.
Yergalem Taages Beraki, the FAO Manual in Uganda, highlighted the serious timing of the convention.
“The African Union has recently adopted the third Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Pattern Programme (CAADP) technique 2026-2035 and the Kampala Declaration of 2025, reaffirming efforts to plan resilient agrifood systems for Africa,” Beraki acknowledged.
He praised Uganda for taking a lead in enforcing suggestions from the United Countries Meals Plan Summits and CAADP on food system transformation, noting the critical role of Uganda's National Meals Plan Coordination Committee in enhancing multi-stakeholder collaboration.
Beraki emphasized the urgency of modern financing, in particular in light of most modern funds cuts across the donor neighborhood.
“This convention on financing and investment within the agrifood system in Uganda is extra critical on the present time than the day before on the present time,” he acknowledged.
He pressured out that mobilizing domestic public and non-public property, coupled with transformative investments, would unlock fundamental economic, social, and environmental benefits, including improved diet, neatly being, and local climate commerce mitigation. This nationwide convention also serves as a preparatory flooring for a global forum on agrifood financing to be held in Rome in October.
FAO, he assured, will continue its stop collaboration with the Ugandan govt and other companions to produce positive collective investments contribute to “our four betters: better production, better diet, better atmosphere, and better lifestyles, leaving no one unhurried.”
Dr. Ivan Lule, talking on behalf of Pamela Mbabazi, the Govt Chairperson of the National Planning Authority, expressed self assurance that the convention would plan momentum for the 2d UN Meals Programs Stocktaking Second in Addis Ababa from July 26-29, 2025. He reiterated a key finding from pre-summit occasions: “lack of finance and investment is a serious bottleneck to the conclusion of food systems transformation in varied countries. Subsequently, our most modern dialogue on financing is timely and welcome.”
Dr. Lule highlighted the convention’s alignment with the implementation of the Fourth National Pattern Conception (NDP IV), one amongst six plans aimed in direction of achieving Uganda’s mettlesome Vision 2040 goal of rising its GDP from $50 billion to $500 billion.
“Meals systems is a serious lever in direction of this attainment,” he asserted.
He known as for a programmatic formulation to planning, budgeting, and implementation, urging govt entities, pattern companions, civil society organizations, and the non-public sector to “damage the silos and steer decided of duplication” by working in direction of general results within program working groups.
He pressured out the significance of aligning strategic plans with NDP IV and the broader food systems agenda, emphasizing that “it’s no longer simply to put in power issues that possess no longer been deliberate for.”
David Wozemba, the Country Director-Uganda for AGRA, centered on the serious need for “unlocking financing for inclusive agricultural systems.” He acknowledged the persistent challenges in providing monetary companies and products like financial savings, credit, insurance protection, and payments to smallholder rural households, citing excessive transaction costs, uneven population distribution, poor infrastructure, and agricultural risks.
“Which implies that, marginalized groups including females and early life on the complete lack rep admission to to finance,” Wozemba noticed.
He emphasized that growing inclusive monetary solutions is fundamental for boosting livelihoods, reducing inequalities, ending food insecurity, and promoting sustainable agrifood systems.
He pressured out the necessity to “reorganize these inclined groups and present solutions that fit with them, don’t focal point on that every person what we possess fits everybody.”
To beat these hurdles, Wozemba advocated for modern partnerships between govt, non-public sector entities, and non-governmental organizations. This collaboration, he argued, can produce tailored financing devices for rural populations, in particular females, early life, and smallholder farmers. He also highlighted the aptitude of “liberating technologies equivalent to cell banking, blockchains, and others to tremendously minimize finance rep admission to barriers,” connecting even the most a ways away communities with fundamental monetary companies and products.
Wozemba highlighted the demographic realities: “you’d also simply must acknowledge that you just’re facing smallholder farmers, which will likely be the ideally suited chunk of our population. It’s top to acknowledge that these smallholder farmers, 80% of them my early life. It’s top to acknowledge that the majority of the labor is being equipped by females. It’s top to acknowledge that they’re utilizing a hand protect ” Addressing these particular needs is a must-possess for successful agrifood transformation.
As highlighted by the UN Secretary-Overall, agrifood system transformation is fundamental to rapid- monitoring all SDGs. The convention represents a concerted effort to translate commitment into tangible investment and action, ensuring a extra food-stable and prosperous future for all Ugandans.
