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The Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Cooperatives noted that while the government continues to open up markets for Ugandan exports in regional blocs and bilateral agreements, Ugandan food producers need to work hard to make their products stand out in these markets.
Johnson Abitekaniza, the Assistant Commissioner of MSMEs Traning and Business Skills Development at the Trade Ministry, made the call while speaking on the second day of the ongoing Agroecology Week organized by the Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) Association.
“We call upon the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises to take advantage of the existing atmosphere and be more innovative,” said Mr. Abitekaniza.
“The room that never gets filled is that of improvement. Even if it is just a small improvement on your product, just take it on. The world food market is growing at a rate of 12% per year. If you make yourselves competitive, you will be able to tap into this billion-dollar market.”
Agroecology entails building food systems based on the culture, identity, tradition, social and gender equity of local communities
The Agroecological Market Systems Expo (AMASE2023) held at Hotel Africana in Kampala attracted various players in the business including farmers, businesses, certification bodies, financial institutions, and branding companies among other players.
Josephine Akia Luyimbazi, the PELUM Uganda Country Coordinator said this year’s edition was aimed at creating more awareness about agroecological businesses and marketing systems by showcasing the role of agroecology to the transformation of food systems in Uganda.
She said the expo provided the players with opportunities to learn about business planning, marketing skills financial management, and others through business clinics.
On his part, Prof Charles Ssekyewa who gave the keynote address, emphasized the need for Ugandan local food producers to work toward expanding the local market by transforming the wrong mindset of young consumers who have a greater preference for processed and inorganic foods.
“You are aware that youths form the biggest part of the population. But they demand modern food systems that are detached from agroecology. They want chips and chicken; they want more meat than vegetables. That is why they have to be transitioned to agroecology,” he said.