By Julius Mugaga Tukacungurwa, Umoja Standard.
Kampala, Uganda: The Uganda Agribusiness Association (UAA) on Friday 29th August, 2025 convened a roundtable meeting with a delegation from FoodCo National Foodstuff PJSC, led by Dr. Mohammed Ali Khamis Ahosani, Chairman of International Market Group, Emirati Group, and Board Member of Assalam Bank. The meeting explored partnership opportunities in agriculture. This milestone was reached with support from the Small Foundation and the Embassy of Uganda in Abu Dhabi.
Ugandan agribusiness entrepreneurs were able to showcase products from poultry, horticulture, ginger, mangoes, cocoa and others. The duo discussed potential collaborations benefiting both Ugandan Agribusinesses and Foodco, promoting economic growth, food security, and sustainability. This initiative aligns with UAA’s mandate to modernize Uganda’s agriculture.
In his remarks, Dr. Mohammed Ali Khamis Ahosani, Chairman of International Market Group and FoodCo, a UAE-based national foodstuff company, noted, is on a fact-finding mission to Uganda to explore potential food exports. FoodCo, established in 1979, has its own brands, including Shahrazad, Masterchef, and Virginia, and deals in a wide range of food products.
Dr. Ahosani’s mission aims to identify products that can be exported to the UAE and assess their feasibility. He proposes building cold storage and logistics facilities in Uganda to extend the shelf life of products and facilitate their export. “FoodCo is looking for partners to collaborate on exporting products not currently available in the UAE market, including meat and lamb. The company is also interested in establishing a chicken farm in Uganda to supply the local market, he revealed .
Beyond food exports, FoodCo’s parent company is exploring opportunities in banking, manpower supply, and agriculture staffing, including providing staff for agricultural farms.
Hon. Victoria Ssekitoleko, Board Chairperson – Uganda Agribusiness Alliance advocates for a value chain approach in Uganda’s agricultural sector, saying, “Whatever commodity we want to produce, let us produce it as a value chain.” By organizing farmers into groups, it becomes easier for organizations and buyers to work with them, enabling Uganda’s domestic value chains to integrate into international ones.
Ssekitoleko notes that potential buyers are interested in Ugandan products like ginger, avocados, cocoa, and eggs, with huge demand for these commodities. “The potential is huge, it’s up to Uganda to sort ourselves,” she says, urging farmers to work together to meet this demand.
She also advises against complaining about non-tariff barriers, asking, “If there is somebody else buying, why are there no NTBs?”.
She added, UAA brings associations together by inviting them to collaborate. “We don’t want middlemen anymore,” she says, emphasizing the need for direct collaboration between farmers, buyers, and organizations to increase competitiveness in the global market and capitalize on opportunities.
The Uganda Embassy in the UAE is ready to bridge the gap between farmers and markets. “We are ready to facilitate and create a bridge between the farmers and also the market,” says Ms. Ashah Nabbanja, the 1st Secretary In charge of Economic and Commercial Diplomacy at the Ugandan Embassy in the UAE.
She stressed that, the embassy invites farmers to share their company profiles and production capabilities, which in turn is sent to potential buyers. “The embassy also organizes business forums in the UAE and Kampala, where private sector players can network and market their products, she stated.
“These forums help also in marketing your products, and also hearing from the other party their areas of interest,” Ms. Aisha adds.
The meeting featured entrepreneurs, Dr. Julian Adyeri Omara, Chairperson of Nwoya Fruit Growers Cooperative Society, who boasts 18,000 out growers and 2,000 acres of fruit farming land. They plan to export dried and fresh mangoes and guavas to the Arab Emirates. However, they face challenges in meeting standards and accessing markets directly. The society is grateful for the connection made by Uganda Agribusiness Alliance, which will also provide formulas to meet market demands.
Dr. Omara appeals to the government to support farmers in producing export-quality products, particularly in addressing issues like fruit flies. She also cites the importance of land ownership for women, noting that while women don’t own land, they have user rights and can produce and benefit from the land.
“The society’s setup allows women to participate and benefit from fruit farming. Government support can help them meet export standards and tap into new markets, Dr. Omara explained.
For, Martin Roy Lukwago, a chicken farmer and chairman of the Association of Commercial Layer Farmers Association, believes Uganda’s poultry industry has immense potential. “We have a capacity to produce on average about 1.8 million trays per day,” he says, translating to 12.5 million trays per week.
Lukwago is confident that Ugandan farmers can meet the demand for eggs and poultry products, having previously exported to countries like Saudi Arabia, Kenya, South Sudan, DRC, Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania. He notes that exporting eggs helps keep prices high and benefits farmers.
He appreciates any support for promoting egg exports, saying it’s crucial for the welfare of Ugandan poultry farmers. He sees the meeting with potential exporters from the United Arab Emirates as beneficial for the industry.
The UAE Delegation aim to further construct a factory but revealed how they need to conduct feasibility studies to assess production and costs, which process may take some time, but plan to return with a detailed plan after completing their studies and are looking forward to another meeting to discuss their investment plans.
