It was an exciting and fulfilling experience for the sponsors at the Harvest Money Expo 2025, with overwhelming numbers of showgoers and significant business made during the three-day event.
All district agriculture officers should make it a point to attend the expo.
The agriculture minister, Frank Tumwebaze, thanked Vision Group for organising the Harvest Money Expo, which, over the years, has greatly contributed to the transformation of the agriculture sector.
Tumwebaze said in order to commercialise farming, one must get the agronomy right, genetics right, machinery, post-harvest handling and value addition right.
“But also, the Harvest Money platform is crucial. There is no better extension service than the Harvest Money Expo. I challenge the agriculture ministry officials at the expo to bring all the district agriculture workers here next year. Let them come and see the technologies, then advise farmers accordingly,” he said.
Tumwebaze also called on all actors in the different value chains of agriculture to work together and fight fake inputs, which are causing losses to farmers.
“Let us work together to expose fake inputs of any category. Let us wage a war on fake inputs in the agriculture sector, as they demoralise farmers if the sector is not performing smoothly. I believe Vision Group can help us, given your strong platforms and wide range of coverage, to expose the wrongdoers and promote the best players,” he said.
Envoy awestruck
The Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Uganda, Frederieke Quispel, lauded fellow sponsors, exhibitors and showgoers for their contributions towards developing the agricultural sector in Uganda.
“This is my first time at the Harvest Money Expo, but I had heard a lot about the event, as we have been working on a number of projects for a long time, led by Vision Group. I am impressed by what I have seen. I particularly appreciate how young people have dedicated their time and effort to becoming giants in agriculture,” she said.
Quispel added that a lot had been learned from the best farmers who travelled to the Netherlands to learn more about agriculture.
“I appreciate how Ugandan skills and knowledge come together with Dutch technologies to grow agriculture in Uganda,” she added.
The ambassador said the expo clearly demonstrates the entrepreneurial skills of Ugandans, and she would like to see this grow, so that more and more farmers come to learn from one another and share skills to help each other become better farmers.
“I call upon all Ugandans to keep trying to improve, add value and make use of Uganda — the amazing country that has all the soil, water, and the perfect temperature to grow. So, let us work together to help the country grow,” Quispel said. D
Enmark to partner
Ole Dahl Rasmussen from the Denmark Embassy in Uganda, said although they have long been part of the Harvest Money Expo through the aBi Development Programme, expressed their desire to be part of the expo every year as long as it is organised.
“This year, we had the Denmark Village, where we hosted over 25 companies that have benefited from our agriculture-related programmes, especially in the areas of value addition and climate-smart farming practices,” Rasmussen said.
“We all know that what will drive Uganda’s economy to middle-income status is the private sector and it will only do this through agriculture. Therefore, we are in the right place at the right event,” he said.
Rasmussen thanked and commended Vision Group for organising the expo and the Netherlands Embassy for partnering with Vision Group to organise the event throughout the years.
“I am proud to say that the European Union, through Denmark and aBi Development, has been among the prime supporters of the development of Aflasafe, which is designed to fight aflatoxins. We are now about to commercialise it,” he said.
Rasmussen added that 21 Danish businesses exhibited at the Harvest Money Expo, showcasing technologies, expertise, agribusiness and agro-processing supply chains as part of efforts to promote commercial agriculture through initiatives such aBi Development and aBi Finance.
“aBi Finance is the single biggest lender to agriculture in Uganda, with a portfolio of euro 65m in collaboration with 40 local financial institutions to promote technologies and innovations,” he added.
The expo is the place to be
The Harvest Money Expo is the place to be for everyone involved in agriculture-related businesses, as it brings together all sector players to not only share knowledge and experiences but also to make business connections.
Dr Samuel Ssewagudde, the commercial manager at Tunga Nutrition Uganda Ltd, manufacturers of Hendrix livestock feed and concentrate, said anyone running an agro-business should never miss the expo.
It offers numerous opportunities through local and international exhibitors and experts, as well as valuable lessons and information to help improve your business. Isaac Ssekibaala, the Tunga Nutrition sales manager eastern region, said since the company began processing and producing feed concentrate and finished feed at Ntinda Industrial Area in Nakawa municipality, Kampala district, farmers have benefited greatly. Hendrix feed has helped eliminate stock-outs, lower prices and increase farm profits.
“We want to thank Vision Group for bringing farmers to the expo. There was massive attendance and showgoers knew exactly why they came. People learned and bought. It was worth the time,” he said.
He added that they have been part of the expo since its inception through Champrisa International, now the distributor of Hendrix and will continue to participate as there is much to gain.
People know who we are
Sarah Watsemwa, who works with Uganda Development Corporation (UDC), said the Government organisation, which plays a crucial role in value addition through its mandate to promote and facilitate industrial and economic development, has used the expo to help showgoers understand who they are.
“We have been working with and supporting a number of industries and value addition efforts so that farmers can improve their incomes. The expo has given us an opportunity to engage with the public, helping them understand what we do and how they can benefit from our activities,” Watsemwa said. UDC has supported 17 enterprises (industries) so far, creating over 4,000 direct jobs and more than 100,000 indirect jobs. One of UDC’s principles is raw material utilisation.
She said Uganda produces a variety of raw materials, such as farm produce, which need to be processed into value-added products rather than spoiling on the farm.
“We have tea factories in southwestern Uganda, a sugar factory in the north, a factory processing ethanol from sorghum, cassava, and maize in Nwoya, a fruit processing factory in Soroti, a coffee factory in Budadiri (which had been closed), and one yet to be set up in Luwero,” Watsemwa added.
These are just a few of the companies that exhibited at the UDC stall, where showgoers learned from them, bringing UDC closer to the public.
How K-ROMA expanded into agri-business
Prudence Ukkunika, the director of K-Roma Company, which produces Bella Wine, testified that a number of farmers and farmer groups visited their stall to supply them with fruits.
The idea for fruit growing was born from visiting their stall during past expos.
She said Bella Wine has been partnering with Vision Group to organise these expos, and she has been training and encouraging people to start making products such as wine and juice from fruits, as well as to grow fruits for those involved in value addition.
“For the past eight years of the Harvest Money Expo, Bella Wine has been part of the event. I am happy that people heard my call and have started growing fruits and they are now supplying me with quality fruits,” she said.
In addition, she encouraged people to continue consuming Bella Wine, juices and Bella Tea, because they are healthy and also help reduce treatment costs.
“Many wonder why people in Japan live longer, and it is because they use organic and herbal products that are healthy for the body”.
“Those who missed the expo missed a lot, as many people benefited. Apart from growing fruits such as mangoes and pineapples, we have trained those who visited our stall on how to make money with or without money,” she added.
