To help Fresh Fruits and Vegetable (FFV) farmers live a happy life, training them on improving Uganda’s capacity to meet the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Standards (SPS) for exports is critical today, the chairperson Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID) Odrek Rwabwogo, has said.
‘‘Most of our farmers of fresh fruits and vegetables are women and youth in the villages, but live a miserable life because their produce don’t comply with the EU standards hence ending up in the local market which has little money. Their produce should focus on getting bigger money from their produce and foreign exchange at large,’’ Rwabwogo said.
He said that the EU is the largest market for Uganda’s fresh fruits and vegetables so our farmers should comply with its standards to get market for our vegetables.
He said this at the launch of the SPS project at Hotel Africana on April 06, 2025.
The EU Ambassador to Uganda H.E Jan Sadek, said the project which will be funded by the EU is worth shillings 32, 304, 000, 000 billion (€8 million), and will run for four years starting this month (April).
He said the project will not only improve Uganda’s SPS, but unlock its potential as a key player in the global agricultural market, particularly in exports to Europe.
Sadek said the project will build capacity among farmers and exporters to understand and comply with SPS requirements through training programs, awareness campaigns, setting up a logistic network that will include a cold chain transport system, an EU standard packaging house and one or more collection centres to be used by those not big enough to have their own process.
He said the project will be implemented by the Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International (CABI) in collaboration with Committee Linking Entrepreneurship Agriculture Development (COLEAD), which are highly experienced organizations that specialize in building capacity for agricultural trade compliance globally.
The two organizations will be working hand in hand with the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries (MAAIF) in the implementation process.
Dr Morris Akiri, the CABI Regional Director, said the project is aligned with Uganda’s National Development Plan II NDP (III) and contributes to the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).
It also addresses the critical issue of deforestation by promoting sustainable agricultural practices that protect natural resources.
LEAD PHOTO CAPTION: (L-R) Paul Mwambu, the Commissioner MAAIF, chairperson Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development and EU Abmossodor to Uganda Jan Sadek and right is Paul Mwambu(PACEID) Odrek Rwabwogo at the launch with other officals. (Photos by Jovita Mirembe)
