By Ivan Tsebeni and Eunice Akullo
Uganda has been ranked second in organic food production out of 188 countries in the world.
The country comes after India, and is closely followed by China, according to the latest National Organic Agriculture Movement of Uganda (NOGAMU) report. The report is based on a study that was carried out by NOGAMU in partnership with Makerere University.
The study further places Uganda in the first position in Africa. The report suggests that Uganda’s agricultural system is by default largely organic due to minimal use of external inputs like fertilisers and pesticides, as compared to other parts of the world.
Also, the report indicates that Uganda has the second highest number of organic farmers in the world and the largest area under organic agriculture in Africa.
This, accordingly, provides great potential for enhanced farmer income. According to the report, 90% of organic farmers are smallholders with an average of three acres per farmer.
The report shows that Uganda has increased share of the total agricultural exports, from 8% to 12%.
Additionally, Uganda has over the recent years witnessed 90% increase in the total amount of certified organic land, to over 1,250,000 acres with an annual growth rate of 15%, according to the report.
Furthermore, there has been a 40% increase in organic food exports to sh648.7b ($174m) between 2021 and 2023.
This also increased share of the country’s total agricultural exports from 8% to 12%, nearly tripling the number of processors to 116 and nearly doubling the number of exporters to 78.
The European Union (EU), which is the main destination for Uganda organic foods, consumes about 0.7% of the country’s output.
Speaking during the presentation of the report at Fairway Hotel in Kampala yesterday, Chariton Namuwoza, the chief executive officer of NOGAMU, said organic agriculture has the potential to transform the agricultural sector in Uganda and impact farmers’ incomes, health and the environment.
Namuwoza said since 2000, global trade in organic agriculture has been expanding, with consumption in the EU and US growing at nearly 15% per year.
The global organic foods market is valued at $181.5b and is projected to reach a value of $446.2b by 2030.
“Uganda is exceptionally well placed to take advantage of these changing global trends and its recent surge in organic agriculture is only the beginning,” Namuwoza said.
Contribution to economy
A report released last year by NOGAMU showed that Uganda’s earnings from organic products export was $159m (about sh600b).
It further projected the earnings to grow by 40% this year, with leading export destinations being EU, US and Japan.
Alex Lwakuba, the commissioner in charge of crop production in the agriculture ministry, said despite its contribution to the economy, agriculture faces numerous challenges such as declining soil fertility.
“As farmers grapple with extreme weather, agriculture has become less predictable in the face of a changing climate,” Lwakuba said.
Lwakuba said organic certification in Uganda started in 1993 and exports have rapidly expanded from pineapples and sweet bananas to include coffee, cotton, cocoa, sesame, vanilla, fresh and dried fruits, ginger, papaya and fish.
He said there is need to embrace an agro-ecological strategy to enhance food security.
