By Publicist East Africa Editorial Desk
Uganda’s fertile soils, favourable climate, and hardworking farmers have earned the country a strong reputation as the ‘food basket of Africa.’
But while our agricultural exports continue to grow in volume, their value remains painfully low.
The problem? We’re exporting raw, unbranded commodities into a global market that rewards quality, compliance, and storytelling.
This urgent dilemma of moving from raw to refined, from volume to value, will take centre stage at the upcoming Stanbic Consumer Thought Leadership Conference, scheduled for May 13, 2025, at the Kampala Serena Conference Centre.
Delivering a key address on this topic will be Mr. Patrick Mugisha, Commissioner for Business Development and Quality Assurance at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives (MTIC), who is expected to share Uganda’s latest export promotion strategy and pathways for competing globally.
Uganda’s Export Challenge: More Than Just Borders
While Uganda’s agricultural output has increased over the years, a disproportionate share of exports remains unprocessed and unbranded. The result? Other countries reap greater profits from Uganda’s produce than Ugandans themselves.
For instance:
Coffee is exported as green beans, then roasted and branded abroad.
Fish is frozen for bulk shipment instead of being processed into high-value filets or canned products.
Cocoa leaves Uganda unrefined, only to return as branded chocolate at 10x the price.
“We must not just aim to feed the world, we must aim to compete in it,” says Mr. Mugisha, adding, “That means investing in value addition, enforcing standards, and telling a compelling story about Ugandan products.”
Role of Trade Frameworks: AGOA, AfCFTA, and EAC
Uganda sits at the heart of three powerful trade frameworks:
AGOA (African Growth and Opportunity Act) – giving duty-free access to U.S. markets
AfCFTA (African Continental Free Trade Area) – opening up intra-African trade
EAC (East African Community) – facilitating regional market integration
However, Uganda has not fully capitalised on these due to challenges like inconsistent quality, inadequate branding, and fragmented logistics systems.
At the Stanbic Conference, Mr. Mugisha’s session will explore how Uganda can:
Meet the technical and safety standards required by export markets
Strengthen branding and packaging at the farm and factory level
Streamline certification, traceability, and transport systems
Unlock global buyer confidence through compliance and consistency
Stanbic WYF: Export Readiness at the Grassroots
The conversation on exports also links directly with Stanbic Bank’s WYF (Women, Youth, and Farmers) agenda, a UGX 1. trillion commitment to financially empower Uganda’s most active economic actors.
“Our WYF initiative is about building export-ready enterprises from the ground up,” says Paul Bitature Muganwa, Executive Director at Stanbic Bank.
“It’s about ensuring that women-owned cooperatives, youth-led agri-enterprises, and farmer groups meet international standards, access financing, and get fair value for their produce,” he adds.
Through Stanbic’s Business Incubator, farmers and SMEs are being trained on certification, post-harvest handling, branding, and export documentation, critical skills for global competitiveness.
Why This Conference Matters
Uganda cannot afford to sit on the sidelines of global trade. Competing in global agro markets is no longer optional, it’s a matter of survival.
The Stanbic Consumer Thought Leadership Conference provides a platform for stakeholders to:
Understand national strategies for export promotion
Connect with trade policymakers, exporters, and financiers
Learn what it takes to build a globally competitive agri-enterprise
Explore how Stanbic WYF is supporting grassroots readiness for global trade
Compete or Be Left Behind
Uganda’s agricultural potential is undeniable, but potential alone doesn’t pay. To earn more from what we grow, we must process, brand, certify, and compete.
“Export or die” is not a threat,t it’s a reality. And on May 13, 2025, Uganda begins the journey to not only survive but also thrive in global agro markets.