Uganda, the Pearl of Africa, heavily relies on agriculture in this modern era of technology. Do you know that over 70% of people employed in the country are directly connected to agriculture? The number is huge and so is the size of Uganda’s agriculture-based industries. With a mammoth impact and contribution to the economy, agriculture is shaping the future and covering the job market.

Uganda is situated in East Africa with a very favorable climate pushing the country towards being the prime agricultural hub. Though the country is landlocked and waterbodies cover only 18% of its land, the diverse climate, fertile soils, and natural resources favor the country in every aspect.

In this article, we will dive deeper into Uganda’s agriculture, bring up its potential, and know this blessed country’s untapped market.

Uganda is a landlocked country with limited waterbodies but boasts a massive potential in agriculture

The country’s main agricultural products include crops, fruits, and livestock

With the potential to become a prime hub of agriculture in Africa, Uganda is only lacking a few pushes from the intercontinental entities

From the very early age of civilization, agriculture has been the only source of livelihood. However in recent centuries, the tide has taken a turn, and industrialization has become the prime force to drive human civilization. But the race is not equal for all and Africa is probably the last on the track. Several factors caused the downstream for the most potential continent in agriculture. As the times are changing, countries from Africa that have the potential to rise as leaders in this sector are also regulating themselves towards a sustainable future. Uganda, being one of the most prominent countries blessed with agricultural opportunities, will lead the way forward.

The current state of agriculture in Uganda follows the traditional approach. Before colonialism, agricultural activities only focused on growing foods to supply a family’s daily needs. A similar has been spotted in recent times though the wind of change touched the overall market now. During the British Protectorate, the administration emphasized on exportation of existing crops like coffee, tea, and cotton. Following this path, Uganda implemented several policies and took initiatives to transform the whole agriculture market for not only providing food to the natives but also earning the much-needed foreign currencies. As mentioned before, the practices of cultural farming still remain but it is affected by a positive change to bring foreign investment and currencies as well.

According to the African Development Bank, Africa’s food and agriculture market could increase from US$280 billion a year in 2023 to US$1 trillion by 2030. Uganda has 80% arable land and 70% of the population is employed in agriculture. Besides, reports from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization showed that the country has the potential to feed 200 million people. Moreover, agriculture contributes almost a quarter of the GDP and half of the total export earnings.

Uganda is at the top of the table if we consider agricultural potential countries in Africa. Primarily because the country has a dynamic weather condition that favors the sector. Here are a few reasons behind the country’s agricultural potential.

Favorable Climate

Considered one of the best climates in the world, Uganda has two rainy seasons and has an average temperature ranging between 24˚C to 31 ˚C. Rain is influenced by the wind from the Atlantic Ocean to the western parts of the country and the Indian Ocean to the eastern parts of Uganda. The annual rainfall is between 900 mm and 1600 mm.

Uganda enjoys an equatorial climate in the Southern part and a tropical climate in the North. The main sources of waterbodies are Lake George, Lake Edward, and Lake Victoria, and the mountains Mt. Ruwenzori, Mt. Virunga, Mt. Muhabura, Mt. Kigezi, and Mt. Elgon are keeping the climate in a shape suitable for agricultural activities throughout the year. Thus, crops such as maize, millet, rice, sorghum, sweet potatoes, bananas, coffee, tea, etc. are profitable to cultivate and grow efficiently and give a heavy return.

Fertile Soil

Uganda’s soil variety is mainly of four types- Sandy, Loamy, Clayey, and Sandy loam. These kinds of soils are favorable for different types of crops. For example, Sandy is ideal for cultivating maize, sorghum, etc while Loamy favors coffee, bananas, and tea. On the other hand, Sandy Loam is nutrient-rich, making it friendly to cultivate several types of crops including fruits and vegetables. The country’s geographical location and climate along with its natural minerals within the lands make it one of the best places to dedicate itself to agriculture.

Water Resources

Uganda is a landlocked country. But it has some of the great lakes in the whole world and they’re the primary sources of water in Uganda. Besides these resources, the country has extensive wetlands, approximately 9% of the country. Almost 35% of the resources originated from the neighboring countries and 98% of Uganda is located within the Nile Basin. 

Through recent decades, water management caused a lot of trouble to the country and it has lost over 40% of its wetlands. But the hope didn’t end as the Government of Uganda took several initiatives including the Water Act 1997, National Water Policy 1999, and Strategic Investment Plan for the Water and Environment Sector 2018-2030 to resolve the issues. As the country continues to achieve a sustainable economy in agriculture, water resources are one of the major supporting factors.

Other Reasons

The rise is near as Uganda is dreaming of reaching the target by jumping into an all-out effort to ensure a sustainable economy. While the primary reasons have been explored already, other factors also contributed a lot to the agriculture sector. Investment from outside stakeholders, the government’s support to them, infrastructure revolution, energetic community, etc. are the few other reasons behind the country’s potential in agriculture.

The major agricultural products in Uganda include crops (Staple, Horticulture, and Cash), and Livestock (including dairy farming). These crops include coffee, tea, wheat, maize, rice, millet, cassava, tobacco, cotton, sorghum, oilseed, bananas, etc. Coffee plays an important part as it is the mainstream export product, leading the market. On the other hand, rice, maize, etc. are for meeting daily needs. Most of the farmers in the country cultivate less than 2 hectares of land for their family’s food supply. But the trend has changed and commercial farming is taking place. We’ll take a look at a few major crops (by their types) in Uganda.

Cash crops

The primary cash crops cultivated in Uganda are coffee, tea, and cotton. Among these, coffee leads the export sector. A recent report from the Ministry of Finance stated that Uganda exported merchandise worth $639.84m (about sh2.370 trillion) in April 2024. And the leading product is coffee. Earnings from coffee in April 2024 went up by 30.8%, to $84.70m from $64.74m in March 2024. In teams of year-to-year calculation, the rise is massive, 41.2%.

Uganda is the 5th highest tea exporter in Africa, according to a report by Statista in 2022. There is room for improvement and the rise will soon be noticeable with the current progress and future plans of the country. While Uganda is miles away from entering the top charts of leading cotton exporters in the world, the country, however, has the potential to lead the African market at least.

Staple crops and Horticulture

The main staple foods in Uganda are bananas, cassava, dry beans, sweet potatoes, rice, millet, and sorghum. Maize is considered a staple food and cash crop. The country plays a major role in regional food supply and trade. Being self-sufficient in staple crops, the country also exports a decent amount.

The Horticulture sector in Uganda possesses a massive opportunity. Uganda Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Farmers Association (Hortifresh) is the key force behind the horticulture sector and bringing foreign currencies. The amount of export products is around 5.8 million tonnes annually and targets to reach the milestone of $1b.

Livestock 

The Ugandan population is expected to reach 100 million by 2050. And, livestock has become an integral part of agriculture to supply protein. The Uganda Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Water and Environment, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, and the FAO Africa Sustainable Livestock 2050 Initiative partnered to take the market to a new level. The country expects the production of 13 million heads of livestock by 2026 which is 1.8% higher than the last livestock census in 2021. The value of imports is also increasing as it is estimated to reach $8.9 million by 2026.

Uganda, with much potential in agriculture, is going to lead the African Market in each sector of agriculture. After taking care of the basic needs of its population, the country can manage to deliver a large amount to the overseas markets. The government has already taken several initiatives and opened its arms to receiving foreign investments. Targeting to ensure food security, create more employment opportunities, bringing export money, balancing the economy, and creating an ecosystem with the support of its youth, Uganda is just days away from reaching the top.