EXPORT BOOST! New Academy Targets Coffee, Cocoa Traders

-Initiative seeks to bridge certification, quality and compliance gaps blocking Ugandan agricultural products from lucrative international markets.

By Evans Najuna

KAMPALA — Uganda’s coffee, cocoa and other agricultural exporters could soon find it easier to penetrate international markets following the launch of Control Union Academy Uganda, a new training initiative aimed at equipping farmers, traders and agribusiness professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to meet global quality standards.

For years, many Ugandan businesses have struggled to maximise their export potential due to gaps in knowledge about international certification requirements, product quality, packaging, sustainability standards and regulatory compliance.

However, stakeholders in agriculture, trade and government believe the new academy could help bridge these gaps, improve the competitiveness of Ugandan products and unlock opportunities in lucrative international markets.

The academy was officially launched on Thursday at Fairway Hotel in Kampala, bringing together representatives from the National Organic Agricultural Movement of Uganda (NOGAMU), the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), coffee and cocoa producers, exporters and other industry players.

Operating as the learning and development platform of Control Union Uganda, the academy will offer specialised training, workshops, webinars and capacity-building programmes designed to help businesses comply with international standards and achieve sustainable growth.

The initiative is anchored on the vision of becoming a leading provider of professional learning and capacity-building solutions that advance sustainable, compliant and responsible businesses in Uganda and beyond.

Organisers said the academy would equip professionals, producer organisations, students, institutions and businesses with practical knowledge to navigate an increasingly competitive global trading environment.

EXPORT MARKET CHALLENGES

Delivering the keynote address, Odrek Rwabwogo, Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID), highlighted the importance of exports in driving economic growth and transforming Uganda into a competitive player in the global economy.

Rwabwogo commended the academy’s founders for addressing what he described as a critical gap in Uganda’s export development efforts.

He argued that countries cannot achieve meaningful economic transformation by relying solely on their domestic markets, emphasising the need to expand exports and earn more from international trade.

According to Rwabwogo, Uganda must strengthen its export capacity, improve the quality of its products and invest in understanding the needs of international consumers.

He challenged businesses to undertake market research before exporting, understand consumer preferences in their target markets and ensure their products meet the required standards for quality, packaging and presentation.

He also emphasised the importance of trade representation in foreign markets, proposing greater involvement of independent private-sector players who can identify buyers, connect producers to potential customers and help Ugandan products gain visibility abroad.

Rwabwogo said such representatives could help businesses identify emerging market opportunities without necessarily depending on expensive government-led arrangements.

He noted that certification, compliance and internationally recognised standards were central to overcoming barriers that often prevent Ugandan businesses from accessing export markets.

“An economy that is not able to sell to other markets is an economy that is intended to remain poor,” was the central message of his address.

He urged Ugandan businesses to move beyond producing goods for local consumption and develop the capacity to compete internationally.

OWC CHALLENGES FARMERS

The Deputy Chief Coordinator of Operation Wealth Creation, Brig. Gen. Godfrey Muwanguzi, who represented Chief Coordinator Gen. Salim Saleh, welcomed the establishment of the academy and commended its founders for developing an initiative aimed at strengthening agricultural knowledge and productivity.

Muwanguzi said OWC had initially faced questions about the involvement of the military in agricultural transformation, but argued that the programme’s role had become clearer as government continued to promote wealth creation and commercial farming.

He emphasised the need for Ugandans to move away from subsistence agriculture towards commercial production capable of generating income, creating savings and improving household livelihoods.

Muwanguzi also highlighted the role of the Parish Development Model (PDM) in changing attitudes towards household economic empowerment.

He encouraged participants to understand government programmes and use them effectively to improve productivity and household incomes.

According to him, communities need adequate information about PDM and other government initiatives if they are to benefit fully from available opportunities.

He also challenged urban residents to embrace productive economic activities rather than depend on begging, arguing that Uganda’s abundant human resources could support economic transformation if properly harnessed.

Muwanguzi further stressed the importance of involving communities in government programmes, saying village-level structures should help ensure that people understand available opportunities and how to access them.

GOVERNMENT PLEDGES SUPPORT

The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries pledged support for the academy, describing specialised training as an important component of Uganda’s agricultural transformation agenda.

The ministry’s Assistant Commissioner for Coffee Quality Assurance and Value Addition, Gordon Katwiirenabo, welcomed the initiative and pledged the ministry’s support.

Katwiirenabo urged the academy to prioritise sustainability, affordability and collaboration with accreditation bodies.

He questioned why Ugandan businesses should have to rely on foreign institutions for certain accreditation services when local capacity could be strengthened to serve the country’s needs.

He challenged the academy’s founders to consider the cost of certification and sustainability requirements, warning that services must remain accessible to businesses seeking to improve their products and enter international markets.

His remarks highlighted the need to balance international quality requirements with the practical realities facing Ugandan farmers, exporters and small businesses.

Meanwhile, the academy’s launch was presided over on behalf of the government by Dr. Mary Teddy Asio, Assistant Commissioner for Seed Inspection and Certification at MAAIF, representing Agriculture Minister Frank Tumwebaze.

Asio said the academy’s emphasis on tailor-made training, rather than generic programmes, aligned with the ministry’s ambitions to transform agriculture into a driver of food security, income generation and economic growth.

She noted that government was pursuing agricultural transformation through industrialisation under the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV), alongside continental commitments such as the Kampala Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Declaration.

According to Asio, the government’s priorities include promoting value addition, supporting smallholder farmers to transition into commercial agriculture, expanding agro-processing and encouraging the domestic production of commodities that Uganda imports.

She also highlighted the importance of sustainable agriculture, climate resilience, improved nutrition and stronger agricultural value chains.

Asio observed that the effects of climate change, including droughts, floods, pests and diseases, were increasingly affecting agricultural production, disrupting markets and undermining food security.

She called for a broader approach that addresses the entire agrifood system, from production and natural resource management to processing, trade, finance, innovation and consumption.

AGRICULTURAL EXPORTS ON THE RISE

Asio said Uganda had registered growth in export earnings over the past decade, with agricultural commodities such as coffee, cocoa, dairy products, fish, tea, maize, fruits and vegetables contributing to the country’s export performance.

She nevertheless called for sustained efforts to increase agricultural production and productivity while ensuring that farmers could meet the quality requirements of domestic and international markets.

She highlighted several government interventions intended to support the sector, including improved seed quality, inspection and certification, counterfeit input control, pest and disease management, agricultural mechanisation, irrigation and farmer education.

She also pointed to the importance of extension services, partnerships with commercial farmers, fisheries and aquaculture development, and strategic investments in commodities such as oil palm.

Asio said these interventions required coordinated planning, investment and effective implementation by government agencies, private-sector players and development partners.

She welcomed the establishment of Control Union Academy Uganda, expressing optimism that its specialised training and advisory services would help farmers, agribusiness entrepreneurs and other stakeholders improve production quality and profitability.

She urged the academy to develop clear performance indicators, collect reliable data and maintain regular engagement with the ministry to ensure its programmes deliver measurable results.

The ministry also pledged to remain open to consultations and collaboration as the academy develops its activities.

ORGANIC FARMING GAINS MOMENTUM

Speaking after the event, NOGAMU Chief Executive Officer Chariton Namuwoza, who also serves as president of the Africa Organic Movement, said the academy’s establishment was timely, given the growing importance of organic agriculture and sustainability in international trade.

Namuwoza said NOGAMU had worked closely with government for about 20 years to promote organic agriculture, contributing to the adoption and approval of Uganda’s National Organic Agriculture Policy in 2019 after years of engagement.

He said the country’s organic agriculture sector had recorded substantial growth, with the number of certified farmers increasing significantly over the years.

According to figures he presented, Uganda had about 23,500 certified farmers in 2019, with the number subsequently rising to more than 740,000.

Namuwoza described this growth as evidence of the potential of Uganda’s organic agriculture sector and the opportunities available to farmers who embrace sustainable production practices.

He argued that Uganda was well positioned to benefit from the growing international demand for organic products, provided producers could maintain the quality, certification and traceability required by buyers.

The launch of Control Union Academy Uganda therefore comes at a time when stakeholders are calling for stronger links between agricultural production, certification, value addition and export market access.

With the right skills, standards and market connections, the academy’s founders hope to help Ugandan producers move beyond selling raw agricultural commodities towards building competitive, sustainable and profitable businesses.

For Uganda’s coffee, cocoa, fruits, vegetables and other agricultural products, the challenge will be turning the country’s production potential into reliable export earnings, better farmer incomes and long-term economic growth.

TRAINING PROGRAMMES

Beyond helping Ugandan exporters overcome international trade barriers, Control Union Academy Uganda will offer specialised training in agriculture, sustainability, certification, quality assurance and supply chain management.

The programmes are designed to equip farmers, exporters, manufacturers and agribusiness professionals with the technical knowledge needed to meet international standards, improve product quality and strengthen their competitiveness in global markets.

The academy’s training portfolio will cover international certification schemes, including EU Organic, the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Programme (USDA-NOP), Japanese Agricultural Standards (JAS), GLOBALG.A.P., Rainforest Alliance, SMETA ethical compliance standards, the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), and sustainability certification schemes such as RSPO, MSPO and ISCC.

Participants will also receive training in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices, responsible sourcing, supply chain transparency, due diligence, carbon footprint management, greenhouse gas monitoring and sustainability reporting.

Another key area will be inspection, testing and quality assurance, with programmes covering inspection techniques, quality management systems, product traceability, chain of custody and laboratory testing awareness.

The academy will further provide training in management systems, including ISO standards, internal auditing, food safety systems, environmental management and energy management.

According to the academy, the programmes are designed for exporters, producers, farmers and farmer organisations, agribusiness companies, quality and compliance managers, sustainability professionals, auditors, manufacturers, processors, cooperatives, universities, students, government institutions and non-governmental organisations.

The initiative is expected to help bridge the technical knowledge gap affecting businesses seeking to comply with international requirements, while supporting responsible production, improved traceability and stronger supply chains.

With global buyers increasingly demanding evidence of product quality, ethical sourcing and environmental responsibility, the academy’s training programmes could provide Ugandan businesses with practical tools to meet market expectations and expand their presence in international trade.