By Harriet Nakamya
The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries (MAAIF) remains the cornerstone of Uganda’s economic growth, productivity, and national transformation. As the lead institution driving the Agro-Industrialisation Programme under the National Development Plan III (NDP III), the Ministry oversees a sector that not only sustains livelihoods but also anchors Uganda’s export performance and GDP contribution.
During the FY2024/25, agriculture contributed 26.1% to national GDP, rising from 24.6% the previous year, and continued to be the largest employer of Ugandans, engaging 62% of all households, according to the 2024 National Population and Housing Census.
Under MAAIF’s stewardship, the agricultural sector recorded impressive progress. The sector’s real GDP grew by 6.8%, surpassing the NDP III target of 6.0%, reflecting a significant rebound supported by increased production of cash crops, food crops, livestock, and fish. Coordinated interventions by the Ministry have catalysed a shift from subsistence to commercial agriculture, with household dependency on subsistence farming declining sharply from 68% in FY2017/18 to 33% in FY2024/25.
This structural shift in rural livelihoods has strengthened Uganda’s positioning in regional and global markets, particularly through the production of strategic commodities. Coffee production reached 9.3 million 60-kg bags, surpassing Ethiopia and cementing Uganda’s status as Africa’s top producer. Milk production expanded to 5.4 billion litres, while fish catches rose to 684,305 MT, reflecting sustained emphasis on breeding, disease control, enforcement, and improved production systems.
The sector’s contribution to foreign exchange earnings has been equally remarkable. Agricultural exports surged to USD 4.09 billion in FY2024/25, representing an 87% increase from the previous year and far exceeding the NDP III target of USD 2.7 billion.
Coffee alone generated USD 2.21 billion, accounting for over half of agricultural export revenue, while cocoa exports rose dramatically to USD 620 million. Investments in market access, quality control, and international trade negotiations have enabled Uganda to unlock new destinations for coffee, dairy, poultry, and fish, strengthening the country’s footprint across regional and global value chains.
The Ministry has also driven significant improvements in agricultural infrastructure. Water-for-production storage capacity increased to 54.855 million cubic metres, and the area under formal irrigation expanded to 23,595 hectares. Storage capacity rose from 792,714 MT to 1,267,768 MT, reducing post-harvest losses from 37% in FY2017/18 to 16.4% in FY2024/25. These gains reflect sustained government investment in dams, valley tanks, silos, warehouses, agro-processing facilities, and mechanization technologies..
Through strong coordination, strategic partnerships, research advancements, and deliberate policy leadership, MAAIF continues to play a defining role in Uganda’s economic resilience, food security, job creation, and transition toward a modern, competitive agro-industrial economy. Against this backdrop, as the Ministry continues to anchor Uganda’s economic transformation and drive a rapidly evolving agro-industrial sector, the need for a coordinated, transparent, and evidence-based mechanism to track performance has become central to sustaining these gains. It is within this context that the Joint Annual Performance Review (JAPAR) emerges as a critical platform. JAPAR provides a structured framework through which government institutions, development partners, private-sector actors, and local governments come together to assess the performance of the Agro-Industrialisation Programme (AGI), identify systemic bottlenecks, and shape priorities for the next implementation cycle.
THE AGRO-INDUSTRIALIZATION PROCESS
Uganda’s Agro-Industrialisation (AGI) process is a strategic national pathway aimed at transforming the agricultural sector from smallholder subsistence production into a modern, competitive, and export-driven agro-industrial economy.
Under NDP III, AGI is implemented as a multi-institutional programme coordinated by MAAIF, with the goal of increasing production, improving productivity, promoting value addition, expanding agro-processing, and strengthening market access across all major agricultural commodities.
The process begins at the farm level, focusing on strengthened production through access to quality seeds, planting materials, fertilisers, livestock breeds, extension services, and climate-resilient technologies. Agriculture remains the backbone of Uganda’s livelihood system, employing 62% of households and 72% of the labour force, contributing significantly to GDP and exports, and remaining a national development priority.
A core pillar of AGI is the shift from subsistence to commercial production. Uganda has recorded a structural transformation, with households engaged in subsistence farming declining from 68% to 39%, reflecting rapid commercialisation driven by government support, market linkages, and agro-industrial incentives. This transition has been essential for ensuring the consistent supply of high-quality raw materials for processing and agro-industry growth.
The programme also prioritises water-for-production, irrigation development, mechanisation, and agricultural infrastructure. JAPAR records show total water storage capacity reached 41.658 million cubic metres, while irrigated land expanded to 16,464 hectares. More than 100 mechanisation units were distributed to farmers, improving efficiency, reducing labour constraints, and supporting climate-resilient production, particularly in drought-prone areas.
Post-harvest management and value addition form a critical stage of the AGI process. Historically, Uganda has suffered high post-harvest losses; however, interventions under AGI have reduced these losses significantly. National storage capacity increased from 792,714 MT to 1,246,842 MT, supported by investments in warehouses, silos, dryers, and modern post-harvest technologies, while post-harvest losses declined from 37% to 12.8% due to improved handling, grading, bulking, and quality assurance systems.
Agro-processing has expanded across key commodity value chains, including coffee, dairy, fish, grains, fruits, oilseeds, and livestock. The programme facilitated the establishment and certification of processing plants through UNBS, with 1,555 enterprises inspected for compliance, ensuring processed products meet regional and international standards and strengthening Uganda’s export credibility.
Marketing and export growth represent another stage of the AGI process. Uganda’s agricultural exports have surged due to improved quality, processing capacity, and market linkages. Key statistics include coffee exports of 5.27 million 60-kg bags earning USD 873.5 million; fish production of 797,000 MT supported by aquaculture and enforcement; milk production of 2.81 billion litres; cocoa production of 35,062 MT with rising demand from European and Asian markets; and increased output of staple crops, enhancing food security and industrial supply chains.
Institutional coordination and governance are central to AGI. JAPAR provides a structured platform for harmonising efforts among MAAIF, NAADS, NARO, UCDA (now Coffee department ), NDA, UNBS, NAGRIC, and local governments. Through JAPAR, performance is assessed, gaps identified, and priorities set for the following year. This evidence-based approach has improved efficiency, accountability, and sector-wide coherence across production, value addition, market development, quality assurance, and export promotion.
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS UNDER AGRO-INDUSTRIALIZATION PROGRAMS
- Decline in subsistence agriculture from 68% to 39%.
- Reduction of post-harvest losses from 37% to 12.8%.
- Expansion of national storage capacity to 1,246,842 MT.
- Growth of irrigated land to 16,464 hectares
- Increase in water-for-production storage to 41.658 million m³.
- Certification and inspection of over 1,555 enterprises supporting agro-processing.
- Strong production gains across coffee, milk, fish, cocoa, bananas, maize, beans, rice, and other strategic commodities.
- Enhanced enforcement of fisheries regulations for sustainable production.
- Improved mechanisation, with over 100 units distributed.
- Strengthened export growth, with agriculture maintaining its position as the largest foreign exchange contributor.
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