Session: Agribusiness Leaders’ Roundtable: Uganda’s Agriculture Potential – Policies, Incentives, Trade Facilitation and Agri-infrastructure Investment Opportunities
This session will highlight the enormous potential for agribusiness in Uganda. As well as highlighting the experiences of successful investors in the sector, the session will also consider how to tap into international markets, access to cheap finance, mechanisation and how Uganda can increase the productivity of small scale farmers and increase value addition.
This session will tackle the following:
• How can agribusiness be integrated into the rapidly expanding Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) or consumer packaged goods (CPG) sector and what are the opportunities for investors?
• The next big thing – packaging. The impact of formalisation of food products in Uganda – a move to branded and better packaged items (Comment by Shahid Sheikh, MD Clifton Packaging Group Ltd)
• Are there lessons that can be learnt from other sub-Saharan countries, such as Tanzania and Ethiopia, that have successfully increased their agribusiness sectors?
• Financing – What are some other key challenges to investing successfully in Uganda’s agri-business sector – and lack of skilled work? Why is it so hard to finance agribusiness in Uganda?
• With Pests and diseases, drought impacting crop output, low investment levels and demand for increased imports, how should governments and banks support the sector and help farmers address financing difficulties?
Moderated by: Prof. Dr. Maggie Kigozi, Chairperson Zuri Model Farming
Panellists:
-Hon Vincent Ssempijja, Minister of Agriculture and Animal Industry
-Andrew Blanch, MD, Alvan Blanch Development Company
-Shahid Sheikh, MD, Clifton Packaging Group Ltd
-Hon. Victoria Sekitoleko, Former Minister of Agriculture and Chairperson – Uganda Agribusiness Alliance
-Hon. Migadde Robert, Vice Chairperson, Comm. on Agriculture
-Dr. Simon Kagugube, Executive Director, Centenary Bank
-Hon. Keefa Kiwanuka (MP)
-Hon. Cecilia Atim ogwal (MP)
