Cultivating Human CapitalFor Uganda's Agribusiness Success

Victoria SekitolekoChairperson, Uganda Agribusiness Alliance

Generation AgriPreneur ConferenceKampala, Uganda21-22 April 2015

Background and Perspective

• Minister of Agriculture in Uganda from 1986 – 1995

• FAO Sub Regional Representative to Eastern and Southern Africa 1995 – 2004

• FAO Representative in Ethiopia to the African Union and to the Economic Community for Africa

• FAO representative in China, Mongolia, and North Korea 2006 – 2011

• Founding Chairperson of Uganda Agribusiness Alliance 2014 – present

I see Uganda agribusiness with the perspective of both time and international experience:

What is the Uganda Agribusiness Alliance?

• A private sector driven, multi-stakeholder partnership and membership platform conceived in 2014

• A non-profit, non-political organisation whose purpose is to help catalyse sustainable investment and growth in Ugandan agribusiness

• Providing a forum for exchanging and accessing vital information and services for agribusiness

• Actively facilitating the development of “growth-oriented” small and medium agribusinesses from throughout the value chains, with mentoring, coaching, incubation and linkage to finance

• Coordinating the national Agricultural Finance Action Platform

Ugandan Agribusiness has gone, over time, from one driver to many diverse drivers.

1. Before liberalization, government was main driver of agribusiness development; but World Bank required privatization of most of the government-related bodies including those related to agribusiness.

2. Greater diversity of drivers in agribusiness has meant less coordination of development, and less control over accountability for quality of agribusiness products and advisory services

3. in addition these changes have put many Ugandan agribusiness sectors at a disadvantage in regional and global commerce

4. BUT on the positive side, the current situation allows more opportunities for entrepreneurship in agribusiness

Ugandan Agribusiness has gone, over time, from one driver to many diverse drivers.

What Ugandan Agribusiness Needs Now

1. Increased coordination of all the diverse drivers (public, private, NGO, farmer group.)

What Ugandan Agribusiness Needs Now

2. Increased teaching of agriculture as business at all levels from Primary, Secondary schools to Universities and technical schools.

What Ugandan Agribusiness Needs Now

3. Increased willingness of brave entrepreneurs, like you at this conference, to research and plan business opportunities in Ugandan agribusiness, making use of the diverse resources available

What Ugandan Agribusiness Needs Now

4. Increased willingness of international investors, like you , to set up business ventures providing markets and training for outgrower farmers, like the sugar and tea industry have done .

Thank you very much! For more information...

• Victoria Sekitoleko, Board Chairperson

• Edward Katende, Board Secretary/Head of Secretariat: 0703 679000, edward.katende@focusoneastafrica.com

• Steve Hodges, Business Development Manager: 0753 461348, stevehodges2011@gmail.com