Education
Uganda targets rice import reduction through B2B deals, technology fair – EnviroNews
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Uganda is seeking to reduce its dependence on imported rice by strengthening commercial partnerships among farmers, millers, seed companies, mechanisation providers and financial institutions through a national business-to-business (B2B) dialogue and seed and technology fair holding from October 21 to 23, 2026.
The initiative, organised by the Rice Compact of Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT), in collaboration with the Africa Rice Centre (AfricaRice) and the National Crops Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI), aims to translate agricultural technologies into commercial agreements that can boost domestic rice production and processing.
The three-day event will take participants from Namulonge to Luwero, Butaleja and Mbale, combining business negotiations with field demonstrations and discussions on policies to strengthen Uganda’s rice value chain.
Rice is Uganda’s second most important cereal after maize, with consumption increasing alongside population growth and urbanisation. However, the country still imports approximately one-third of the rice it consumes, while domestic rice mills operate at about 59 per cent of their installed capacity.
According to figures from Uganda’s Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), the underutilisation of milling capacity is largely linked to the absence of contractual relationships between farmers and millers, leaving processing facilities without sufficient supplies even as imported rice fills the market gap.
The organisers believe that stronger business connections, improved access to quality seeds and modern technologies, and reliable markets for locally produced rice could help address these challenges.
Event targets commercial agreements
Unlike conventional agricultural exhibitions, the dialogue will place commercial negotiations at the centre of its activities, with a dedicated deal desk designed to facilitate agreements among participants.
Ahead of the event, seed companies, millers, mechanisation providers, financiers and cooperatives will register their products, services and business requirements.
On the second day, participants will hold pre-scheduled, 20-minute business-to-business meetings, supported by templates for letters of intent, memoranda of understanding and rice off-take agreements.
The organisers have set targets of at least 60 one-to-one business meetings, 25 recorded commitments, including at least 10 signed agreements, and a minimum of five off-take or out-grower contracts.
All commitments will be documented in a register and monitored at three and six months, with progress reported to the National Rice Platform.
The approach draws on evidence from a randomised study in Benin, where rice farmers offered production contracts by a miller recorded yield increases of approximately 473 kilogrammes per hectare, representing 29 per cent growth, alongside a 52 per cent increase in per capita income.
The organisers said the findings demonstrate how contractual arrangements can reduce market uncertainty and encourage farmers to invest in improving productivity.
Climate-smart technologies take centre stage
The first day at Namulonge will showcase technologies promoted through the TAAT programme, which is financed by the African Development Bank.
The technologies include climate-smart rice varieties capable of producing between four and seven tonnes per hectare, improved seed systems, mechanisation solutions, modern parboiling and milling equipment, and digital agricultural advisory tools.
A seed and rice-processing fair will feature products from the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), seed companies and agricultural input dealers.
Participants will also take part in a blind-tasting exercise comparing domestically produced and imported rice to assess quality and consumer preferences.
The programme will include a policy dialogue involving officials from MAAIF, trade, finance and standards institutions, alongside importers, millers and farmer representatives.
Discussions will focus on the public-private partnerships needed to make locally produced rice competitive with imports by 2030.
Participants are expected to examine enforcement of milled-rice grading standards and opportunities to use institutional buyers, including schools, prisons and security agencies, as anchor markets for domestically produced rice.
Quality, branding and traceability
The organisers maintain that reducing rice imports will require improvements in both production volumes and product quality.
Sessions will therefore address milling performance, grading under the East African milled-rice standard, EAS 128, branding and traceability.
These interventions are intended to help domestic producers meet the expectations of urban consumers who often prefer imported rice because of its perceived cleanliness, consistency and quality.
By strengthening quality assurance and market positioning, the initiative seeks to improve the competitiveness of Ugandan rice and expand its access to formal markets.
Farm visits to demonstrate practical solutions
Beyond the business meetings, the programme will expose participants to practical applications of rice technologies in farming communities.
On the second day, farmer leaders, agricultural extension agents and youth groups will visit farmers and millers in Zirobwe, Luwero District, to observe upland climate-smart rice varieties and a local aggregation and milling facility.
On October 23, activities will move to the Doho Rice Irrigation Scheme in Butaleja District, where participants will observe demonstrations on water management, harvesting and post-harvest mechanisation, drying, storage and milling quality.
A regional dialogue will subsequently take place in Mbale.
The field activities are designed to connect business opportunities with practical experience, allowing participants to assess technologies and identify areas for investment and collaboration.
Women and youth targeted for inclusion
Approximately 160 participants are expected at the event, including seed companies, agro-industrial rice businesses, banks, microfinance institutions, mechanisation providers, cooperatives, rice producer groups, development partners, researchers, universities and media organisations.
The African Development Bank’s TAAT II Task Manager and the TAAT Clearinghouse’s private-sector engagement officer will present investment opportunities and support efforts to broker commercial agreements.
The organisers have also established participation targets of at least 30 per cent women and 30 per cent youth, reflecting the need to broaden access to business opportunities and investment within the rice sector.
Supporting Uganda’s rice production targets
The dialogue is expected to contribute to Uganda’s National Rice Development Strategy II, which seeks to increase paddy production from approximately 247,000 tonnes in 2022 to 663,000 tonnes by 2030.
Achieving the target will require improvements in productivity, seed availability, processing capacity, market access and investment across the value chain.
Dr Titus Alicai, Director of NaCRRI and host of the event, said Uganda already had productive rice varieties and technologies capable of supporting the expansion of domestic production, but stronger commercial relationships were needed to connect farmers with markets.
“Uganda has rice varieties that perform and technologies that are ready. What has been missing is the business link between the farmer, the seed company and the miller. This dialogue is designed to build that link and to turn good intentions into agreements people can act on,” he said.
Dr Sali Atanga Ndideng, TAAT Rice Compact Coordinator and Rice Sector Programme Leader at AfricaRice, said scaling up rice production required an integrated approach involving improved varieties, reliable seed supplies, machinery, processing and access to buyers.
“Technologies only scale when the whole package works together: the variety, the seed, the machine, the processing and, above all, the buyer,” she said.
“Our focus in Uganda is on finding the weakest link in each package and fixing it with the private sector,” she added.
Similarly, Geoffrey Nsofon, TAAT Private Sector Lead, said the next step was to connect proven climate-smart rice technologies with businesses and investment capable of expanding their reach to farmers.
“TAAT has shown that climate-smart rice technologies can deliver. The next step is to connect them with businesses and investments so they can reach farmers at scale,” Nsofon said.
He added that the organisers expected the event to generate commercially viable agreements, including opportunities led by women and young people.
“A handshake in a conference hall is only the start. We will record every commitment, follow it up at three and six months, and help connect the strongest proposals to investment,” he said.
For Uganda, reducing rice imports remains a priority under its National Rice Development Strategy II. The success of the initiative will ultimately depend on whether the business discussions translate into seed orders, production contracts, investment commitments and reliable supplies of competitively priced domestic rice. The organisers say progress will be assessed over the months following the event, with the emphasis on measurable commercial outcomes rather than participation alone
