By Mike Rwothomio and Alex Pithua 

Smallholder farmers in Uganda have been called upon to adopt value addition in their agricultural value chains, transforming raw commodities like onions and garlic into processed products to boost profitability, reduce post-harvest losses, and enhance market competitiveness.

Ms. Victoria Sekitoleko, founder and board chairperson of the Uganda Agribusiness Alliance (UAA), emphasized that embracing value chain addition shifts farmers from subsistence production to resilient agribusiness enterprises.

"Value addition elevates primary commodities through processing, grading, packaging, and improved post-harvest handling, enabling farmers to capture higher margins in domestic and export markets," she stated.

Speaking on December 16 at Hotel Africana in Kampala during a national high-level event themed “Agro-Industrialization and Export: One Value Chain at a Time,” Sekitoleko highlighted key benefits like Increased Farmer Incomes, reduced Post-Harvest Losses, enhanced Resilience and Sustainability,Market Access and Competitiveness

The stakeholders for a panel discussion on value chain and value addition moderated by Prof Ogenga Latigo

The event, organized by UAA, brought together government officials, private sector players, farmer organizations, financial institutions, and researchers to showcase innovations in agro-industrialization and foster pathways for Uganda's export growth.

Agriculture remains the backbone of Uganda's economy, employing over 70% of the population and driving key exports like coffee, tea, and horticultural products.

Participants from West Nile districts, including lead farmers and community facilitators from Zombo, Nebbi, and Arua, shared gains from the ongoing "Power of Voices" project.

Sabiti Lords Compassion, a community-based facilitator with the Agency for Community Empowerment (AFCE), noted: "Trainings have equipped us with knowledge on quality production, marketing, and value addition in onion chains, which we will disseminate to boost external market linkages."

Oyikuru Muddy, an AFCE project officer, urged government support for linking farmers to markets for value-added commodities like groundnuts and coffee.

Farmer Akello Evelyn from Nebbi pledged to train peers on value chain benefits to increase productivity.

Dr Maggie Kigozi (left)the Chief Guest shares moment with the Uganda Agribusiness Alliance (UAA) Founder and Board Chairperson Hon. Victoria Sekitoleko (Right) during the National High Level Event held at Hotel Africana on 16th December, 2025.

The five-year Power of Voices (Fair for All) project, funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and implemented by UAA in partnership with AFCE, Oxfam Uganda, and others, has built capacity for 1,388 farmers (665 women, 723 men) in onion and garlic value chains in West Nile Subregion.

Interventions include Global GAP trainings, seed support, market access enhancements, and best practices in agronomy, post-harvest handling, and business management.

As the project nears closure in December 2025, upcoming sessions will focus on garlic value chains, financial management, and sustainability to empower farmers for independent agro-enterprises.

Farmers from the region have called for an extension to further scale impacts on livelihoods.

Mike Rwothomio is news editor at zoomer Africa, your number one grassroot information hub.