June 4, 2026
Ugandan agro-exporters say they are losing millions of dollars annually due to the rejection of exports in Europe, driven by gaps in critical awareness and compliance.
They say the European Union which is the biggest market for Uganda’s agro products runs very stringent laws and regulations and the government has not done enough to sensitize local stakeholders
The concern has been raised by Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International-CABI, a non-governmental organization operating in Uganda to empower smallholder farmers, boost export trade, and combat invasive crop pests.
The Project Coordinator for CABI Uganda Caroline Nankinga said this during a media engagement they held together with officials from the ministry of Agriculture at Golden Tulip Hotel in Kampala.
Nankiinga said that Ugandan agro-exports are not earning enough because the exports are usually rejected in Europe due to use of agrochemicals, unclear local and international regulations which are not known amongst local stakeholders.
Nankinga says that the influx of investors in this sector is also too high saying that after exports from existing actors have been intercepted and rejected, they abandon the trade while many other new entrants without adequate knowledge of the trade, fall into the same trap.