Uganda has been crowned the second largest organic producer in the world after India. Reporters were told Saturday that Uganda has the fastest growing organic market globally, with 1.2 smallholder farmers producing organic foods. Only 20000 of these however, are certified to sell their products to different markets in Europe, America, Japan and also in East Africa.
The development was revealed by chairman of National Organic Agricultural Movement of Uganda (NOGAMU) Frederick Musisi Kabuye at the The International Green Week at Victoria Mall Entebbe.
NOGAMU is an umbrella organization which unites producers, processors, exporters, NGOs and other institutions and organizations that are involved in the promotion and development of the organic sector in Uganda.
Speaking at the event, Mr Kabuye expressed satisfaction with Uganda’s global performance, and called upon more Ugandans to join in production of organic produce for export, given the comparative advantage the country enjoys.
According to findings, last year alone Uganda earned 46million US Dollars from exporting organic foods.
Some of the organic products grown organically and sourced from Uganda include cotton (lint, yarn and finished garments), coffee (Arabic and Robusta), sesame (simsim), dried fruit (pineapples, apple bananas, mangoes, jack-fruit), fresh fruits (pineapple, apple bananas, passion fruits, avocadoes, papaya (pawpaw), ginger), jack-fruit, , vanilla, cocoa, fish, shea butter and shea nuts, bird eyed chilies, dried hibiscus, honey and bark cloth.
Mr Kabuye noted that the organic foods unlike most of the other products, have ready market almost everywhere around the world.
“There is no excuse for markets, We can only hope that the trend remains like this,” he said.