Uganda has seen strong growth in its cocoa business during the last ten years. Farmers across the country have increased their production and earned more money from this valuable crop. The entire supply chain has benefited from these improvements. Agricultural experts point to cocoa as a major export that continues to expand every year.
These farming specialists call for additional money for new tools that can improve Ugandan cocoa and make it easier to track. They believe this would help sell more beans to buyers around the world. The numbers show amazing progress already. Back in 2013, Uganda grew 23,000 metric tonnes of cocoa beans and earned $54 million.
Fast-forward to late 2024, and production jumped to 52,000 metric tonnes—more than double the earlier amount. This bigger harvest brought in $296 million for the country. Yet many believe Uganda could do even more with its cocoa by processing the beans further and creating better ways to prove where each batch comes from.
Kenneth Aedu manages projects at Swiss Contact and says hard-working Ugandan farmers deserve credit for these gains. He points to special programs like the Development of Market Facilitation project that helped boost results. This DMF project connects farmers with better places to sell their crops and teaches ways to grow higher-quality cocoa.
The program focuses on improving farming through market connections, new farming methods, and better roads. By strengthening how cocoa moves from farm to market, small farmers have earned more money than before. Cocoa has become one of the most important crops Uganda sells to other countries.
Swiss Contact has built direct links between local growers and companies that buy cocoa worldwide. This has helped Uganda become more respected in global cocoa markets. The success extends beyond just cocoa beans. Honeymakers throughout Uganda have also seen their businesses improve through similar help.
People who keep bees have learned better methods and harvested more honey. Robert Okidia farms locally and reports making more money thanks to the program's support. He has changed how he manages his beehives and has seen better results. Uganda produces between 100,000 and 200,000 metric tonnes of honey each year.
The country could make even more honey to help meet the worldwide demand of 1.8 million metric tonnes, valued at $7.8 billion. Both cocoa and honey face challenges ahead. New European Union rules will require farms to prove exactly where products like cocoa come from all the way back to the original farmer.
These rules have been pushed back temporarily but will eventually take effect. Following these requirements matters greatly for continued access to European markets. Arafat Hossain directs Swiss Contact operations in Uganda and stresses the need for faster farmer registration systems.
He believes more work must be done to sign up farmers and ensure their products meet strict EU tracking requirements. Despite these hurdles, Uganda's cocoa future looks bright. Experts continue pushing for investment in better-growing methods and farmer training to keep Uganda competitive globally.
Adding value through processes like better cocoa fermentation and improved packaging remains a top goal. This would increase the amount of money each pound of cocoa brings to the country. As Uganda sells more cocoa abroad each year, the industry stands ready for even greater success.
The Swiss Contact DMF project continues driving these positive changes. It shows how targeted help, new farming technology, and better market connections can transform agriculture across Uganda. With ongoing investment in sustainable practices and product tracking, Uganda's cocoa farmers will solidify their place in the world market.
These farming specialists call for additional money for new tools that can improve Ugandan cocoa and make it easier to track. They believe this would help sell more beans to buyers around the world. The numbers show amazing progress already. Back in 2013, Uganda grew 23,000 metric tonnes of cocoa beans and earned $54 million.
Fast-forward to late 2024, and production jumped to 52,000 metric tonnes—more than double the earlier amount. This bigger harvest brought in $296 million for the country. Yet many believe Uganda could do even more with its cocoa by processing the beans further and creating better ways to prove where each batch comes from.
Kenneth Aedu manages projects at Swiss Contact and says hard-working Ugandan farmers deserve credit for these gains. He points to special programs like the Development of Market Facilitation project that helped boost results. This DMF project connects farmers with better places to sell their crops and teaches ways to grow higher-quality cocoa.
The program focuses on improving farming through market connections, new farming methods, and better roads. By strengthening how cocoa moves from farm to market, small farmers have earned more money than before. Cocoa has become one of the most important crops Uganda sells to other countries.
Swiss Contact has built direct links between local growers and companies that buy cocoa worldwide. This has helped Uganda become more respected in global cocoa markets. The success extends beyond just cocoa beans. Honeymakers throughout Uganda have also seen their businesses improve through similar help.
People who keep bees have learned better methods and harvested more honey. Robert Okidia farms locally and reports making more money thanks to the program's support. He has changed how he manages his beehives and has seen better results. Uganda produces between 100,000 and 200,000 metric tonnes of honey each year.
The country could make even more honey to help meet the worldwide demand of 1.8 million metric tonnes, valued at $7.8 billion. Both cocoa and honey face challenges ahead. New European Union rules will require farms to prove exactly where products like cocoa come from all the way back to the original farmer.
These rules have been pushed back temporarily but will eventually take effect. Following these requirements matters greatly for continued access to European markets. Arafat Hossain directs Swiss Contact operations in Uganda and stresses the need for faster farmer registration systems.
He believes more work must be done to sign up farmers and ensure their products meet strict EU tracking requirements. Despite these hurdles, Uganda's cocoa future looks bright. Experts continue pushing for investment in better-growing methods and farmer training to keep Uganda competitive globally.
Adding value through processes like better cocoa fermentation and improved packaging remains a top goal. This would increase the amount of money each pound of cocoa brings to the country. As Uganda sells more cocoa abroad each year, the industry stands ready for even greater success.
The Swiss Contact DMF project continues driving these positive changes. It shows how targeted help, new farming technology, and better market connections can transform agriculture across Uganda. With ongoing investment in sustainable practices and product tracking, Uganda's cocoa farmers will solidify their place in the world market.
