Uganda Secures Major Chinese Market for Sesame as PACEID Targets Boost in Export Earnings

The Chairperson of Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID), Odrek Rwaboggo has revealed that a huge market for Ugandan simsim/sesame has been found in China.

While addressing leaders of Lango and Acholi during the training for value addition and standard international requirements for exporting grain products at St. Mary’s Girls College Aboke ,Kole District, Odrek said as PACEID they have identified 13 crops to be promoted for export within the next five years with hope of boosting Uganda’s export earnings.

According to Odrek, simsim, cassava, fish have been identified from Lango as the products which government will extensively promote for export

According to the Annual Agricultural Survey of 2020 by UBOS, Lango sub region produced 17.000MT of Sim sim and 246.000MT of Cassava.

The senior presidential advisor also underscored the need for farmers to organize themselves into consortiums to improve their trading power and access to larger domestic and international markets.

“By working together in consortiums, you can aggregate your harvest, meet volume requirements, and have a stronger voice in the market place”, said Odrek.

Lango and Acholi leaders attending the training, on the left is Dokolo RDC Barbra Akec
Odrek called on government to ensure improvement in quality standards of produce, rehabilitate roads, the railway line, and air fields and also offer affordable agricultural loans as mechanisms to boost production of food for export.

Kole North Member of Parliament, Dr. Samuel Opio Acuti noted that most farmers are not realizing much profits due to sale of products whose value has not been added.

Moses Ogwal Goli,Dokolo North MP said government has earmarked 75 billion shillings to support value addition for export products in the next financial year, adding that they expect the development to positively impact farmers.

Oyam District Woman MP Santa Alum Ogwang said the people of Lango should prepare to grow sesame and cassava on a large scale for export to China, now that a ready market has been secured.