Agriculture Minister Frank Tumwebaze reported to Parliament that Uganda’s agricultural sector expanded by 6.4% during the 2025/2026 financial year, outpacing the sector’s ten-year average of 4.2%. According to Nile Post, the minister stated that agriculture now represents 26.2% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product. He noted that approximately 7.1 million of the nation’s 10.8 million households rely on the sector for employment, emphasising its critical role in national livelihoods.
Tumwebaze highlighted a substantial increase in cocoa revenue, which climbed from $93 million in the 2022/2023 period to $620 million, reflecting the crop’s expanding contribution to export earnings. Regarding coffee, the minister explained that Cabinet permitted an exception to the Parish Development Model policy, enabling the delivery of 24,437,367 seedlings to northern Uganda. This intervention aims to broaden coffee cultivation beyond the country’s traditional growing regions.
Despite the growth figures, the statement outlined specific challenges in implementing government programmes. Regarding livestock health, Tumwebaze noted that farmers must now cover the cost of foot-and-mouth disease vaccines, with 80,000 participants enrolled in the scheme. He attributed limited uptake to expectations of free government provision and what he described as the indiscipline of lower-level veterinary staff. In agricultural mechanisation, the government has placed 1,080 tractors in service since 2018, against a five-year target of 10,000 units. Construction has begun at four of the 21 planned mechanisation centres, while a proposed cost-sharing arrangement awaits Cabinet approval.
The minister also mentioned a proposed oil palm development loan for the Busoga sub-region, backed by the International Fund for Agricultural Development, which will be presented to the House when ready. Additionally, he requested Parliament to prioritise a Bill establishing a Food and Agricultural Regulatory Authority to strengthen product regulation. Members of Parliament are scheduled to discuss the statement on Tuesday, October 27, 2026.