State Minister for Youth and Children Affairs, Balaam Barugahara, has urged Ugandan traders to adopt stronger branding, marketing and business practices to compete effectively in international markets.
Barugahara made the call during the closing ceremony of a five-day training organized by the Italian Trade Agency in Kampala aimed at equipping Ugandan agribusiness and ICT companies with skills to access global markets.
The minister noted that strengthening trade skills among young entrepreneurs could help Uganda increase exports to Italy and improve the country’s trade balance.
“Our trade with Italy is close to 300 million euros every year. But what we buy from Italy is about 170 million euros, while Uganda sells to Italy about 130 million euros. We want to balance the trade and even increase Uganda’s exports,” Barugahara said.
He added that Uganda has several agricultural products capable of attracting larger international markets if traders improve product quality, branding and positioning.
The training was conducted under the Lab Innova for Africa programme implemented by the Italian Trade Agency. According to Francesco Pagnini from the agency’s training department in Rome, the Italian Trade Agency operates under Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and supports the internationalization of Italian businesses through trade promotion, foreign investment attraction and foreign trade training.
Pagnini said the Lab Innova for Africa initiative, launched in 2019, aims to equip African companies with the tools needed to enter European markets while also building partnerships between African and Italian businesses.
Since the programme began, more than 700 African companies have received training. Pagnini described the Uganda edition as particularly successful, noting that 60 companies and startups participated and maintained consistent participation throughout the five-day training.
Mauro Massoni, the Italian Ambassador to Uganda, said that Italy is keen to support capacity building among Ugandan agribusiness companies and startups to increase agricultural exports to Europe and particularly to Italy.
He noted that a selected group of participants will have the opportunity to attend the Macfrut international trade fair in Italy, one of the world’s leading exhibitions for the fruit and vegetable industry. “I think that from these seeds we will soon see big trees growing,” Massoni said, referring to the expected long-term impact of the training.
Francis Kisirinya, Chief Executive Officer of the Agribusiness Alliance, said Uganda has been working to find international markets for horticultural products such as fruits, vegetables and herbs.
However, he noted that exporters often face challenges related to meeting international standards on quality, quantity, pricing and timely delivery. “This training has organized exporters and equipped them with skills to prepare their businesses, raise financing, manage quality and handle logistics so they can take the right products to the market at the right price,” Kisirinya said.
Participants say the training has given them practical knowledge that could transform their agribusiness operations. Christine Busingye, who runs Kodi Foods Uganda, an agribusiness based in Luwero District, said the training broadened her perspective on accessing export markets.
Her company operates a 40-acre farm growing mangoes, guavas and coffee. “The biggest nightmare for a farmer in Uganda is how to sell their product. With this training, I can see myself becoming a key exporter,” she said.
Busingye said the sessions helped participants understand critical export requirements including product sizing, sorting, cold storage and market standards.She is now exploring opportunities to export mangoes to markets such as South Sudan and Italy, where demand for fruit juices is growing.
Organizers say the training provided practical lessons in branding, market positioning and export readiness, which could help Ugandan businesses compete globally and increase incomes for entrepreneurs.