The Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Frank Tumwebaze, has flagged off Uganda’s inaugural export of processed pineapples to China, marking a significant milestone in the country’s agro-industrialization drive.
The launch took place in Luwero shortly after the minister attended a swearing-in ceremony. A total of 104 metric tonnes of canned pineapples processed by Deshiburg Company were dispatched to the Chinese market.
Deshiburg, operating under the Uganda-China Agriculture Cooperation Industrial Park, is the first investor in Uganda to establish a dedicated canned pineapple processing factory. According to the minister, the factory has the capacity to process 500 tonnes of pineapples per day, creating a major market opportunity for local farmers.
Tumwebaze noted that the investment addresses the long-standing challenge of limited markets for perishable agricultural products by increasing demand for pineapples as a raw material. He emphasized that the development should encourage farmers to increase production and adopt more intentional farming practices.
The minister called upon local leaders and agricultural extension workers to mobilize and guide farmers toward sustainable production aimed at meeting the growing demand from agro-industries.
He stressed that the continued growth of agro-processing industries demonstrates that market opportunities for agricultural produce now exist at domestic, regional, and international levels. Farmers were urged to focus on increasing production while adhering to acceptable quality standards.
