Danish innovations to boost Uganda’s agricultural sector

A group of Danish delegates from seven companies in Denmark are in Uganda to figure out potential partners and clients in the agricultural sector.

During the delegation meeting held at the Danish Embassy in Kampala early this month, the delegates discussed matters on how to transform the agricultural sector in Uganda with the use of new Danish technologies and methods to enable Ugandan companies to improve quality and quantity of the agricultural produce.

A lot to offer

Ms Signe Winding Albjerg, the Danish ambassador to Uganda, said the delegates have a lot in their docket to offer to the Ugandan agricultural companies in the form of agricultural innovative solutions.

“We are not where we are supposed to be, that is why we are looking at emerging markets to expand our technologies and as well as transform that of our partners,” Ms Albjerg said.

Climate change adaptation

The assistance will range from enhanced technologies, food production and processing, innovative green solutions and climate change adaptation to enhance eff ectiveness and production from the agricultural productions.

The Danish delegation’s visit to Ugan[1]da is centred on developing coopera[1]tion, political dialogue, economic and business ties. Ms Albjerg said the new technologies will also enable the farmers and re[1]searchers to adapt to climatic changes.

“With that, they are able to adapt with climate change, protect the environment, and have businesses thrive,” she said.

Private sector

The partnership is a private sector engagement to connect the Danish agricultural companies to Ugandan companies to enable businesses from both countries link up and make deals that will transform their economies.

In the same line, the Danish government through the Development progression programme of Uganda offered Shs371b to fund the transition programme for five years (2023-2028). “This will help Ugandan companies in the agricultural sector to adapt to climate change and bring the required technologies and help farmers increase productivity and incomes,” said Ms Albjerg.

The funding will be directed to organisations, institutions and as well mo[1]bilise private funders to support the agricultural sector in Uganda to adapt to climate change.

Expansion

Mr Kenneth Vaughan Sheriffs, the director of Titan Containers Company Director, which produces containerised cold chains for storage and transportation said they are currently operating in 30 different countries and plan to extend their services to East Africa by the end of this year.

“The containers provide cold stor[1]age services to agricultural produce, pharmaceutical spices and we hope to produce more containers from the 7000 containers we currently have to 9000 containers by the end of this year,” Mr Sheriffs said.

The containers are shipping units that maintain a specifi c temperature to ensure freshness and quality temperature for goods. X

Mr Andrew Julius Bende, senior associate in the Bio-innovation Institute of Denmark, whose role rotates on the eco system development is looking at partnering with young Ugandan researchers and innovators to innovate natural drugs from available local materials.

“We are looking at investing in a team of researchers who can work on a natural way of treating diseases, making plants more resilient to climate among others and we help them develop their ideas and build companies,” Mr Bende said.

Mr Bende said they are targeting countries like Uganda where the average population is 19 years and majority of the youth below 24 years are unemployed and still figuring out what to do.

“We are designing sustainable models to enable companies to create job opportunities for the local people and aid the transfer of skills around the technology we have,” he said.