Uganda wins bid to host 500 horticulture scientists in 2028

Uganda won the bid to host the 6th All-Africa Horticultural Congress (AAHC) which will take place in 2028 with over 500 delegates from across the world expected to gather in Kampala to discuss the improvement of horticulture farming.

This was announced on February 28 by the President of the International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS), Prof. Francois Laurens during an ongoing AAHC conference in Morocco's capital-Marrakech slated to end on March 1.

Prof. Francois is taking over leadership of ISHS from Prof. Abdelhaq Hanafi of Mohamed VI Polytechnic University in Morocco.

AAHC conferences were previously held in Kenya in 2009, South Africa in 2012, Nigeria in 2016, Senegal in 2020, and now Morocco in 2024.

Delegates coming to Uganda for the 2028 congress will include; scientists, researchers, companies and private sector investors in the agricultural value chain from Africa and all over the world.

The conference will be hosted by the Uganda Christian University (UCU), in collaboration with with Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO) and Makerere University Regional Centre for Crop Improvement (MaRCCI).

UCU Vice Chancellor, Prof Aaron Mushengyezi, who led the Ugandan delegation at the ongoing conference in Morocco said AAHC will promote Uganda’s agriculture and horticulture.

“This is a big win for Uganda, which has become one of the top destinations for international visitors and tourists. Hosting AAHC 2028 also indicates growing confidence in UCU as a reputable university in Uganda and the region,” Prof Mushengyezi said.

Speaking at the event in Morocco, UCU’s Director for Research, Partnerships and Innovation, Prof Elizabeth Balyejusa Kizito said that Uganda is now considered a top destination for large international events.

“Uganda is a top destination for large international events because of its stability, hospitable people, beautiful weather, a great variety of foods, and numerous tourism attractions. In January and February 2024, Uganda hosted large international events, including the 19th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), the G77+China Summit, and the Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth held at the Speke Resort Convention Centre in Munyonyo, Kampala. Over 124 countries and 1,700 delegates attended,” she said.

She added, “Uganda also hosted the International Conference on Food Safety Management System and Quality in Food Science (ICFSMSQFS) in February 2024, and the Renewable Energy Conference and EXPO (REC23 & EXPO) in November 2023.”