KAMPALA, Uganda – Uganda has taken another significant step in expanding its value-added agricultural exports after Ranchers Finest Ltd dispatched the country’s first consignment of processed beef to Ethiopia’s Diamond Hotel and Restaurant Group.
The shipment, flagged off at Ranchers Finest Ltd’s processing facility in Kawempe, marks the commencement of a formal supply agreement under which the company will export approximately 20 tonnes of processed beef and other premium meat products, including sausages, steaks and lamb, to the Ethiopian hospitality chain every month.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony, the Senior Presidential Advisor on Agribusiness, Dr. Hillary Emmanuel Musoke Kisanja, described the export as a milestone for Uganda’s livestock sector, saying it reflects the country’s growing capacity to compete in regional markets through value addition.
“This deal is a very big achievement for Uganda and one of the biggest milestones for our livestock industry,” Dr. Musoke said.
He emphasised the need for Uganda to shift from exporting live animals to processing livestock products locally, noting that value addition enables the country to generate greater economic returns while creating employment throughout the production chain.
“We need to process all the meat from the farm to the fork,” he said.
Dr. Musoke explained that local meat processing creates jobs in slaughtering, packaging, transportation, quality assurance and marketing, while increasing incomes for livestock farmers. “We are going to create more jobs. I urge Ugandans to go back to the farms and rear animals because demand for processed meat is growing,” he added.
He commended Ranchers Finest Ltd for investing in value addition and positioning Uganda as a dependable supplier of processed meat products that meet internationally recognised food safety standards. “We thank the management for putting Uganda on the map,” Dr. Musoke said.
He further called on farmers, investors and other stakeholders to support companies engaged in value addition to enable Uganda to maximise earnings from its livestock resources.
According to Ranchers Finest Ltd, the export contract was secured through a competitive procurement process, with the company selected on the strength of its compliance with internationally recognised food safety standards, including ISO 22000:2018 and HACCP certification.
The company’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Collin Muyanja, said the agreement demonstrates growing confidence in Uganda’s meat industry and is expected to unlock additional export opportunities in Ethiopia and other regional markets.
He noted that Ranchers Finest remains committed to supplying premium-quality processed meat products while supporting government efforts to promote industrialisation, value addition and export-led growth.
Mr. Muyanja added that exporting processed meat instead of live animals allows Uganda to earn higher export revenues, create more employment opportunities, improve product traceability, and retain a larger share of the value generated from the livestock sector.
