By Our Reporter
Njeru, Jinja, Uganda — dfcu Bank and its partners have launched the 2026 Best Farmers Competition, stepping up efforts to transform Uganda’s agriculture sector into a competitive, business-driven industry.
The initiative, implemented under the Vision Initiative for Sustainable Agriculture (VISA), is being run in partnership with Vision Group, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, de heus, Koudijs Nutrition BV and New Vision Foundation. It comes at a time when agriculture contributes about a quarter of Uganda’s GDP and employs over 70 percent of the population, yet remains largely subsistence-based.
Now in its 12th edition, the competition focuses on productivity, value addition, record keeping and market access, key areas seen as critical in shifting farmers from subsistence to commercial enterprise. Uganda’s major crops, including coffee, maize, beans and bananas, continue to face limited value addition, constraining export earnings despite strong regional and international demand.
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By Our Reporter
Njeru, Jinja, Uganda — dfcu Bank and its partners have launched the 2026 Best Farmers Competition, stepping up efforts to transform Uganda’s agriculture sector into a competitive, business-driven industry.
The initiative, implemented under the Vision Initiative for Sustainable Agriculture (VISA), is being run in partnership with Vision Group, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, de heus, Koudijs Nutrition BV and New Vision Foundation. It comes at a time when agriculture contributes about a quarter of Uganda’s GDP and employs over 70 percent of the population, yet remains largely subsistence-based.
Now in its 12th edition, the competition focuses on productivity, value addition, record keeping and market access, key areas seen as critical in shifting farmers from subsistence to commercial enterprise. Uganda’s major crops, including coffee, maize, beans and bananas, continue to face limited value addition, constraining export earnings despite strong regional and international demand.
Speaking at the launch, Mathias Jumba said the bank is positioning agriculture as a core business sector, noting that over 1,200 agribusinesses have already been supported, with $22 million in business linkages facilitated. He added that dfcu invests over UGX 1 billion annually in the initiative and is committed to financing the entire agricultural value chain.
The competition will recognise 13 winners, including farmers and cooperatives, with top performers earning financial rewards and study trips to the Netherlands to gain exposure to advanced farming systems.
Government programmes such as the Parish Development Model and increased budget allocations to agriculture are also expected to reinforce the sector’s shift toward commercialisation, as stakeholders push for stronger market systems, aggregation through cooperatives and improved competitiveness.
Since its launch in 2014, the Best Farmers Competition has grown into a key platform driving innovation, investment and structured growth in Uganda’s agriculture sector.
