Denmark has over the years maintained an enviable track record in agriculture production, with its annual yield being three times the amount it needs for itself.
This, thanks to a good percentage of arable land and moderate climate but more importantly its extremely advanced technology and infrastructure network.
The technological advancement by the Scandinavian country will be the key highlight this week when Danish food tech and agribusiness executives arrive in Uganda to explore avenues for sectoral synergies between the two countries.
The delegation led by the Danish Agriculture and Food Council (L&F), whose composition incorporates companies, trade and farmers’ associations within the sector, will be in the country from tomorrow, 29th to 31st October, 2019 under the auspices of the Embassy of Denmark in Uganda.
According to the Danish Ambassador to Uganda His Excellency Nicolaj A. Hejberg Petersen, the executives are drawn from eight companies involved in various services in the Agriculture value chain, including; seed processing and storage facilities, cold chain refrigeration solutions, animal production, grain handling and milling, dairy sector, drainage and cleaning solutions, and packaging.
Coming along with the team is Uganda’s Ambassador to the Nordics, Her Excellency Nimisha Madhvani who noted that this will be a follow up to the Nordic- East African Business Expo and Conference (NEABEC) that was held in Helsinki, Finland from the 3rd to the 5th of September, 2019.
“It’s great that the follow up action is coming to fruition early and as scheduled. It’s a totally symbiotic business facilitation as the team will be meeting potential local businesses partners and also exploring and maximising business opportunities in Uganda,” Madhvani said.
She added that the visit is expect to unlock uninhibited opportunities in the world of agricultural technology needed to support Uganda’s current quest to modernize and improve the agriculture value chain.
Ambassador Petersen observed that Denmark as a net exporter of agricultural products, welcomes business engagements that will spur productivity in Uganda while strengthening the export sector.
“There is a whole lot of experience in Denmark that we can draw on to ensure that Ugandan farmers improve their farm management and mechanize their processes. The return on investment on this will come with dividends not only from the local market but from the international scene as well,” Petersen noted.
The Ugandan and Danish teams will hold a sharing conference at Golf Course hotel in Kampala on Tuesday with presentations lined up from Ugandans in the food sector, Uganda Investment Authority, Uganda Registration Services Bureau and Uganda National Bureau of Standards.
There will also be a presentation by the Danish Agriculture and Danish Companies (DAFC) before winding up with a Business to Business session.
Among other scheduled activities are visits to Grow More Seeds and Chemicals Limited, a Ugandan seed company, Jesa Farm Dairy, Danish Farm and school in Entebbe, and the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) in Entebbe.