Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Frank Tumwebaze, has urged African governments and private sector actors to invest heavily in the potato and sweet potato value chains, calling them untapped engines of agro-industrial growth and economic transformation.
Speaking at the opening of the 13th African Potato Association (APA) Conference in Kampala, Tumwebaze said Uganda and the continent must rethink root crops not merely as food security buffers but as strategic commodities for wealth creation, climate resilience, and regional trade.
“Urbanisation is driving massive demand for processed foods like crisps and chips. This is no longer just about feeding our people; it’s a multi-billion-shilling opportunity for agro-processing and industrialisation,” Tumwebaze said.
Themed *“Fostering Climate-Smart Cropping Systems for Sustainable Potato and Sweetpotato Value Chains,”* the five-day conference brought together scientists, policymakers, farmers, and agribusiness leaders from across Africa to discuss how to maximize returns from these vital crops.
Uganda, one of Africa’s top sweet potato producers with an annual output of 1.8 million metric tons, is increasingly positioning itself as a continental hub for root crop innovation. Potatoes, though less dominant, remain important, with Uganda producing more than 162,000 metric tons annually and exporting 55,000 metric tons while still importing 30,000 tons to meet domestic demand.
“This mismatch shows that there is space for both import substitution and export expansion. We must invest in seed systems, storage infrastructure, and mechanization to close this gap,” Tumwebaze said, noting the urgent need to reduce post-harvest losses and increase value addition.
He hailed local research institutions, particularly the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), for developing disease-resistant, high-yielding varieties tailored to Uganda’s climate. These efforts, he said, align with President Yoweri Museveni’s broader vision of a science-led agricultural economy.
Key government-backed programs such as *Innovating the Ugandan Potato Value Chain* and the *Multi-Sectoral Food Security and Nutrition Project* were spotlighted as driving forces behind farmer support, value chain integration, and commercialization of smallholder agriculture.
Tumwebaze also stressed that boosting intra-African trade, under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), could open up vast markets for Uganda’s potato-based products — if countries harmonize standards and invest in cross-border infrastructure.
As the conference kicked off, stakeholders expressed optimism that the gathering would spark new cross-sector partnerships and inform policies aimed at scaling up climate-smart farming while unlocking new markets for African farmers.
“Let this not be just another technical meeting. Let it be a launchpad for agro-industrial transformation powered by the humble potato and sweet potato,” Tumwebaze said, officially opening the APA Conference.
