ZURAH NAKABUGO
KAMPALA –With a population of over 78 percent made up of individuals below the age of 30, Uganda stands out as having the world’s youngest population. While chips are a favored food item in the country, the existing quality of Irish potatoes does not meet international standards, according to Fred Kyakulanga, the state minister for Agriculture.
The Minister highlights a critical challenge facing the Ugandan food industry, specifically within larger restaurants like KFC and Café Javas, which are forced to import Irish potatoes to meet the high demand for chips and crisps. The local varieties of potatoes are not considered suitable for machine peeling and cutting into chips due to issues with taste, size, and shape.
Uganda’s population, exceeding 47 million, includes one of the highest youth unemployment rates in Sub-Saharan Africa. Agriculture, especially potato farming, represents a potential opportunity for employment, including in the production of chips and crisps. However, challenges in consistency, quality, and demand-supply gaps have retarded the development of the sector.
As per the Minister’s estimate, Uganda produces about 800,000 metric tons of Irish potatoes annually, far short of the 2 million tons needed. This discrepancy has necessitated the import of potatoes by larger restaurants and companies like Sumz, which produces crisps.
Addressing the National Potato stakeholders’ meeting in Kampala, organized by the Uganda National Potato Organisation (UNAPO) Secretariat, Kyakulanga emphasized the importance of the potato as an essential crop for both food and income security in Uganda. The meeting aimed to gather various stakeholders to discuss the potato value chain and strategize the development of the potato sub-sector.
One notable development is that farmers have begun cultivating new potato varieties such as ‘oblong’ and ‘sagita,’ which are expected to be more suitable for chip and crisp production.
However, the CEO of Sumz Food Industries Ltd, Dennis Ngabirano, pointed out the current issues in the quality of Ugandan potatoes, such as high sugar content, that do not meet international standards for crisps and chips. This lack of quality control, coupled with issues of reliability in supply, remains an obstacle to the local potato business.
Yona Baguma, the Director-General of NARO, and Bulegeya Komayombi, the National Chairperson of UNAPO, have both stressed the need for consistent production and adherence to quality standards. The introduction of smart agriculture techniques, automated water systems, and proper fertilizer application is vital to yield quality potatoes that can compete on the international market.
The goal for Uganda, as outlined by these experts, is to increase potato exports and reduce imports. Currently, the country exports potatoes worth between US$2 to 4 million to the regional market per year. However, by addressing the issues in quality and supply consistency, Uganda has the potential to leverage its youngest population and thriving potato industry to build a more prosperous future.
