Business 8 October 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Sh7.7 Billion Boost for Women in Teso Agribusiness Launched
The Ugandan government has disbursed Sh7.7 billion to NARO and Soroti University to establish agro-processing facilities aimed at empowering women entrepreneurs in the Teso sub-region. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/govt-gives-naro-soroti-university-shs7-7b-to-boost-women-s-agribusiness-5624728
The government is injecting Sh7.7 billion into initiatives designed to enhance women’s participation and profitability in agribusiness within the Teso sub-region.
This significant funding is channeled through the Growth Opportunities and Productivity for Women Enterprises (GROW) project, a collaborative effort supported by the Ugandan government and the World Bank. The allocated funds will be divided between the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) and Soroti University, each tasked with establishing crucial value-addition facilities.
Soroti University will receive Sh3.5 billion to set up a dedicated value-addition center. Meanwhile, NARO has been allocated Sh4.2 billion for similar purposes. The decision to house these facilities within public institutions is strategic, ensuring broad accessibility for women entrepreneurs across Teso, rather than operating them on a purely commercial basis.
Enoch Mutambi, a Skills Development Specialist with the GROW project, highlighted the intention for these centers to serve all women in the region. “Every woman from all walks of life within Teso can take her millet, groundnuts, cassava and other farm crops to the facility within Soroti University to add value, which is intended to earn them better prices,” he stated.
The project aims to directly improve women’s incomes by enabling them to process their agricultural produce, thereby increasing its market value before sale. Beyond processing, the facilities will also provide vital support for women looking to launch or scale up their agribusinesses, fostering job creation.
This initiative aligns with broader goals of supporting women-owned and women-led enterprises through enhanced access to skills, finance, and business development opportunities. Dr. Tumuhimbise Robooni, Director of Research at NARO-NARL, Kawanda, emphasized that the project will empower women entrepreneurs to strengthen their businesses through value addition. Catherine Katusiime from the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development affirmed that the endeavor would facilitate the advancement of women’s agricultural businesses.
Dr. Kephas Nuwakuda, the project’s principal investigator, noted that this investment is also projected to contribute significantly to job creation. He explained NARO’s role in developing agricultural technologies that can be transformed into marketable agro-products, thereby supporting the government’s industrialization agenda by bridging agricultural research with processing and commercialization.