Business 19 October 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Northern Uganda Women Export 23 Tonnes of Shea Butter to the US
Okere Shea Cooperative Society Limited has successfully shipped 23 metric tonnes of Nilotica shea butter to the United States, marking a significant increase in export volume and a boost for rural women in northern Uganda. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/northern-uganda-women-ship-23-tonnes-of-shea-butter-to-us-5637872
Women in the Otuke and Agago districts of northern Uganda are driving a substantial expansion of the country’s shea butter exports. The Okere Shea Cooperative Society Limited recently dispatched a 40-foot container, carrying 23 metric tonnes of Nilotica shea butter, destined for the United States market.
This shipment, flagged off on October 18, 2026, represents the cooperative’s second export to the US, following an initial consignment of nine metric tonnes in September 2025. Okere City founder and CEO, Ojok Okello, highlighted the remarkable 156% increase in export volume, attributing this success to the dedicated efforts of approximately 1,000 women shea nut collectors.
To ensure adherence to international quality standards, the Okere City Project has made significant investments in processing and storage infrastructure. These include modern processing equipment, dedicated drying areas, cold rooms, and refrigeration systems. These facilities are crucial for guaranteeing that the shea butter reaching the global market meets high-quality benchmarks.
The cooperative’s growth has been bolstered by strategic partnerships with the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development’s GROW Project, the Otuke District Local Government, and Palladium. Commercial buyers such as Forested and Banks Beauty are also key partners in this venture.
Okere City is urging farmers across the Lango and Acholi sub-regions to recognize the economic value of the Nilotica shea tree. They are encouraged to protect existing trees, plant more seedlings, adopt sustainable harvesting, and form producer groups to enhance market access.
The cooperative also issued a call for increased investment in rural agro-processing, affordable financing, renewable energy, transport infrastructure, and value-chain development to facilitate more Ugandan products entering international markets. Mr. Okello emphasized the potential for rural communities, stating, “Our rural communities are not places without a future. They are places where the future can be created.”
Beyond the export figures, this achievement underscores the economic empowerment of rural women, the creation of local processing jobs, and the growing potential for northern Uganda to establish a competitive and sustainable shea industry.