JINJA CITY, April 4, 2025 – The Uganda National Bureau of Standards [ UNBS ], in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries [MAAIF], has launched a campaign to ensure that Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises [MSMEs] associated with the Parish Development Programme [PDM] programme adhere to established standards in their product processing.
The two agencies aim to encourage agropreneurs, particularly MSMEs, to seek and implement quality standards and obtain product certification. This will enable them to secure a Q-mark, allowing them to trade their products in local, regional, and international markets.
“The government has prioritised 18 products under the PDM programme, and as UNBS, we have developed standards for all of these products. We are currently training and empowering MSMEs at the grassroots level, particularly those dealing in the PDM-selected value chains, to acquire UNBS certification. Without the UNBS certification mark, they cannot access markets,” said Sylivia Kirabo, Principal Public Relations and Marketing Officer at UNBS.
The engagement with various players in the agro-industry sector was recently held in Jinja City, targeting PDM beneficiaries and dealers in the Busoga sub-region. However, participants at the training raised concerns over the high fees charged by the standards agency for product certification, stating that this was a key deterrent that should be reconsidered.
In response, Abubaker Bakulumpagi, Head of the MSME division at UNBS, acknowledged the entrepreneurs’ concerns but pointed out that the government had already subsidised the certification fees by 50%, reducing the cost from Shs 1 million to Shs 500,000 annually.
“Government has recently subsidised certification fees for MSMEs. Now they pay Shs 500,000 in audit fees, compared to the Shs 1,000,000 paid by medium and large enterprises per year,” said Bakulumpagi.
Dr. Alexander Ssamula, Senior Inspector at MAAIF, urged MSMEs in the agricultural value chain to collaborate with extension officers to identify suitable agrochemicals for their products and understand their correct application.
“Some chemicals contain components that have been banned internationally. Farmers should be aware of this and reject such chemicals. The recommended chemicals are available on the MAAIF website, at district offices, and through extension officers at the parishes,” said Ssamula.
UNBS, in collaboration with MAAIF, has identified at least 18 products deemed critical for lifting households out of absolute poverty. These include coffee, cotton, cocoa, cassava, tea, vegetable oils/palm oil, maize, rice, sugarcane, fish, dairy, beef, bananas, beans, avocado, shea nuts, cashew nuts, and macadamia nuts.
The PDM programme is a key government initiative aimed at improving the incomes and welfare of Ugandans at the household level. It represents the last-mile strategy for service delivery by the Government of Uganda.
To date, UNBS has developed and domesticated over 1,133 product standards within the agricultural value chain. This initiative aligns with UNBS’s mission of supporting MSMEs to acquire the UNBS certification mark.
Under the Standards Partnership Project, UNBS and MAAIF have sensitised and trained at least 600 agro-industrial MSMEs on standards and certification across the Lango, Buganda, Ankole, Bugisu, and Busoga sub-regions.
The project, implemented by UNBS and MAAIF with support from TradeMark Africa [TMA], aims to align Uganda’s agricultural practices with Global Good Agricultural Practices [Global GAP] and other international standards. This will enhance the economic viability of Uganda’s agricultural sector by ensuring that products meet the rigorous quality and safety standards required in domestic, regional, and international markets.
According to Kirabo, government programmes such as PDM, export promotion, import substitution, and agro-industrialisation are designed to contribute to the achievement of Uganda’s goal of achieving tenfold economic growth, from US$ 50 billion to US$ 500bln, by 2040.
https://thecooperator.news/certification-delays-at-unbs-stifling-businesses-mps/
Buy your copy of thecooperator magazine from one of our country-wide vending points or an e-copy on emag.thecooperator.news
Views: 14
