RUFORUM and Youth Agripreneurs exemplify potential at the Uganda National Agricultural Extension Week 2026
Kampala, Uganda – Evidence has time and again demonstrated the growing importance of coordinated, market-responsive, and innovation-driven agricultural systems, as they are essential for addressing climate change, youth unemployment, low productivity, and food insecurity – a need that the Uganda National Agricultural Extension Week 2026 (UGNAEW2026) sought to amplify.
Held from 20th – 24th April 2026 at Silver Springs Hotel, Bugolobi, Kampala, Uganda under the theme “Unlocking Uganda’s Agricultural Potential: Multi-actor Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services for Resilient, Digital and Market-Oriented Food Systems,” the event attracted over 100 strategic decision makers and influencers with a vested interest in agricultural extension.
As a congenial partner, The Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) spotlighted its contribution by featuring a dynamic delegation of its alumni, including five Innovation Transfer Partners (ITPs), leading youth-driven agribusiness enterprises, namely, Agrodiverse Impex Ltd, Divine Vanilla Extracts, FREZA, Gordon’s Agricultural Organisation-Uganda, Juma Farm Agribusiness Consultant Ltd, alongside two RUFORUM scholarship beneficiaries from Makerere University. RUFORUM’s participation reflects its broader intentional commitment towards fast-tracking youth empowerment, entrepreneurship, competency-based education, and community engagement within Africa’s agri-food systems.
Throughout the event, the RUFORUM alumni actively engaged in exhibitions, thematic sessions, technical discussions, networking platforms, field visits, and the highly interactive Career Ready session focused on youth employability and entrepreneurship in agriculture. Their participation showcased how young entrepreneurs are eagerly and actively shaping Africa’s agricultural transformation.
A major recognition throughout the week was that agricultural extension cannot function in isolation. Discussions underscored how modern extension systems can go beyond production support to include wider market access, digital advisory services, low-income financing, and tactical collaboration among governments, universities, private sector actors, farmer organizations, and development partners. Participants repeatedly emphasized the need for multi-actor coalitions capable of delivering coordinated solutions across agricultural value chains.
While participants acknowledged the growing role and influence of digital platforms and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled advisory systems, they equally noted that effective agricultural transformation still and firstly depends on strong human-centered relationships, trust-building, and practical farmer engagement.
The youth enterprises supported by RUFORUM attracted notable attention during the exhibition and networking sessions for their innovative and unique climate-smart approaches. Gordon’s Agricultural Organisation-Uganda showcased its growing community-based service delivery model that supports smallholder farmers through access to quality inputs, irrigation technologies, extension services, and microfinance solutions. The enterprise demonstrated how localized advisory systems can build trust, improve farmer productivity, resilience, and broader market participation, especially among youth and women.
RUFORUM Participants exhibiting at the Uganda National Agricultural Extension Week
Juma Farm Agribusiness Consultant Ltd proved the importance of practical advisory services in traditional agricultural practices by supporting farmers with climate-smart production techniques, and value chain integration. The company’s work continues to link agricultural research to on-farm application, helping farmers make informed production and marketing decisions.
Divine Vanilla Extracts, demonstrated the growing potential of high-value crop enterprises in driving rural transformation. Through sustainable vanilla production and agroforestry-based farming systems, the enterprise is contributing to improved farmer incomes while promoting environmentally sustainable agricultural practices.
Agrodiverse Impex Ltd showcased innovative biodiversity-based initiatives including snail farming, black soldier fly production, and other organic agricultural inputs. These circular economy approaches are helping reduce agricultural waste, improve soil fertility, create alternative livestock feed solutions, and generate new income opportunities for young people, as well as training.
Meanwhile, FREZA drew attention with its nano technology innovation designed to extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables, addressing one of the major challenges in Uganda’s food systems – post-harvest losses. The innovation demonstrated the facilitation of science, technology, and research in improving food security, farmer earnings, and value chain efficiency.
The Career Ready session attracted significant interest as it provided a platform for the RUFORUM alumni to share candid experiences about starting and sustaining their agribusiness ventures, how they navigate risks, and identify their markets.
Field visits further enriched the learning experience by exposing participants to coffee and cocoa value additions, sustainable livestock feeding systems, multiplication of improved planting materials, integrated pest management, and commercial farming practices that are improving productivity and resilience.
Kyanja KCCA Farm Trip
The convening was organized by the Uganda Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (UFAAS) in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), and the African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS). For RUFORUM, participation in UGNAEW2026 reinforced the value of integrating students, young entrepreneurs, researchers, and practitioners within a shared ecosystem that promotes innovation and collaboration.
