Uganda has taken a significant step in expanding its value-added agricultural exports after Ranchers Finest Ltd dispatched the country’s first consignment of processed beef to the Diamond Hotel and Restaurant Group in Ethiopia.
The shipment, flagged off from the company’s processing facility in Kawempe, marks the start of a formal supply agreement under which Ranchers Finest will export approximately 20 tonnes of processed beef and other premium meat products—including sausages, steaks and lamb—every month to the Ethiopian hospitality chain.
According to the company, the export contract was secured through a competitive procurement process, with Ranchers Finest selected due to its compliance with internationally recognised food safety standards, including ISO 22000:2018 and HACCP certification.
The company’s Chief Executive Officer, Collin Muyanja, said the agreement reflects growing confidence in Uganda’s meat industry and is expected to unlock further export opportunities in Ethiopia and other regional markets.
“Diamond Group awarding us this tender is a mark of confidence in Ranchers Finest and Ugandan beef products. We have always maintained that Uganda has a distinct competitive advantage in that our meat products have the best flavour,” Muyanja said.
He emphasised the importance of value addition, noting that Uganda loses significant revenue by exporting unprocessed livestock products.
“For long, we have been exporting carcasses. We do not gain value as a country by exporting carcasses because those same carcasses are imported into the region, processed into steaks and sausages, and then exported back. In that process, we lose five to ten times in value,” he said.
Muyanja explained that value addition enables the country to earn more per animal, improve farmers’ incomes, and generate employment across the production chain.
“When we process meat into steak, sausages, bacon and other products, we earn more, and farmers also benefit. It also creates more jobs across farms, abattoirs, processing plants, packaging and related industries,” he added.
He further noted that exporting processed meat instead of live animals enhances foreign exchange earnings, improves traceability, and strengthens Uganda’s competitiveness in international markets.
Speaking during the flag-off ceremony, Senior Presidential Advisor on Agribusiness, Dr. Hilary Emmanuel Musoke Kisanja, described the export as a major milestone for Uganda’s livestock sector, saying it demonstrates the country’s increasing capacity to compete through value addition.
“This deal is a very big achievement for Uganda and one of the biggest milestones for our livestock industry,” Dr. Musoke said.
He stressed the need for Uganda to shift from exporting live animals to processing meat locally in order to retain more value within the economy.
“We need to process all the meat from the farm to the fork,” he said.
Dr. Musoke added that value addition creates employment opportunities across multiple segments, including slaughtering, packaging, transportation, quality assurance and marketing, while also improving returns for farmers.
“We are going to create more jobs. I urge Ugandans to go back to the farms and rear animals because demand for processed meat is growing,” he said.
He praised Ranchers Finest for investing in value addition and positioning Uganda as a credible supplier of processed meat products that meet international standards.
Dr. Musoke also called on farmers, investors and other stakeholders to support agro-processing initiatives to enable Uganda to maximise returns from its livestock resources.
He noted that while raw meat may fetch about $4 per kilogram, its value can rise significantly—up to $50 or more—once processed into premium products such as steaks and other value-added cuts, underscoring the importance of industrialisation in agriculture.
