Kamuli: The Busoga sub-region has launched a new initiative to grow Chili peppers, aiming to boost economic development and improve household incomes. The project was launched by the First Deputy Prime Minister, Rebecca Kadaga, on behalf of the Vice President, Jesca Alupo, on Wednesday, May 7, 2025.
“We are delighted to launch Chili growing in Busoga sub-region and Uganda at large today,” Kadaga said. “This milestone is a direct result of the Chili protocol signed between Uganda and China in September 2024.”
According to Kadaga, the success of this project will not only improve people’s incomes but also contribute to stabilizing the 2026 NRM vote in the sub-region. Chinese experts estimate that a farmer can earn over Shs15 million from one acre of Chili in a year.
“The guaranteed price policy per season negotiated by the Busoga Consortium is a great move, and I encourage other players in the agricultural sector to adopt similar approaches,” Kadaga added.
The launch of Chili growing in Busoga is expected to transform the economic fortunes of the sub-region and the entire country.
The project is part of the China-Uganda Agriculture Cooperation Industrial Park, established in 2016, which spans 957 acres and features multiple functional areas for crop cultivation, livestock breeding, and product processing.
According to the drivers of this initiative, the project aims to plant 500 acres of chili peppers in the park, with an expected annual production of over 1,500 tons of dried chili peppers.
Zhang Kehong of the Kehong Group from Chinca, said a development model will be adopted, where the company provides excellent varieties, professional technical services, and implements a guaranteed price purchase policy.
The project plans to promote chili planting in over 100,000 acres in Busoga, Kamuli, Luwero, and other areas, with an expected annual collection and purchase of over 220,000 tons of dried chili peppers. The project is also expected to generate an annual export value of $300 million.
At the launch event, BCD Director General Anthony Mula hailed the partnership between BCD and China’s Kehong Group, ensuring guaranteed prices and markets for local farmers.
He stated that this collaboration is expected to greatly benefit the community.
“The project aligns with the Village Agricultural Model (VAM) initiative, focusing on education, agriculture, industrialization, and value addition to drive socio-economic transformation and reduce poverty,” he said.
The project is built on the success of the South-South Cooperation project between China and Uganda, supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The project has yielded impressive results, including a quadrupling of rice production per hectare and increased milk production.
The China-Uganda partnership has also led to the development of agricultural industrial parks, aimed at boosting animal and crop production and processing.
The chili pepper project aims to improve Uganda’s agricultural productivity, increase farmers’ income, create job opportunities, promote Uganda’s export and foreign exchange earnings, and alleviate the trade deficit between China and Uganda, particularly Busoga sub-region.
Both countries are committed to achieving mutual benefits and win-win results in the chili industry.
