Rome meeting between MAFAP and Ugandan State Minister for Animal Industry focuses on agricultural policy advancements

The Monitoring and Analysing Food and Agricultural Policies (MAFAP) team held a key bilateral meeting today with Uganda’s delegation during the FAO’s Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum in Rome. The discussion focused on reviewing the current portfolio of MAFAP’s work in Uganda and exploring new areas for technical support in shaping the country’s agrifood policies and investments.

Led by the Hon. Lt. Col (Rtd) Dr. Bright Rwamirama, Uganda’s Minister of State for Animal Industry, the Ugandan delegation discussed ongoing MAFAP-backed initiatives, including efforts to boost agricultural labour productivity, strengthen agrifood marketing at the parish level, and harness opportunities to diversify dairy exports, with a policy analysis report on the latter set to be published soon.

Additionally, the MAFAP team showcased ways in which it could support Uganda to optimize the country's budget allocation on food and agriculture and public investments in the sector to achieve multiple policy objectives—agricultural GDP growth, off-farm job creation, reduction of rural poverty, and greater affordability of healthy diets.

The meeting was attended by senior officials from both sides, including Dr. Marco V. Sánchez Cantillo (Deputy Director of FAO’s Agrifood Economics and Policy Division and Officer-in-Charge of MAFAP), Antonio Querido (FAO Representative in Uganda) and Edward Tanyima (National Policy Officer, FAO Uganda) alongside members of the MAFAP team, Alethia Cameron (Policy Analyst) and Thibault Meilland (Economist). Key Ugandan representatives included Siragi Wakaabu (Agriculture Attaché and Alternate Permanent Representative to FAO), David Kasura Kyomukama (Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Resources and Fisheries [MAAIF]); Stephen Kayongo (Planning Department, MAAIF); Dr. Beine Peter Ahimbisibwe (Executive Director, National Animal Genetic Resource Centre and Databank, NAGR&DB); and Samson Akankiza Mpiira (Executive Director, Dairy Development Authority).

FAO’s Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum, the backdrop for the meeting, serves as a vital platform for countries like Uganda to present investment opportunities to global investors and donors, furthering the drive toward sustainable agricultural development. A complementary country support to this initiative is MAFAP’s investment prioritization work.