By Benadeta Mwaura - Reporter
Kenya, July 3, 2026 - Uganda has exported its first commercial shipment of processed beef to Ethiopia, marking a significant milestone in regional trade and agricultural value addition as East African countries deepen cross-border commerce under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The inaugural consignment was dispatched by Ranchers Finest Limited, one of Uganda's leading meat processors, following the signing of a supply agreement with Ethiopia's Diamond Hotel and Restaurant Group.
Under the agreement, the Ugandan company will export approximately 20 tonnes of processed beef and premium meat products every month, including steaks, sausages and lamb products, to the Ethiopian hospitality chain.
The shipment was flagged off at Ranchers Finest's processing facility in Kawempe, Kampala, where government officials described the export as a breakthrough for Uganda's livestock industry and a major step toward increasing value-added agricultural exports.
Speaking during the ceremony, Senior Presidential Advisor on Agribusiness and Value Addition Development Dr. Hilary Emmanuel Musoke Kisanja said the agreement demonstrates Uganda's growing capacity to compete in regional markets through value addition.
"This deal is a major achievement for Uganda and one of the biggest milestones for our livestock industry," Dr. Musoke said.
He urged Uganda to move away from exporting live animals and instead focus on processing meat locally to maximise earnings and create jobs across the livestock value chain.
"We need to process all the meat from the farm to the fork," he said, noting that local processing creates employment in slaughtering, packaging, transportation, quality assurance and marketing while increasing returns for livestock farmers.
Ranchers Finest Chief Executive Officer Collin Muyanja said the contract was secured through a competitive procurement process, with the company selected because of its compliance with internationally recognised food safety standards, including ISO 22000:2018 and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) certification.
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"This shipment places Uganda's value-added beef products on the regional market for the first time under a formal supply contract with a major hotel group in Ethiopia. It is also a vote of confidence in the superior quality and flavour of Ugandan beef," Muyanja said.
He added that exporting processed meat instead of raw carcasses allows Uganda to capture greater value from its livestock sector while creating employment opportunities throughout farming, processing, logistics and distribution.
The new Ethiopia contract expands Ranchers Finest's regional export footprint, with the company already supplying processed meat products to markets including Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the United Arab Emirates.
For Ethiopia, the agreement strengthens food supply chains at a time when the country is diversifying its sources of high-quality agricultural imports. Earlier this year, Ethiopia also opened its market to a range of Brazilian agricultural products, including beef, poultry and pork, as part of efforts to improve food security and expand international trade partnerships.
The deal also reflects growing momentum in regional trade under the AfCFTA, which seeks to reduce trade barriers and encourage African countries to trade more with one another. Analysts say increased exports of value-added products, rather than raw commodities, could significantly boost foreign exchange earnings, industrialisation and job creation across East Africa.