Uganda’s Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) announced a new partnership with Control Union Academy to improve the quality and certification of the country’s agricultural exports. The partnership was formally launched in Kampala, where the academy’s first training programmes will target farmers, exporters and other stakeholders in the value chain. Dr Teddy Asio, Assistant Commissioner in charge of Seed Inspection and Certification and acting on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture, said the initiative is designed to help Ugandan products meet international quality standards from production to the final consumer. “By shifting our focus towards consistently high‑quality and certified premium products, Ugandan agricultural exports will not only secure a competitive edge but will also trigger sustained higher demand and command premium prices on the international market,” she said. The academy will offer specialised training and certification courses that cover the requirements of key export markets, including the European Union, the United States, Canada and Japan. It will also support the Ministry’s ongoing European Union‑funded project that aims to strengthen regulatory functions and improve export certification systems across the country. Control Union Uganda Managing Director Tadeo Kalamaga explained that accessing premium markets requires strict compliance with buyer requirements and internationally recognised certification standards. “The academy will verify that agricultural products are grown, handled and processed in accordance with the standards required by specific international markets, enabling exporters to access better commercial opportunities,” he said. He listed several certification frameworks that exporters must understand, such as EU Organic Certification, the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program (USDA NOP), Canadian organic standards, Bio Suisse (Switzerland), KRAV (Sweden), Naturland (Germany) and the Japanese Agricultural Standards (JAS). Kalamaga highlighted that many Ugandan organic products are still rejected because of quality deterioration during harvesting, storage and post‑harvest handling. He identified inadequate technical knowledge among small‑holder farmers as a major barrier to compliance and said the academy would prioritise sensitisation and training at the production level. Chariton Namuwooza, Chairperson of the National Organic Agricultural Movement of Uganda (NOGAMU), welcomed the initiative. “Strict adherence to organic production standards could increase international demand for Ugandan agricultural products, particularly foods, fruits and vegetables,” he said. Namuwooza added that the expanding organic agriculture value chain has significant potential to create employment opportunities for young people. NOGAMU’s statistics show that Uganda is the second‑largest country in the world for certified organic farmers, behind India. The number of certified organic farmers rose from 230,000 in 2019 to 741,000 by December 2025. The partnership with Control Union Academy is expected to strengthen technical capacity, improve compliance with international certification requirements and position Ugandan agricultural products more competitively in high‑value export markets.