A long-running agricultural cooperation programme between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), China and Uganda has been hailed as a successful model of South–South cooperation, with officials saying it has significantly improved productivity, incomes and skills among Ugandan farmers.
The remarks were made during a review workshop in Kampala marking the completion of the third phase of the FAO–China–Uganda South–South Cooperation project, which has been running since 2012.
Over the past 14 years, China has deployed more than 60 agricultural experts to Uganda to transfer skills, technologies and farming techniques aimed at modernising the country’s agriculture sector. The programme has focused on helping smallholder farmers shift from subsistence agriculture to commercial production, while improving food security and rural livelihoods.
Uganda’s Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Frank Tumwebaze, said the initiative demonstrates how developing countries can collaborate effectively to transform agrifood systems through knowledge sharing.
He said the project aligns with Uganda’s national priorities on agro-industrialisation, food security and rural development, adding that it has strengthened key value chains including rice, millet, sorghum, chilli, livestock and fisheries.
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“These are critical to livelihoods enhancement, food and nutrition security,” Tumwebaze said.
Officials from FAO also praised the initiative, noting that it comes at a time of declining traditional donor funding amid global geopolitical tensions. Ye Anping, Director of FAO’s South–South and Triangular Cooperation Division, said the programme highlights the potential of cooperation among Global South countries to reduce poverty through skills and technology transfer.
Chinese officials said the project has contributed to agricultural modernisation and institutional capacity-building in Uganda. Wu Xiuqiang, representing the Sichuan Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, said the initiative has supported the broader industrialisation of Uganda’s agriculture sector and serves as a model for China–Africa cooperation.
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Fan Xuecheng, Chargé d’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Uganda, said the programme has helped build a new generation of Ugandan agricultural professionals and ensured that project gains are locally owned and sustainable.
He added that more than 100,000 Ugandans have benefited from training sessions and technical support provided by Chinese experts since the project began.
The initiative has also established three agricultural technology transfer hubs focused on crop production, livestock and fisheries, which have served as centres for demonstration and farmer training.
One of the most notable achievements has been the introduction of the WDR-73 rice variety, a high-yielding and drought-resistant strain now being promoted across Uganda. Officials said the variety has benefited nearly 5,000 households and contributed to higher yields and improved household incomes.
Farmers involved in the programme say the impact has been transformative.
Robert Sagura, a rice farmer in Butaleja district in eastern Uganda with more than 40 years of experience, said Chinese experts introduced modern farming techniques that significantly boosted productivity.
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“They gave us new technologies on how to improve our rice farming, such as line transplanting, pest management, and growing high-yielding hybrid rice compared to our local varieties,” Sagura said.
He added that yields had risen sharply as a result of the new methods.
“We used to get about 500 kilograms per acre per season, but now, because of their skills and technology, we can get over 2,000 kilograms per acre per season.”
Officials said the project’s impact extends beyond crop production, contributing to broader rural development, skills transfer and food system resilience.
As the third phase concludes, stakeholders say the programme stands as a key example of how South–South cooperation can deliver practical development outcomes, particularly in agriculture-dependent economies across Africa.
