Potential of Russian agricultural exports to Uganda valued at $120 mln per year - Agroexport

MOSCOW. Aug 15 (Interfax) - The estimated value potential for exports of Russian agricultural products to Uganda is $120 million per year, a review prepared by the Agroexport Center under the Ministry of Agriculture says.

The most promising products are cereals and leguminous crops, sunflower oil, beer, and yeast.

Trade turnover of agricultural products in 2022 between Russian and Uganda increased 2.2-fold compared to 2021 to $86.6 million, the review says. Russian exports to Uganda increased threefold to $61 million, while imports from Uganda increased 35.8% to $25.6 million.

Wheat was the main Russian export. In addition, supplies of wheat flour and alcohol began last year.

Russia last year increased imports of coffee and cut flowers from Uganda. Deliveries of tea and raw tobacco decreased. New imports from this country in 2022 were tobacco waste, some plant species, and vanilla. Imports of fresh and dried avocados, seeds of some oil crops, guava, mango, and mangosteen have ceased.

The average annual growth rate of imports of agricultural products from the world market from 2017-2022 to Uganda was 16.7%, the review says. In 2021, the country purchased agricultural products worth $796.6 million, which is 21.9% higher than in 2020. The main import items were rice (19.6%), wheat (17.4%) and palm oil (11.6%). The largest suppliers were Kenya (27.9% of imports), Tanzania (24.2%) and Argentina (8.4%). The top 10 countries accounted for 83.5% of Uganda's agricultural imports in value terms.

Russia was eighth in the 2021 ranking of exporters to Uganda with a value of $20.2 million.