Anteja supported the formation of 2 new Ugandan clusters
After having successfully set up the Moringa Cluster Uganda together with VDI/VDE-IT in June 2021, Anteja, VDI/VDE-IT and ProFound supported the establishment of two new Ugandan clusters: Fruit Juice Cluster Uganda and Natural Cosmetics Cluster Uganda. The initiative was led by the Uganda Small Scale Industries Association (USSIA), funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and German development agency (GIZ).
To shape the new Fruit Juice Cluster, we organised an online Supply Chain Dialogue for Ugandan fruit juice and fruit wine producers earlier this week. During the workshop, we discussed the reasons why companies in these sectors have difficulties in growing their agribusiness.
Among others, we’ve identified the following obstacles for business development and growth and provided solutions based on the clustering approach:
- Access to certification
Costs for obtaining national certificates in Uganda are high, especially for small fruit juice and fruit wine producers. We plan to initiate a dialogue with national certification bodies to lower barriers for mandatory certification. - Quality
Fruit juice and wine production processes are complicated and the producers are lacking agricultural knowledge. We plan to organise training and coaching to assure high quality and good taste of the products. - Market access
Small fruit juice producers are in heavy competition with larger companies. Branding and engaging in niche markets can assure juice producers to access the market. An improved packaging would help increase customer satisfaction. - Sustainable supply
Fruit juice and fruit wine producers cannot access the raw material directly, as most of them depend on middlemen. An increased demand for mangoes, pineapples and other fruits would allow negotiation with cooperatives and larger fruit producers, and would assure a direct and more sustainable sourcing. Contract farming could support this exchange.
Based on the findings from the workshop, we will create a report with Ugandan fruit juice and fruit wine market assessment. We plan to publish the report in the following months.
Interested in learning more about this project? Feel free to reach out to us on info@anteja-ecg.com.