Gomba | President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on July 15 commissioned the National Enterprise Corporation (NEC) Meat and Beans Processing Plant in Kisozi, Gomba district, where he described the facility as a major step towards Uganda’s industrialisation, value addition, and defence self-reliance.
The factory, a joint venture between the National Enterprise Corporation (NEC) and businessman Francis Ragwa, will process canned beef and beans for both the domestic and export markets.
Speaking during the commissioning ceremony, Museveni said Uganda has sufficient capacity to supply the raw materials required by the factory, noting that increased production depends largely on organisation and the availability of reliable markets.
Drawing on the success of Uganda’s coffee and dairy industries, the President said deliberate mobilisation of farmers and market-driven production had significantly increased output in both sectors.
“Once I am sure about the market, I can mobilise Ugandans to produce because the economics are correct. The stimulus for production is the market,” President Museveni said.
Museveni noted that Uganda’s cattle population has grown from about three million in 1986 to more than 16 million today, saying the country can comfortably meet the factory’s demand through both commercial and smallholder farmers.
He urged stakeholders to identify the most effective production model while ensuring that farmers benefit from the opportunities created through value addition.
President Museveni commended the investors and NEC leadership for their resilience in implementing the project despite setbacks, including delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, Kiryowa Kiwanuka, described the factory “as a significant milestone in Uganda’s journey towards industrialisation, value addition, and strategic self-reliance.”
“For many years, a significant portion of our operational rations, such as canned beef and beans, was imported. With this plant, the UPDF is transitioning towards self-sufficiency,” Kiryowa said.
He pledged that the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs would prioritise procurement from the facility and encouraged other government institutions to support locally manufactured products.
The Managing Director of NEC, Lt Gen James Mugira, said the project was conceived in 2019 to establish a beef and beans processing plant alongside a tin can manufacturing facility.
He said the factory would significantly contribute to import substitution by producing canned beef and other food products locally, thereby reducing expenditure on imported dry rations for the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF), the Uganda Police Force, and the Uganda Prisons Service.
The Managing Director of the NEC Meat and Beans Processing Plant, Francis Ragwa, said extensive research and benchmarking informed the development of the facility.
Ragwa said Uganda should position its renowned Ankole cattle as a premium brand on the international market.
“We can no longer sell beef simply as a commodity. We must tell our story and market the uniqueness of Uganda’s cattle heritage,” he said.
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