Uganda’s grain sector builds toward bankability

Supporting climate-resilient agriculture at scale

Across Northern and Eastern Uganda, smallholder farmers face growing threats from erratic rainfall, extended dry spells, land degradation, and rising input costs – challenges made worse by climate change. Nile Fresh Produce (NFP), a leading Ugandan agribusiness, is tackling these issues through an integrated support model for over 600,000 smallholders growing staple crops like maize, soybeans, rice, and sesame.

With support from the Dutch Fund for Climate and Development (DFCD) Origination Facility, Nile Fresh Produce will strengthen its systems and expand outreach to an even broader network of smallholder farmers. The initiative will help de-risk the company’s growth plan, paving the way for an expected €9.26 million investment to scale inclusive, market-oriented, climate-resilient agriculture in northern and eastern Uganda.

“This support will build our capacity across the board, thereby enabling us to reach more farmers with the services they need to thrive - from drought-resistant seeds access, to sustainable climate smart agriculture practices and premium markets access - while also preparing our systems and team for our next phase of growth in the produce value addition sector through processing and fruit trees production such as avocado and macadamia,” said Mr. Pius Kwesiga, CEO of Nile Fresh Produce.

Preparing for scale

The DFCD grant and technical assistance will support upgrades to NFP’s financial and farmer management systems, the onboarding of an additional 400,000 farmers and their training on climate-resilient crop management practices, ESG and GESI assessments, and energy audits for improved operational sustainability. These efforts will improve transparency, reduce climate and social risk, and strengthen the company’s capacity to implement a large-scale investment, partially with the investment fund of the DFCD, in the near future.

“Our partnership with NFP reflects the DFCD’s commitment to de-risking high-impact businesses working on the frontlines of promoting biodiversity and climate adaptation. With the right support, this model can scale to reach millions,” said Tigere Muzenda, SNV/DFCD Business Investment Expert, East and Southern Africa.

Expected outcomes of the DFCD origination project include:

• Upgraded NFP accounting and loan management systems

• Expanded outreach to over 1 million smallholder farmers

• ESG, biodiversity, and GESI assessments completed

• Climate-resilient training and post-harvest support scaled across 40+ districts

Key outcomes of the fully funded investment are expected to include:

Rooted in Uganda, built for scale

NFP is a homegrown Ugandan enterprise with deep roots in the communities it serves. Built over more than a decade, its farmer-led model reflects a strong understanding of local realities, combining market access, training, and input support in ways that respond directly to smallholder needs. This approach closely aligns with SNV’s mission to strengthen local capacities and foster inclusive, market-based solutions that drive lasting, system-wide change.

About the DFCD

The Dutch Fund for Climate and Development (DFCD) is a climate resilience fund, dedicated to supporting climate adaptation and mitigation projects which benefit vulnerable communities and landscapes. It is funded by the Dutch government and managed by a pioneering consortium of Climate Fund Managers (CFM), Worldwide Fund for Nature Netherlands (WWF-NL) and SNV, led by the Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank, FMO. For more information, please visit the DFCD website.

About SNV

SNV is a global development partner deeply rooted in the African and Asian countries where we operate. With 60 years of experience and a team of approximately 1,600 people, we strengthen capacities and catalyse partnerships that transform agri-food, energy and water systems. Working on the core themes of gender equality and social inclusion, climate adaptation and mitigation, and strong institutions and effective governance, we tailor our approaches to different contexts to achieve large-scale impact and create sustainable and more equitable lives for all.

About Nile Fresh Produce

Nile Fresh Produce is a Ugandan agribusiness company working with over 600,000 smallholder farmers as contract farmers to promote sustainable crop production and productivity aligned to environment preservation and markets demands, through enhancement of climate smart agricultural practices, access to drought resilient seeds, mechanization, modern agronomic training, crop insurance and premium markets access. Through its inclusive out-grower model, NFP strengthens food security, boosts rural household incomes, youth employment and promotes sustainable crop production across 41 districts in Northern and Eastern Uganda.

You can read the full disclosure document here.

For more information and if you want to share any confidential information you may have regarding the intended project or company, please contact:

SNV - Dutch Fund for Climate and Development: dfcd@snv.org