Uganda ships its first canned pineapple export to China as agro-processing capacity expands
Uganda has launched its first canned pineapple export to China, aiming to strengthen agro-processing, raise farm incomes and move further away from raw commodity exports.
Uganda has dispatched its first export consignment of processed canned pineapples to China, marking a notable step in the country’s effort to build more value-added agricultural trade. Kampala Post reported that the initial shipment consisted of four containers carrying 140 metric tonnes, making it the first consignment of this kind to leave Uganda for the Chinese market.
The products were processed by Deshiburg Fruits International Co. Ltd., a company operating under the China-Uganda Agriculture Cooperation Industrial Park managed by Kehong Group. The shipment sits within a longer investment story. In 2015 Kehong Group signed a memorandum of understanding with Uganda’s Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries to invest USD220 million in commercial agriculture, value addition, job creation and export development.
The processing plant is located in Luwero district, one of Uganda’s main pineapple-growing areas. The report says Deshiburg became the first company in Uganda to establish a dedicated canned pineapple processing plant. It uses the Smooth Cayenne variety, known for its sweetness, and processes products without artificial preservatives. The factory’s installed processing capacity is up to 500 tonnes of pineapples a day.
The project is also tied directly to local farm supply. More than 1,500 out-grower farmers from Luwero, Nakasongola, Nakaseke and Kayunga districts supply pineapples to the plant. That means the export launch is not only about one processor finding a new overseas buyer, but also about creating a more stable outlet for growers whose crop can be difficult to market because of perishability and transport constraints.
Ugandan officials described the consignment as an important breakthrough in the country’s effort to shift from exporting raw agricultural products to exporting processed goods with higher value. While flagging off the shipment, Agriculture Minister Frank Tumwebaze said the factory would increase demand for pineapples and help farmers overcome market difficulties linked to perishable produce. He also urged farmers to raise production in order to meet processing demand.
The shipment is being presented as part of broader agricultural cooperation between Uganda and China under the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. For Uganda’s farm economy, the key significance is the combination of processing, export market access and farmer integration. The next commercial test will be whether raw fruit supply can scale consistently enough to support regular exports while maintaining the quality standards required by a food-processing operation serving China.