History of UNFFE

UNFFE draws its history from farmers agricultural competitions which were organised by the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government from 1988 - 1993.

The winners of these competitions were offered prizes which included agricultural study tours to Denmark, UK, USA, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Tanzania.

During the tours, Ugandan farmers realised that their counterparts in Europe and USA were very organised and strong despite their few numbers, and that they were participating virtually in all activities concerning them.

Upon their return, these different groups of farmers made respective reports to the then Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Hon. Victoria Sekitoleko, in which they expressed their desire to form a farmers’ organisation.

The Minister embraced their idea and through the District Agricultural Officers, invited three model farmers from each of the 39 districts and representatives of agro-industries.

On 22nd January 1992, Uganda National Farmers Association (UNFA), now renamed Uganda National Farmers Federation (UNFE), was born.

To ensure national coverage the then National Executive Committee (NEC) conducted vigorous countrywide campaigns to have the organisation established in all the districts in the country.

It should be noted here that the change from UNFA to UNFFE was effected on 22nd February 2002 by the National Farmers Council when they celebrated UNFA’s ten years of Existence. The main reason for the change was to make the organisation more embracing and hence open to more farmers associations to join.

To-date, the federation has a membership in excess 0f 200,000 individual farmers and over 70 organizations.