Uganda ships first canned pineapple exports to China as Chinese firms lead African manufactured exports push

May 14, 2026 in Business, Companies by Editor

Uganda has flagged off its first-ever exports of canned pineapples to China in a landmark shipment that reflects the growing role of Chinese manufacturing investment in driving Africa’s shift from raw commodity exports to value-added trade.

 

Uganda has flagged off its first consignment of canned pineapples to China, marking a significant milestone in the country’s agro-industrialisation agenda and highlighting the growing role of Chinese manufacturing investment in driving Africa’s transition toward value-added exports.

The maiden shipment of 104 metric tons was officially flagged off by Agriculture Minister Frank Tumwebaze and is destined for the Chinese market through Deshiburg Company, a Chinese-operated agro-processing firm based at the Uganda-China Agriculture Cooperation Industrial Park in Mbale.

The export is being viewed as an important signal of how domestic manufacturing investments by Chinese companies operating in Africa could help rebalance trade flows that have long been dominated by exports of raw commodities from the continent.

It also comes amid growing efforts by Beijing to deepen commercial ties with Africa after China recently removed import tariffs on products from nearly all African countries, creating fresh opportunities for processed agricultural exports.

Uganda has increasingly sought to position itself to benefit from the changing trade landscape by encouraging investment in agro-processing, manufacturing and export-oriented industries. Related analysis can be found in Could China deliver Africa’s growth miracle?

Deshiburg is the first company in Uganda to establish a dedicated pineapple canning facility, with an installed processing capacity of 500 tons per day.

Officials say the factory could help stabilise incomes for pineapple farmers who have historically faced volatile prices and post-harvest losses caused by limited processing infrastructure and seasonal gluts.

“The excuses of no markets for agricultural produce are no more with this revolution of agro-industrialisation,” Tumwebaze said during the flag-off ceremony.

He said the rapid expansion of agro-processing industries across Uganda was beginning to reshape agricultural production by creating more reliable industrial demand for farmers.

According to the minister, the emergence of processing factories now requires a shift toward what he described as “intentional farming” — an approach where farmers produce specific crops consistently to supply targeted industrial value chains.

Tumwebaze urged political leaders, agricultural extension workers and local governments to mobilise farmers toward more organised and commercially oriented production systems.

“This huge proliferation of agro-industries sends one clear message to farmers: produce, produce and produce more,” he said.

He argued that future agricultural competitiveness would increasingly depend on farmers meeting the quality, quantity and food safety standards required by international processors and export markets.

The export also reinforces Mbale’s growing role as one of Uganda’s emerging agro-industrial centres under the country’s industrial park strategy, which has increasingly attracted Chinese-backed investments in manufacturing and value addition.

Analysts say Uganda’s broader challenge remains moving away from dependence on exports of raw agricultural commodities toward processed goods capable of generating higher export earnings and more jobs across local supply chains.

For decades, Uganda’s trade relationship with China has largely reflected a familiar African pattern in which the continent exports raw materials while importing finished industrial products.

The canned pineapple shipment therefore represents more than a symbolic export milestone. It reflects a broader policy push aimed at positioning Uganda higher within global agricultural value chains while using foreign industrial investment to build domestic manufacturing capacity.

Tumwebaze also encouraged farmers to expand production for household food security, regional markets and export-oriented agro-industries as Uganda attempts to build a more commercially integrated agricultural economy.