Kampala, Uganda – 13 winners of the 2025 Best Farmers Competition are set to travel to the Netherlands for a week-long agricultural study tour to expose Ugandan farmers to modern farming technologies, value addition, and international agribusiness practices.
The farmers were officially flagged off on 28 May 2026 during a ceremony at dfcu Bank’s head office in Nakasero, in partnership with the Embassy of the Netherlands, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, De Heus Koudijs Nutrition BV, Vision Group, and New Vision Foundation.
Spending one week in the Netherlands from 30 May to 6 June 2026, the 13 Ugandan farmers will explore advanced agricultural systems and practices used in one of the world’s leading agricultural economies.
Among the selected farmers are Kiwana Kasirye, Dr Richard Wemesa, Pison Busingye, Patrick Olobo, Zubair Mukaaya, Ann Anguyo, Joan Kantu, Charles Oyuk, Nelly Turyamuhebwa, Alfred Ojok, John Okwang from Alito Cooperatives, Ssekayi Ashiraf from Kibinge Coffee Farmers Cooperative, and Grace Natukunda from Dem Poultry Farm.
Speaking during the flag-off, dfcu Chief Retail Banking Officer Annette Kiconco described the programme as part of a broader effort to elevate farming in Uganda into a globally competitive agribusiness sector.
“The Best Farmers initiative has so far recognised more than 134 outstanding farmers whose innovation and commitment continue to shape Uganda’s agricultural sector,” Kiconco noted.
Celebrating the impact of the “Best Farmers,” the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Uganda, Frederieke Quispel, highlighted the long-standing agricultural ties between the two countries and the Netherlands’ investment in Uganda’s farming sector.
“The Netherlands currently invests approximately EUR 80 million annually in Uganda’s agricultural sector to modernise value chains and link local farmers to global markets,” Quispel stated.
KLM Country Manager Lukia Otema described the tour as more than a reward programme, pointing to its role in building a network of commercially minded farmers focused on long-term growth.
Vision Group CEO Don Wanyama reflected on the programme’s broader impact, noting that the initiative has strengthened agricultural partnerships between Uganda and the Netherlands, particularly in the livestock and seed sectors.
“The Best Farmers competition has so far recognised and rewarded 134 outstanding farmers from across Uganda since its inception,” Wanyama said. “Of these, 121 have already travelled to the Netherlands, and with this 2025 cohort, the number will rise to 134 farmers who have benefited from this exposure opportunity.’’
Now in its 12th year, the Best Farmers Initiative has grown into one of Uganda’s most recognised agricultural empowerment programmes, having supported more than 1,200 agribusinesses and directly and indirectly reaching over 59,000 beneficiaries through dfcu Bank, dfcu Foundation and financial linkages.
According to organisers, the initiative has facilitated over USD 22 million in financial connections for farmers and agribusiness enterprises, while dfcu alone disbursed UGX 58 billion to 136 farmers in the first quarter of 2026 through agricultural financing programmes tailored to farming cycles and sector-specific needs.
