BioUganda at Biofach Germany
It all started with an idea to export fresh produce. In 2006 the product range was extended to include organic dried fruits. The products include: Cayenne pineapple, Queen Victoria pineapple, Hybrid Purple passion fruits, apples, bananas, jumbo avocado, papaya and ginger, jack fruits and dried pineapples, bananas, papaya and jackfruits. The fruit is grown naturally by the sun, ripened by the sun and dried by the sun. It is harvested ripe and ready to eat without use of chemicals to induce flowering or for de-greening.
BioUganda works with small holder rural contracted farmers for whom it holds the organic certificate, which is awarded by Naturland/IMO and BioSuisse on the basis of small-holder group certification and an operational Internal Control System.
It offers training and extension services to its rural farmers, provides promotion and marketing of the farmer's organic fruits to Europe. Since 2002, Biouganda has been exhibiting at the Biofach trade fair in Germany and this year it is exhibiting at the BioAfrican pavillion Hall 4, stand 445 and 446.
The major objective is to give small holder farmers a better livelihood through developing export markets of their organic certified fruits. BioUganda pays a premium price of over 50% compared to local and conventional export prices for the same fruits as well as fair trade. BioUganda is certified to the Naturland social standards and will be working to get the Naturland fair trade label this year.
The company started with 50 farmers based in Masaka District. It later expanded to other three districts including Mubende , Masaka and Luwero districts. "We are currently working with 250 farmers of which 102 farmers are certified by IMO to EU, Naturland and BioSuisse Standards".
The company installed a hybrid indoor solar drier with capacity of 40 kgs per day. Also they are in the process of acquiring a bigger solar drier with production capacity of 100kgs per day. All production activities are environmentally friendly, using the heat from the sun to dry the fruits and Solar electricity to provide the energy needed to run the fans that extract heat from solar heat collectors on top of the processing house.
The aims for the export market and customers come from a wide range of backgrounds. The market has stiff competition especially from developed countries that are targeting the same market. Currently BioUganda exports organic dried and fresh fruits to Eine Welt Handel Austria, Pakka in Switzerland and DWP eG in Germany.
For more information:
Edward Mulondo
BioUganda Limited
Kampala Uganda
Tel: +256 414 572 497
Mobile: +256 772 407 218
biouganda@yahoo.co.uk mulondoe@hotmail.com
www.biouganda.com