Kampala - The Italian Trade Agency (ICE) and Uganda's Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries have signed an agreement to establish an Italian-Ugandan Technology Center for Agricultural Mechanization.

The center, to be located in the Iganga region in eastern Uganda, aims to strengthen Uganda’s agricultural sector, particularly cereal cultivation, by introducing advanced machinery and providing specialized training. Planned activities include the adoption of Italian technologies for cereal cultivation and harvesting, training for Ugandan technicians, and creating collaboration opportunities between Italian and Ugandan companies. The project will also promote environmental sustainability initiatives, such as recycling agricultural waste and adopting low-impact techniques.

The agreement was signed during EIMA, the trade fair at which ICE, in 2024, organized the attendance of 440 operators from 80 countries, including key regions for the sector such as Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Balkans, and Mediterranean Africa, as well as emerging areas with a high demand for agricultural mechanization, such as Latin America, ASEAN, and Sub-Saharan Africa. ICE also organized a dedicated space for startups and innovative SMEs within EIMA Digital. According to ICE President Matteo Zoppas, the new center represents “an important step towards a future of more modern, efficient, and sustainable agriculture for Uganda.”