dfcu Bank, in partnership with Vision Group, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, De Heus Koudijs Nutrition BV and New Vision Foundation, has launched the 2026 Best Farmers Competition, reinforcing efforts to position agriculture as a structured and profitable business, and a driver to job creation and economic development in the country.
Now in its 12th edition, the competition is being implemented under the Vision Initiative for Sustainable Agriculture (VISA) and will run under the theme; “Farming as a Business, Growth, Commercialization and Cooperatives.”
The initiative targets farmers and cooperatives demonstrating strong commercial potential, with emphasis on productivity, record keeping, value addition, sustainability and market access, all key pillars in transitioning Uganda’s agriculture from subsistence to enterprise.
While Speaking at the launch in Njeru Jinja City on Tuesday, Mathias Jumba, the Head of Integrated Channels at dfcu Bank emphasized that for over sixty years, dfcu Bank has walked alongside Ugandans building lives and businesses from the ground up, with agriculture being at center stage.
“This competition proves that farming is not subsistence, it is enterprise, the farmers we celebrate today are keeping records, adding value, branding their products and building businesses that can scale,” Jumba said.
He added that the bank is committed to put money where it’s commitment is.
As of end of 2024, he said, the bank has sofar supported over 1,200 agribusinesses, reached 59,000 beneficiaries, facilitated US 22 million in business linkages and connected 5,000 enterprises to formal financial services, with 52 percent being women.
Representing the Guest of Honour, HE Mr. Bouwe-Jan Smeding, the Deputy Ambassador of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Uganda Mr Andrew Byaruhanga from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Uganda said that the initiative continues to expose farmers to modern practices, partnerships and innovations that are critical in shaping agriculture as a business.
In his remarks, Vision Group CEO, Don Wanyama, said that the competition has so-far recognised over 130 farmers nationally and continues to drive investment, innovation and growth across the sector.
“This competition also offers financial rewards. So far we have disbursed Shs 165 billion which has been given out to farmers as cash prizes,” he said.
The 2026 edition introduces an expanded structure recognising small-, medium- and large-scale farmers, alongside agricultural cooperatives, reflecting the need for both individual enterprise and collective strength.
Uganda has nearly 30,000 cooperatives, many of them agricultural, playing a critical role in aggregation, market access and farmer resilience.
The inclusion of cooperatives underscores their importance in building scale and competitiveness.
Jumba emphasised this shift, saying, “This year’s theme, Farming as a Business; Growth, Commercialization and Cooperatives, speaks directly to where Ugandan agriculture must go next. Individual excellence matters, but collective strength is what transforms sectors.”
A total of 13 winners will be selected, including 10 regional farmers and three cooperatives.
Winners will receive financial awards and study trips to the Netherlands for exposure to advanced farming systems and technologies.
Since its inception in 2014, the Best Farmers Competition has grown into one of Uganda’s leading agricultural platforms, supporting the development of commercially viable farming enterprises across the country.
