The clearance, announced on 28 January 2026 as part of the EU’s revised public health list of approved countries, ends a prolonged period during which Uganda was not permitted to export aquaculture-based animal products to the bloc.
For Kampala, the development is more than a regulatory update. It represents a strategic win in the country’s broader ambition to reposition agriculture as a high-value export engine.
The approval follows the submission of a comprehensive control plan demonstrating that Uganda’s aquaculture sector meets the EU’s stringent sanitary and public health standards. Officials say years of reform, investment in fish breeding, and upgraded commercial ponds laid the groundwork for the decision.
A significant push began in 2020, when the National Animal Genetic Resources Centre and Data Bank launched a programme to revive fish breeding systems and develop commercial-grade facilities that meet international compliance requirements.
Uganda has long exported coffee, tea, fresh produce, and processed foods to Europe. However, animal products, including farmed fish, faced compliance hurdles. The latest decision effectively plugs that gap, allowing farmed tilapia and other finfish to access a premium market that previously absorbed around 75 percent of Uganda’s fish exports, largely from wild-caught Nile perch.
The Numbers Behind Uganda’s Aquaculture Ambition
The financial stakes are substantial, with the Ugandan government having set an overall fish export target of $698 million for the 2024 to 2025 financial year, equivalent to approximately $730 million in today’s US dollars.
Historically, annual fish export earnings have averaged $120- $160 million, or roughly $125- $170 million in current dollars, with the bulk of the volume coming from wild catches.
Officials believe aquaculture will help bridge that gap. The government aims to scale production to 1.3 million metric tonnes by 2029, positioning farmed fish as a central pillar of the country’s export expansion.
Before the clearance, aquaculture accounted for just 2.4 percent of Uganda’s formal export value. Analysts expect the share to rise sharply as commercial farms, some of which already export up to 70 percent of their output to regional markets, pivot toward the higher margins available in Europe.
The move also aligns with Uganda’s export-led growth strategy, which targets increasing total national exports from $6.3 billion in current dollars to $12 billion by 2030.
Industry stakeholders say EU access will attract new investment in fish farming, processing facilities, and cold-chain infrastructure, while encouraging stricter adherence to traceability and sustainability standards.
Compliance as the New Growth Lever
Compliance, however, remains critical as exporters must maintain rigorous oversight of food safety, environmental sustainability, and product traceability to retain market access and potentially expand into additional product categories.
For a sector dominated by small and medium-scale farmers, the approval offers both opportunity and pressure. Higher standards are now a prerequisite for global competitiveness.
If effectively leveraged, analysts say the EU clearance could transform Uganda’s aquaculture industry from a marginal contributor into a multi-hundred-million-dollar export driver, strengthening rural incomes and deepening the country’s integration into global value chains.
For global investors watching Africa’s agribusiness evolution, Uganda’s breakthrough signals a new chapter in the continent’s push toward higher-value, standards-driven exports.
