30-day notice: Nile Fresh Produce Uganda
DFCD approved support for NFP to strengthen its systems, farmer outreach, and risk management to scale climate-resilient grain production and improve livelihoods for smallholder farmers across Uganda.
Abstract
This ex‑ante disclosure outlines planned support from the Dutch Fund for Climate and Development (DFCD) Origination Facility to Nile Fresh Produce International Ltd (NFP), a Ugandan agribusiness established in 2010. NFP cultivates, aggregates, and trades maize, soybeans, sesame, rice, and sunflower across Northern and Eastern Uganda, operating on 29,000 acres of company-owned land and sourcing from over 600,000 farmers in 41 districts. This hybrid model combines direct farming with smallholder inclusion and integrates seed loans, mechanisation services, agronomic training, crop insurance, and guaranteed off‑take agreements, enabling farmers to repay through harvested produce.
The DFCD will provide a €449,000 grant aimed at de‑risking preparatory activities ahead of a proposed €9.26 million investment by FMO and other DFCD partners. Grant activities include upgrading financial and loan management systems, digitising farmer records, onboarding an additional 400,000 farmers through village agents, delivering climate‑smart farming training, conducting ESG and gender‑social inclusion assessments, and performing energy audits.
The expected impact spans multiple outcomes: supporting 1 million smallholders by 2025 (up from 600,000), generating over 350 new jobs, improving yields by up to 50% through drought‑resilient seeds and better agronomy, increasing farmer incomes by 20–40% via assured markets, and reducing annual CO₂ emissions by 8,000 tonnes through more efficient operations. The project aligns with SDGs 2, 8, 10, and 13 and addresses environmental and social risks via strengthened ESG governance and gender‑inclusive practices.