Avani Global Agri Plans Shs110 Billion Investment in Uganda's Medicinal Crops

What the report says

Nile Post reports that international agribusiness company Avani Global Agri is planning a $30 million investment, about Shs109.5 billion, in Uganda’s medicinal crops industry. Managing Partner Dr Siva Mahesh Tanguutooru said during a visit to the State House Investors Protection Unit that the firm has already put in $5 million and intends to add another $25 million for cultivation, processing and value addition.

The project is centred in Nwoya District, where the company has reportedly established more than 700 acres of rosemary and tamarind. Avani says it chose Uganda after a four-year assessment of production conditions in several countries across Africa and Asia, including Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, Morocco, Tunisia, India and Indonesia. The company is targeting medicinal plants such as rosemary and turmeric for pharmaceutical, biotechnology and natural health product markets.

According to Nile Post, Avani also plans to set up processing facilities in Uganda rather than focus only on growing crops. The company has proposed decentralised primary processing sites so farmers can dry produce closer to farms, which it says could reduce transport costs and support higher earnings. The State House Investors Protection Unit, led by Col Edith Nakalema, pledged to coordinate with government ministries and agencies to limit bureaucratic delays.

If implemented, the investment could add momentum to Uganda’s efforts to diversify agricultural exports beyond traditional commodities such as coffee, tea and maize. Nile Post also reported that Avani is separately exploring an electric mobility project involving conversion of conventional motorcycles to electric power.