Stakeholders in Northern Uganda are advocating for increased investment in agro-cultural tourism as a means to boost domestic tourism, create income opportunities, and stimulate economic growth in the region. According to David Pulkol, Principal Adviser to the Operation Wealth Creation Chief Coordinator, Gen. (Rtd) Salim Saleh, Uganda's tourism industry should diversify its focus beyond international visitors and wildlife attractions. Pulkol emphasized that Ugandans themselves represent a largely untapped market for tourism products built around agriculture, culture, and local heritage.
Pulkol noted that domestic tourists who have already visited the country's national parks are seeking different experiences, including opportunities to learn about farming and local cultures. He cited the example of the Karamoja Cultural Festival, held from September 6 to 12 in Nakapiripirit District, which attracted over 40,000 people, mostly Ugandans. Pulkol believes that cultural events can serve as platforms for preserving heritage and as economic activities, generating income for local communities.
The launch of the Northern Uganda Farm Festival, held at TEGOT Farmstead in Unyama Sub-county, Gulu District, marked a significant step towards promoting agro-cultural tourism in the region. Pulkol emphasized that farm visits, agricultural exhibitions, and cultural experiences can encourage Ugandans to travel within the country while ensuring that money spent by visitors remains in local communities. He also linked agro-cultural tourism to efforts to strengthen relations between communities in Northern Uganda and Karamoja.
Sylvia Damali Owori, OWC Director for Creatives and Member-Based Organisations, highlighted the connection between agriculture and Uganda's growing creative economy. She argued that creative skills can increase the value of agricultural products through packaging, branding, storytelling, and cultural identity. Owori pledged the organisation's support for the festival, which aims to give young people, artisans, cultural practitioners, and agri-entrepreneurs an opportunity to display their products and connect with potential markets and investors.
The two-day Northern Uganda Farm Festival, scheduled for December 11 and 12, 2026, at TEGOT Farmstead, was conceived by Beatrice Mao, an agri-entrepreneur and wife of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Norbert Mao. Mao reported that about 50 exhibitors had already booked space for the event, which will feature agriculture, food, culture, music, and other locally produced products. The festival aims to showcase the agricultural potential of Northern Uganda while encouraging residents, particularly young people, to see farming as a viable commercial enterprise.
Mao challenged young people and men to reconsider perceptions that farming is a low-status occupation, emphasizing that agriculture can provide meaningful economic opportunities when approached as a business. She encouraged young people to believe in themselves and see farming as a respectable and profitable venture. The festival, held under the theme "Kodi Pa Lyec—Seeds of Greatness," is among the first farm-based festivals in Northern Uganda.
Organisers intend to make the festival an annual event that combines commercial agriculture, cultural tourism, and market development, with the aim of creating new opportunities for farmers and other businesses in Northern Uganda. The launch brought together political leaders and cultural groups from Acholi and Karamoja, highlighting the potential for agro-cultural tourism to promote economic growth and cultural exchange in the region.
Key points
- Agro-cultural tourism can stimulate economic activity and create income opportunities in Northern Uganda.
- The Northern Uganda Farm Festival aims to promote farming as a viable commercial enterprise and showcase the region's agricultural potential.
- The festival seeks to connect agriculture with Uganda's growing creative economy, increasing the value of agricultural products through creative skills.
