Otuke, Uganda | URN | The Okere Shea Cooperative Society Limited in Otuke District has more than doubled its exports of processed Nilotica shea butter to the United States, shipping 23 metric tonnes compared with nine tonnes in the previous year.
A 40-foot container carrying the consignment was flagged off on Sunday, marking the cooperative’s second major export to the US and opening up opportunities for more than 1,000 rural women in Northern Uganda who supply shea nuts for processing.
The latest shipment represents an increase of approximately 156 per cent in export volume within a year, highlighting the growing commercial potential of Northern Uganda’s Nilotica shea industry.
The shea butter will be supplied to Forested and Bank Beauty, two international partners in the growing market for Uganda’s Nilotica shea butter, which is prized for its use in cosmetics and skincare products.
Processed at Okere City in Otuke District, the consignment was produced using approximately 50 metric tonnes of shea nuts collected by 1,000 women from Otuke and neighbouring Agago District.
The expanding export business is expected to create more income opportunities for rural women while enabling Northern Uganda to retain a greater share of the value generated from its natural resources through local processing.
Ojok Okello, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Okere City, said the shipment demonstrates that rural communities can produce goods capable of competing in international markets when supported by investment, appropriate infrastructure and reliable market connections.
“This is not simply a container of shea butter leaving Northern Uganda for America. It is a container carrying the hard work, sacrifices, hopes, and determination of 1,000 rural women,” Okello said.
He explained that the initiative seeks to build an economy in which rural communities can create their own opportunities rather than depend on external assistance.
For generations, shea nuts have been an important natural resource in parts of Northern Uganda, particularly the Acholi and Lango sub-regions. However, much of their economic potential has remained untapped, with many rural collectors selling raw nuts instead of processed products that can command higher prices.
Established in 2019, Okere Shea Cooperative is working to change this through organised collection, local processing and access to international markets. By transforming raw shea nuts into finished butter, the cooperative aims to retain more economic value within Northern Uganda, support employment at its processing facility and establish a more structured market for rural producers.
The growing export business could also encourage communities to conserve mature shea trees and plant new seedlings to sustain production in the long term.
However, Okello cited inadequate infrastructure, limited access to affordable financing, high production and transportation costs, unreliable electricity and stringent international quality requirements as major challenges facing rural agro-processing enterprises. He noted that these constraints raise production costs and make it difficult for small rural businesses to compete with established suppliers in international markets.
The cooperative has called for increased government and development partner investment in rural agro-processing, affordable financing, renewable energy and transport infrastructure to help local producers expand production and access export markets.
It has also urged farmers in Lango and Acholi to protect existing shea trees, plant more seedlings and adopt sustainable harvesting practices to ensure a reliable supply of raw materials. Organising farmers into producer groups could further improve access to markets, strengthen their bargaining power and help them benefit more directly from the growing demand for shea products.
Okello said the cooperative’s expanding business offers important lessons for young people and women seeking to establish enterprises in rural communities.
Okere City was established to promote community-led development through initiatives in agriculture, education, healthcare, renewable energy, environmental conservation and enterprise development.
The latest shipment adds to its efforts to establish a commercially viable shea value chain in Northern Uganda, connecting rural producers to international markets while promoting local processing and enterprise development.
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