The hottest topic on the discussion forum, according to Twinamasiko, is access to finance. Using the information from this dialogue, Agri-ProFocus tries to find strategies to connect farmers with banks.

“We are working to partner with different financial institutions to make sure that there are packages that suit farmers. By accessing information and loans, farmers can increase their production.”

While the online forum is an important place for discussion, it is also a busy marketplace where people can buy and sell.

“Recently someone was looking for 5,000 metric tons of maize that he wanted people to supply. He posted what he was looking for and people were able to supply him. You also see people in Juba making business contacts with people in Uganda,” Twinamasiko stated.

For many reasons, Twinamasiko believes international investors should be interested in Uganda.

“There are many different investment opportunities; people can tap into in Uganda,” Twinamasiko claimed.  “The environment is young, especially in agriculture. There is a lot of potential in terms of production. There’s a lot of land available, and the sector is still young in terms of innovation . . . The investment environment is favorable.”

While Agri-ProFocus Uganda has made significant strides in connecting people across the country and beyond, the organization continues to look toward future goals. In 2014, Agri-ProFocus Uganda will focus on strengthening existing connections and forging new ones in its network.  One of the specific goals for the next year — led by the access to market information innovation community — is to focus on streamlining market information.

“We’ve managed to come up with a standard, still in its draft form, for market information. Market information has been an issue in this country; there is no standard for what market information services should be out there,” Twinamasko said.

“They need a guideline for different service providers. One of the issues was you had different market information services providing different information at the same time . . . This guideline is supposed to harmonize this information.”

When Twinamasiko reflects on Agri-ProFocus Uganda’s greatest accomplishments thus far, she points out that all of the various programs and events return to the same overarching mission.

“One of the biggest things we’ve done is to create links between the different players in the agriculture sector,” Twinamasiko said. “It has really helped so many people.”