North East Chilli Producers Association (NECPA)

The North East Chilli Producers Association (NECPA) is a farmer-owned social enterprise and cooperative founded in 2012 and based in Lira City. The organization focuses on the commercial production, processing, and export of high-value chillies and other oilseeds. As of 2026, it serves as a critical economic driver in Northern and Eastern Uganda, coordinating a network of over 20,000 smallholder farmers to meet international organic and fair-trade standards.

The association provides an integrated value chain approach to transform subsistence farming into profitable agribusiness:

• Farmer mobilization and aggregation: Organizes smallholder farmers into production clusters across the Lango and Teso sub regions to achieve economies of scale.

• Seed and input distribution: Provides farmers with high quality, high yield Bird’s Eye and Habanero chilli seeds, along with essential organic farming tools.

• Technical extension services: Offers field based training on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), organic certification requirements, and sustainable pest management.

• Industrial processing: Operates specialized facilities for the solar drying, cleaning, and grinding of chillies to produce premium whole dried chillies and chilli powder.

• International export: Facilitates the global distribution of Ugandan chillies to markets in Europe, the United States, and Asia, ensuring farmers receive fair-trade prices.

• Post-harvest management: Implements rigorous moisture control and aflatoxin testing to ensure produce meets the strict phytosanitary standards of the European Union.

• Value chain diversification: Beyond chillies, the association supports the production and processing of other commodities such as soybeans, sunflowers, and sesame.