About us
Our focus is to enable farmers to produce exportable cash crops which they can supply to Esco Uganda for processing and export to its customers worldwide.
Through years of work supporting local farmers and communities we now have more than 150 full-time staff and are linked with over 20,000 farmers.
Our emphasis is in working with these small-holder farmers, to enable them to achieve higher quality and productivity of export crops
on a long-term, sustainable basis.
Currently we have processing facilities for cocoa, vanilla, and other crops in Western and Central Uganda. The main cocoa production facility is in Bundibugyo, Western Uganda. Since most of Uganda’s cocoa is produced in Bundibugyo alone, Esco Uganda has also been promoting cocoa in Kagadi and Mayuge for 11 years by providing seed, potting bags, and training in nursery management and planting.
Our main vanilla curing facility was established in Ntenjeru, Mukono, East of Kampala, in 2000 as this was the epicentre of vanilla production in Uganda at that time. Through our efforts to encourage vanilla growing, vanilla is now grown all over Uganda, particularly in Kasese district. To purchase and handle more vanilla we have invested in a second curing facility in Bundibugyo.
Our impact goes deeper than just our employees, farmers, and their families; being able to invest in the long-term future of an area uplifts whole communities.
Our People
Our amazing staff deliver all the good work we do. One of our core values includes developing a strong and well-structured professional team.
From our field agronomists, buying staff and transport team to our processing, finance and export departments,
Esco Uganda Ltd employs more than 150 staff from diverse backgrounds.
The most important people are the farmers we work with.
We have an expanding team of field staff who train farmers in good agricultural practices for good sustainable yields and long-term profits so that they can all prosper and grow, not just the fortunate few.
Read a few farmer stories here.
Our History
Esco Uganda Ltd. is a company with a long history in East Africa; established in 1956 in Uganda under the name Edm. Schluter & Co. Ltd and rebranding to Esco Uganda Ltd in 1994.
We originally focused on the export of washed Robusta coffee but Esco has since become one of the largest exporters of certified organic cocoa and vanilla, forming the bridge between smallholder farmers and export markets. We have been serving the Cocoa and Vanilla export sector in Uganda since 1999.
From small beginnings the company grew, and our vision of expanding Uganda’s cocoa and vanilla exports became a reality with the support of our customers who range from large multinationals to specialty chocolatiers making single origin chocolate.