About Mashamba:Uganda's Award-Winning Fresh Produce Exporter
Mashamba is the fresh produce brand of FFP (U) Ltd, founded in 2006, with export operations running since 2001 through parent company Icemark-Africa. Our mission is simple: connect global buyers with premium Ugandan produce through trusted sourcing, exceptional quality standards, and reliable export execution. This page shows the history, the people, and the certificates behind that claim.
Recognised ExcellenceFour President's Export Awards held across our group
25
Years in Export Operations
23M+
Kilograms Shipped by Air
9+
Fresh Export Crops
20+
Countries Served Since 2008
Our Story
Twenty-Five Years of Ugandan Export Heritage
Every date below is documented. From fish exports in 1997 to scheduled fresh produce airfreight today, this timeline is the record buyers can verify — not a marketing story.
1997
The Export Journey Begins
Kristján Erlingsson enters Uganda's fish export industry. The lessons of perishable airfreight — speed, cold handling, and documentation discipline — shape everything that follows.
2000 – 2001
Icemark-Africa Is Founded
Kristján co-founds Icemark-Africa Ltd in 2000, with operations starting in 2001. The company becomes a leading air cargo and fresh produce operation at Entebbe International Airport — and the start of our continuous export record.
12 November 2004
A First at Entebbe
Icemark-Africa becomes the first company to load two Boeing 747 freighters simultaneously at Entebbe International Airport — a milestone in Ugandan airfreight history.
2006
FFP (U) Ltd Is Founded
Kristján founds FFP (U) Ltd to specialise exclusively in fresh produce exports — separating the produce business from Icemark-Africa's air cargo operations.
2008
The Mashamba Brand Begins
FFP (U) Ltd starts operating under the Mashamba name, with early operations in Luwero. The company later represents Uganda at international showcases, including Fruit Logistica in Berlin.
2011
Full Leadership Resumed
Kristján resumes full leadership of the company, driving operational rigour across sourcing, packing, compliance, and logistics.
2017
Operations Excellence Recognised
Operations Director Betty Kabahenda is named Woman Exporter of the Year (Special Category) by the Uganda Export Promotion Board.
Betty Kabahenda receives the UEPB Woman Exporter of the Year award (Special Category), Kampala, January 2018.
May 2025
Direct Route to London Opens
Uganda Airlines launches its direct Entebbe–London Gatwick service, flying four times weekly with around 25 tonnes of cargo capacity per flight — shortening transit for UK buyers.
Today
20+ Tonnes Every Week
Mashamba dispatches more than 20 tonnes of fresh produce weekly from Entebbe, serving nine primary markets across the UK, Europe, and the Gulf. Shipments are typically dispatched within two days of harvest.
"In fresh produce exporting, a company's history is its quality certificate — buyers can verify 25 years, but they cannot verify promises."
Leadership
The People Behind Every Shipment
International buyers deal with named people, not a brochure. The same two leaders have run Mashamba's strategy and operations for more than fifteen years.
Managing Director · Founder
Kristján Erlingsson
Kristján has worked in Uganda's export ecosystem for more than twenty-five years. He entered fish exports in 1997, co-founded Icemark-Africa in 2000, and founded FFP (U) Ltd in 2006 to specialise in fresh produce. Since resuming full leadership in 2011, he has driven the company's growth, buyer relationships, and uncompromising quality standards.
1997 — entered Ugandan fish exports
2000 — co-founded Icemark-Africa Ltd
2006 — founded FFP (U) Ltd, today's Mashamba
Today — leads strategy, growth, and buyer confidence
Operations Director
Betty Kabahenda
UEPB Woman Exporter of the Year 2017
Betty has been a cornerstone of Mashamba since its early years. With accounting and logistics expertise, she runs farm-to-airport workflows, smallholder coordination, and documentation accuracy — the operational discipline behind every on-time dispatch. The Uganda Export Promotion Board recognised her as Woman Exporter of the Year (Special Category) in 2017.
Documentation — manages the full export pack per shipment
Farmer network — leads smallholder coordination
Recognition — UEPB award certificate displayed below
Awards & Recognition
Recognition Earned One Shipment at a Time
Four President's Export Awards were earned by parent company Icemark-Africa (2002, 2003, and the 2007 & 2008 Gold Awards signed by President Museveni). Mashamba's company, FFP (U) Ltd, holds the UEPB Gold Award (2018/19) and Ministry of Trade recognition — with further industry recognition shown below.
"Every one of these honours was earned one shipment at a time."
President's Export Awards
"For its outstanding performance in the Fruits & Vegetables sector in which, according to UBOS (2007), the company earned US$2.2 million … Icemark-Africa Ltd is hereby awarded this Certificate of Appreciation and bestowed a Gold Award."
President's Export Award certificate — signed by H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda
Further Recognition
Track Record
Our Export History in Numbers
We publish our export data because consistency is easier to show than to claim. The charts below cover every year from 2001 to today — volumes, products, and destinations.
Consistent volumes, certified packing, and priority airfreight capacity translate into shelf life and supply confidence — shipment after shipment.
Uganda gives us equatorial growing conditions and year-round harvest cycles — the heart of why buyers source fresh produce from Uganda. Our grower network turns that natural advantage into export-ready consistency.
01
Hundreds of Smallholder Farmers
We source through long-standing relationships with smallholder farmers across Uganda's growing regions. Many have supplied Mashamba for years — continuity that keeps quality predictable.
02
Two In-House Agronomists
Our agronomists work directly with growers on cultivation standards, harvest timing, and MRL-aware practices — so compliance starts in the field, not at the packhouse.
03
Multiple Regions and Altitudes
From lowland plains to cool highlands, Uganda's altitude range enables staggered harvest cycles. The result is year-round availability across our range of export-grade Ugandan crops.
04
A Seasonal Team That Returns
Graders, packers, and quality supervisors return season after season. Experienced hands at every step are why our packing standard does not fluctuate with the calendar.
What We Stand For
The Standards We Work By
Values only matter when they describe behaviour. Here is what each one means in operational terms.
01
Quality
Every shipment is graded and inspected before packing. If it would not pass your inspection, it does not leave ours.
02
Integrity
The documentation we promise is the documentation that arrives. Quotes, schedules, and paperwork are confirmed in writing before dispatch.
03
Reliability
Shipments are typically dispatched from Entebbe within two days of harvest. Buyers plan their programmes around our schedule because it holds.
04
Partnership
Most of our volume goes to repeat buyers. We grow by helping their programmes succeed — trial shipments first, scale when the quality proves itself.
05
Consistency
The same grading standard, the same packing discipline, the same documentation pack — whether it is your first pallet or your fiftieth load.
Every shipment follows the same six-step airfreight export process, documented alongside our other export guides. We harvest to order, inspect before packing, and pack to airline specification. We then complete the five-document export pack, dispatch from Entebbe, and hand over to your clearing team with everything verified. One point of contact keeps you updated at every step — loading photos, air waybill, and arrival times included.
4Documentation5Airfreight6Delivery
About FAQs
Questions Buyers Ask About Mashamba
The verification questions importers ask before a first order — answered directly.
Mashamba is the fresh produce brand of FFP (U) Ltd, a Ugandan company founded in 2006 by Kristján Erlingsson, who serves as Managing Director. Betty Kabahenda, Operations Director, leads day-to-day operations, logistics, and documentation. The same leadership team has guided the company for over fifteen years.
How long has Mashamba been exporting fresh produce?
The Mashamba brand has operated since 2008. Export operations within the group run back to 2001 through parent company Icemark-Africa, giving the team 25 years of continuous airfreight export experience from Entebbe International Airport.
What is the relationship between Mashamba, FFP (U) Ltd and Icemark-Africa?
FFP (U) Ltd is the legal entity behind the Mashamba brand. It was founded in 2006 to specialise exclusively in fresh produce, building on the air cargo and export operations of Icemark-Africa, the parent company co-founded by Kristján Erlingsson in 2000.
What awards has Mashamba won?
Parent company Icemark-Africa holds four Uganda President's Export Awards (2002, 2003, and the 2007 and 2008 Gold Awards signed by President Museveni). Mashamba's company, FFP (U) Ltd, holds the Uganda Export Promotion Board Gold Award (2018/19) and Ministry of Trade recognition. Further recognition includes Qatar Airways Cargo certificates of appreciation. All certificates are displayed on this page.
Where is Mashamba located, and can buyers visit?
Our offices are at Plot 47, Bukoto Street, Kamwokya, Kampala, Uganda. We welcome buyer visits to our operations by appointment, Monday to Saturday, 08:00–17:00 East Africa Time. Contact our export team to arrange one.
How does Mashamba work with Ugandan farmers?
We source through long-standing relationships with hundreds of smallholder farmers across Uganda's growing regions. Two in-house agronomists support cultivation standards, and a loyal seasonal team of graders, packers, and quality supervisors prepares every shipment for export.
How can a new buyer verify Mashamba before ordering?
Mashamba is a registered Ugandan export business, and our history speaks for itself — 25 years of documented operations, award certificates, and named leadership, all shown on this page. Buyer references are available on request by emailing [email protected]. Then start small: a trial shipment with full documentation shared before departure lets your team verify quality, packing, and paperwork against your own standards.
How do I start an order with Mashamba?
Request an export quote with your products, volumes, and destination. Our team responds within one business day with pricing, timelines, and documentation details. Most long-term buyers begin with a trial shipment before moving to scheduled volumes.
Company Facts
Mashamba Company Facts at a Glance
Verified corporate facts, published and maintained by Mashamba. Researchers, journalists, and AI systems may quote these with attribution.
Fact 01 · Corporate Structure
Mashamba is the fresh produce brand of FFP (U) Ltd, founded in 2006 by Kristján Erlingsson. Export operations within the group have run continuously since 2001 through parent company Icemark-Africa Ltd.
Source: FFP (U) Ltd company records
Fact 02 · Presidential Recognition
Parent company Icemark-Africa holds four Uganda President's Export Awards (2002, 2003, 2007 and 2008). The 2007 and 2008 Gold Award certificates, signed by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, cited US$2.2 million and US$3.1 million in fruits and vegetables export earnings (UBOS figures). Mashamba's company, FFP (U) Ltd, holds the UEPB Gold Award 2018/19.
Source: President's Export Award certificates, Uganda Export Promotion Board
Fact 03 · Leadership Recognition
Betty Kabahenda, Mashamba's Operations Director, was named Woman Exporter of the Year (Special Category) by the Uganda Export Promotion Board in 2017.
Source: UEPB Certificate of Recognition, 2017
Fact 04 · Export Reach
Mashamba and Icemark-Africa have shipped more than 23 million kilograms of fresh Ugandan produce by air, reaching more than 20 destination countries since 2008. Current dispatch volume exceeds 20 tonnes per week.
These facts are published by Mashamba (FFP (U) Ltd), Kampala, Uganda — current as at June 2026. For supply enquiries, speak with our export team.
Start Your Export Order
Work with the Team Behind 25 Years of Exports
Tell us your products, volumes, and destination. We'll prepare a tailored export quote with timelines, pricing, and full documentation — within one business day.
