President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has underscored the pivotal role of scientific research
in triggering agriculture as a tool for social- economic
transformation.
Speaking
at the just concluded extraordinary
summit of Heads of States and Governments of the African Union, Museveni commended scientists for the strides scored in agricultural innovation.
“Through
Scientific research, (we) ensure good quality seeds. I salute our Scientists for developing a long
list of improved seed varieties with higher yields and enhanced resilience to
diseases and drought. “President Museveni noted.
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In “I salute our scientists.
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He said
the government has also been urging farmers to use fertilizers to restore the
nutrients in the soil. Adding the government has also embarked on soil mapping
to determine what crops can grow well in which part of the country.
He said
it has been a deliberate strategy by Government to support agricultural
research in the quest to transition from pre-capitalist,
pre-socialist traditional mode to modern commercial agriculture.
Museveni
said he has also been discouraging land fragmentations on inheritance. “Because
it creates land with disability. Land that can no longer do certain enterprises
because of the smallness,” he said.
He said with
all those measures, Africa will become a superpower economically.
“Since ancient
times, this part of Africa had strong agriculture. We always had two harvests
in a year. The harvest of Katumba, the season
of March to end of May and Omwaka, the biggest harvest of August to December.
All this was with tradition technology and rain-fed agriculture,” he said
Involvement
of the Army in Seed Distribution
President
Museveni said in order to launch Uganda’s agriculture on the journey of social economic
transformation mode away from the pre-capitalist, pre-socialist modes t modern commercial
agriculture, his leadership to promote some of the latest scientific
innovation. This he explained has been the reason why the UPDF has been
involved in the distribution of technologies like improved coffee seedlings among
others.
“Sixty
seven percent of the homesteads in Uganda are now in the money economy for the first
time in the human history. At independence, only nine percent were in the money
economy. By 2023 only 32% were in the money economy. That is why I had to involve
the army to distribute seedlings,” he said.
Most of
the seedlings distributed under NAADS and Operation Wealth Creation were developed
by Ugandan scientists under NARO.
Begging Ugandans to grow coffee.
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Statistics from the just disbanded Uganda Coffee Development Authority indicated that alongside other traded commodities, coffee is the largest contributor to exports, which for Financial Year 2017/18 was valued at US$ 492 million, representing 16% of total exports. In terms of volumes, it said Uganda was 1st
Commonwealth producer, 2nd African producer and 8th world producer in the world.
NARO innovations
in Uganda
These
innovations, he emphasized, are laying a strong foundation for agricultural
modernization across the country.
The 4th
CAADP Biannual review report 205-2023 identified Uganda among the countries
that had excelled in the growth
rate of the ratio of supplied quality inputs for crops (seed), livestock
(breed), and fisheries (fingerlings).
It measured
the extent to which
quality inputs were utilized
to boost production of the considered commodities. The other countries that met the target were the
following: Burundi, Gambia, Ghana, Rwanda, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and
Zimbabwe.
Over the last 30 years, the National Agricultural Research
Organisation (NARO) has developed a remarkable portfolio of over 1,000 technologies, innovations and management
practices including high-yielding and drought, disease and climate-resilient
crop varieties, which have positioned
Uganda as a key player in agricultural innovation within the East African
region and globally.
Notably,
NARO has played a critical role in improving
productivity, especially among Uganda’s staple crops, including coffee, bananas, cassava, maize, beans, groundnuts, millet, sorghum, rice, sweet potato,
cowpeas, sunflower, sesame/simsim and tea.
In the coffee sector, the introduction of 10 coffee wilt
disease-resistant varieties since 2007 led to a resurgence in production, from
a low of 2 million bags in 2005/06 to 8 million bags by 2021.
In 2023/24,
Uganda's coffee export earnings reached a record high of $1.14 billion, largely
attributed to increased productivity and quality. Similarly, in maize production,
NARO has released over 50 varieties, including 26 stress-tolerant hybrids
between 2010 and 2020, contributing to a steady increase in annual maize
production to over 4 million metric tons.
In
response to Banana Bacterial Wilt (BBW), NARO released banana varieties such as
the FHIA series, which are resistant to the disease and provide better yields.
In the case of cassava, NARO released
19 disease-resistant varieties and are in cultivation, including NASE 3, NASE
14, and NARO-CASS 1, which are resistant to Cassava Mosaic Disease and Cassava
Brown Streak Disease.
These improved varieties have significantly contributed
to stabilizing cassava production and ensuring food security for millions of
Ugandans.
In rice
production, NARO's efforts to promote 20 high-yielding rice varieties, such as
NARORICE 1-4, have helped increase rice productivity from a national average of
1.2 tons/ha to 2.2 tons/ha for upland rice and 2.5 tons/ha for lowland rice,
moving the country closer to self-sufficiency at 70%.
The introduction of
biofortified sweet potato varieties like NASPOT 1-10 and NARO SPOT 6 and 7 has
significantly improved nutrition among vulnerable communities. In cassava,
NARO's release of 19 varieties since 1994 has helped farmers tackle challenges
posed by diseases like cassava mosaic and brown streak, ensuring stable
production and enhancing food security across the country.
Among
other key crops, NARO has released 32 bean varieties, including
drought-tolerant types like NAROBEAN 6 and 7, and varieties enriched with iron
and zinc, such as the NABE and NAROBEAN series, which have helped address
nutrition and income needs.
In the sorghum sector, improved varieties like
Epuripur and SESO 1 have been crucial for food security and income,
particularly in semi-arid areas, and these
are also used in brewing popular beers
like Eagle Lager.
Groundnut production has also benefited from the release of 29 varieties since 1930s, including
drought-tolerant Serenut and Naronut series, enhancing farmers' resilience to
climate challenges.
In sunflower cultivation, NARO has introduced three
varieties, including hybrids SESUN 1H and SESUN 2H, which have improved yields
and oil content.
In the
livestock sector, NARO has introduced improved goat
and cattle breeds, such as the crossbreeds of the
indigenous Ankole cattle with Frisian cattle, which combine disease resistance
with high milk yields. In a ground-breaking
innovation, NARO has developed an anti-tick vaccine with field-based
trials determining
the safety, efficacy, and effectiveness at 93.2%.
NARO’s
contribution aligns with the President's vision of leveraging science to drive
agricultural transformation. Uganda’s agricultural sector, which employs the
majority of the population, has shown significant progress with the adoption of
these improved varieties.
Museveni also emphasized collaboration among member states
to enhance agricultural research, improve seed systems, and scale up
climate-smart farming practices.