After visiting the National Livestock Resources Research Institute (NaLIRRI) in Nakyesesa, Wakiso district on Friday (September 16), agriculture minister Frank Tumwebaze has said Uganda’s anti-tick vaccine is ready for field trials.
NaLIRRI is under the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO).
The minister said he was happy that the vaccine was ready for launching to the farmers through farmer fields, adding that it was great news for livestock farmers previously burdened by tick-borne diseases.
In a statement issued by his ministry, Tumwebaze said he was impressed by the work being done at the facility and pledged more support to NARO and specifically NaLIRRI.
“I really feel I should have come earlier to visit this facility but I needed to first study the sector and provide the appropriate policy direction,” he said.
He challenged NaLIRRI to start a fully-fledged animal feed manufacturing facility for poultry, piggery and fish feeds as well as cattle feeds that would in turn result in more affordable animal feeds for livestock farmers.
Tumwebaze applauded NaLIRRI for the technology that removes aflatoxins from grains, especially maize and making of biogas and fertilizers but challenged them to make it available for use by farmers.
“Let us have a fully-fledged knowledge transfer centre here where farmers can come, stay overnight and be taught. You can go and benchmark Kyankwanzi to see how you can develop the facility,” he told NaLIRRI.
NARO officers led by the director general, Dr.Ambrose Agona led Tumwebaze and his junior minister Fred Bwino Kyakulaga as they toured seven innovation platforms at NaLIRRI.
Kyakulaga said having been shifted from Tororo, NaLIRRI had in a short time made tremendous work at Nakyesesa.
Agona said NaLIRRI had through the years made tremendous achievements but called for more support from the ministry.
He said they were looking at NARO being self-sustaining and would no longer be waiting for government funds to run projects.
