NARO Develops New Rice Vareities

By Moses Nampala

The National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO) has developed two new paddy rice varieties namely NARO RICE 1 (PR107) and KAFACI (400), as substitutes for the conventional SUPER PADDY RICE VARIETY, largely favored by consumers because of its aroma.
Yet besides the new invented paddy rice variety, holding an equal measure of aroma, its high yielding and also an early maturing species that takes half the gestation period conventional SUPER PADDY RICE VARIETY would take.

Dr. Jimmy Lamo, NARO director, was the brain behind the breeding processes of the New paddy rice varieties. Dr Lamo who is currently, overseas could not be reached for a comment.

 Korean Program on International Agriculture (KOPIA) is championing promotion of the two new varieties which it has rolled on an 11-acre paddy rice field in Butaleja, in the effort to multiply the varieties seed material.  A part from promotion of the new varieties KOPIA, is also unveiling
simple mechanization model that paddy rice farmers in Uganda could adopt.

KOPIA is show casing a new simple motorized ploughing device (hydro- power-peller) from Korea, that is bound to cause an evolution among the paddy rice community in Uganda, shift from primitive method of ploughing to a humble mechanized mode.