By Dallen Namugga
National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) scientists have asked farmers to commercialise on a larger scale to spur socio-economic development.
The scientists attached to the National Agricultural Research Laboratories (NARL) in Kawanda, wakiso district made the call during a two-day annual general meeting last week while responding to farmers’ testimonies and challenges.
Farmers said they are unable to carry out mass production because of the lack of equipment, labour and funding.
Florence Kakande, a pumpkin farmer, said she missed out on an opportunity when an agency from the United Nations asked her to produce and deliver every week but she failed due to lack of resources.
“The UN asked me to sign a contract to produce 2,000kg per week but I couldn’t because I do not have the machinery and the capacity to do it,” Kakande said.
She stated that six pumpkins produce one kilogramme and it takes her a full day to produce 10kg. Kakande, therefore, said producing the 2,000kg per week is impossible for her and she called for support from NARO.
Similarly, Rebecca Namugwanya, another farmer, noted that she is unable to add value addition on her products due to a lack of resources and this she says is hindering her progress.
“We lack equipment and expertise from our scientists. Currently, I can do value addition but at a small scale because I don’t have the means and yet these are products that can bring profits,” Namugwanya said.
According to Namugwanya, there is competition for space between farmers and scientists at NARL and this brings challenges to production.
However, in responding to farmers’ concerns, NARO’s chairperson for the advisory committee, John Muyonga, said the scale of NARL is small for them to commercialise and they need to spread outside NARL.
“You need to get out in order to commercialise on a big scale so that you also let other people come in. Here you may have to compete with researchers,” Muyonga said.
He added that farmers need to popularise their products on the market to be spotted by funders for support.
For Ambrose Agona, director general emeritus of NARO, farmers need to take risks. To him, having knowledge, skills and equipment is not the full cycle needed for commercialisation.
“For you to be helped, you don’t have to be attached to the NARL incubation. You have to go out of the nest and make yourself popular,” Agona said.
Climate-smart agriculture
Farmers and researchers were also urged to carry out climate-smart agricultural practices for socioeconomic development.
Agona said they should look out for climate variations such that they utilise rain and prepare for dry periods.
He mentioned the possibility of Uganda getting the same amount of rainfall every year although unevenly distributed throughout the months.
“When we receive rainfall in January and February, we normally let it slide because it is abrupt. So, we have downpours which we don’t utilize because we don’t understand the variability. We are unaware of the fact that this rain we are receiving, we won’t get it in the future months where we expect it,” Agona explained.
To him, failure to understand variation cycles has brought about losses in agribusinesses.
Additionally, Dr Sadik Kassim, NARO’s deputy director in charge of agricultural technology promotion, said the need for researchers to understand soil and how to improve its biological life for climate-smart agricultural practices.
“Create points in the soil that enable a lot of water so that people are not bothered about the Hass avocado taking a lot of water. How do we integrate these kinds of things together in conservation agriculture? Establish the soil minima, improve the biological life of the soil, the preparation of the soil and the movement of water into the soil,” Sadik explained.
NARL held a scientific review and planning meeting which brought together various stakeholders, including scientists, policymakers, and representatives from the agricultural sector.
Key topics discussed during the meeting included advances in crop research, post-harvest technologies, and strategies to enhance food security in Uganda.
LEAD PHOTO CAPTION: John Muyonga, NARO’s chairperson for the advisory committee remarks at the meeting in Kawanda, Wakiso district. (Credit: Dallen Namugga)
