At a time when climate change, pests, and disease outbreaks are wreaking havoc on agriculture, Uganda’s leading crop scientists are raising alarm over farmers’ reluctance to adopt new, improved crop varieties.
Despite the extensive research and resources invested in breeding high-yielding, disease-resistant, and climate-resilient crops, many farmers continue to cling to traditional varieties, putting both their livelihoods and national food security at risk.
During the 46th Variety Release Meeting held at the National Agricultural Research Laboratories in Kawanda recently, experts under the National Variety Release Committee (NVRC) voiced growing concern over the widening gap between agricultural innovation and implementation at the grassroots level.
“We are releasing scientifically tested and proven crop varieties designed to thrive in challenging environmental conditions,” said Dr Joseph Kitafunda Twine, Chairperson of the NVRC.
“These varieties not only promise higher yields but are also rich in nutritional content. Yet, many farmers remain hesitant to adopt them,” he noted.
According to Dr Kitafunda, the problem is not just scepticism, but also a mix of systemic challenges, including limited seed accessibility, high costs, and inadequate information dissemination.
“The science is sound,” he noted, adding, “But we must do more to get that knowledge into the hands of those who need it most.”
Among the soon-to-be-released crops are new varieties of foxtail millet, maize, banana, and Irish potatoes—all tailored to combat threats posed by erratic weather and invasive pests.
Scientists said that they believe these varieties could be a game-changer, especially for smallholder farmers battling declining soil fertility and increasing production costs.
However, translating these gains from the laboratory to the field remains a major hurdle according to them.
Paul Kiyemba, an Agricultural Extension Officer from Kalungu District and NVRC member, believes the missing link lies in strengthening the extension system.
“Extension workers used to be the bridge between researchers and farmers,” he said.
“We’d be briefed on the performance of new varieties and then tailor that information to our local communities. Unfortunately, that line of communication has weakened,” he noted.
Kiyemba called on the Ministry of Agriculture and other stakeholders to prioritize partnerships with district-based extension workers.
“We’re the ones on the ground,” he stressed.
“If we’re empowered with the right tools and knowledge, we can significantly accelerate the adoption of these improved varieties.”
Uganda’s agricultural sector, which employs over 70% of the population, is under increasing pressure to feed a growing population amidst climate uncertainty. The stakes, experts warn, are too high to ignore.
“If farmers continue to use outdated, low-yielding varieties, we will not only see a decline in household incomes but also a rise in food shortages,” warned Dr Kitafunda.
“This is not just a technical issue; it’s a national development concern.”
Muyingo Joseph from Kachwekano Zonal Agricultural Research Development Institute (KaZARDI), presented four potato candidates including 2016Master, 2016N42, 20161.6, 2019NA1.1, 20162.19 & 2018PC1.2.
“As an organisation, our focus was on improving cultivation, disease resistance and nutritional content of potatoes by developing late blight-resistant potato candidate varieties for processing,” he said.
On her part, Agaba Adrine from NASECO 1996 (U) Ltd, presented distinctness uniformity stability of Maize Candidate B15H and submitted two early maturing maize candidates including B19H and B15H.
She said these materials were also tested by the National Crops Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI) cereals programme for National Performance Trials (NPTs).
