By Herbert Musoke
As Uganda transitions from subsistence to commercial farming, the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) has introduced several innovations in crop varieties, improvements, and value addition.
These initiatives aim to boost production, productivity, domestic consumption and exports.
Agriculture, being the backbone of Uganda’s economy, such innovations are essential for fostering development and elevating the country to middle-income status.
Dr Yona Baguma, NARO’s director general, emphasises the need for continued investment in agricultural research and innovation, alongside collaboration between research institutions and the private sector.
This partnership seeks to develop and release improved crop varieties and livestock breeds tailored to Ugandan farmers’ needs.
Bananas: More than just food
Researchers at NARO-Kawanda believe bananas hold untapped potential beyond food, offering farmers opportunities to increase their incomes.
Martin Tumuhaise, the communications officer at Kawanda, highlights various uses for bananas, such as resistant starch, natural colorants from sap and ethanol from the banana stem — currently in prototype stage.
“In partnership with Kimani, we are also producing banana fibre for crafts and even hair extensions,” he says.
New crop varieties
Sorghum and millet Scovia
Adikini, a crop breeder at NaSARRI, shares that three new finger millet varieties (Naro Mil 1-2, Serem 2), four sorghum varieties (Naro Sog 1-2) and one green gram variety (Narogram 2) are being developed.
NARO is producing foundation seeds and working with farmers to multiply them for distribution. They also collaborate with farmer groups to teach best agronomic practices, including row planting, fertiliser use, pest and disease management and post-harvest handling.
Beans
Frank Mugabi, the communications officer at NARO, explains that NARO has developed two new bean varieties and three groundnut varieties, focusing on disease resistance, high yields, nutritional value and suitability for food and industrial use.
The new bean varieties, NABE 12CR and NABE 14R, will replace the susceptible NABE 14 and NABE 12C varieties.
Groundnuts
NARO, through NaSARRI in Serere, has submitted three groundnut candidate varieties for release: NARONUT 3R, NARONUT 4R, and NARONUT 5R.
These disease-resistant, drought-tolerant varieties yield 2.5-3.7 tonnes per hectare, mature in 85-110 days and have higher nutritional content (iron, zinc, protein, oil, carbohydrates). They are ideal for making paste (butter) and confectionery products.
Dr Baguma notes that the release of these varieties marks a significant step in boosting agricultural productivity, improving food security and enhancing farmers’ livelihoods.
Rice
NARO has developed five perennial rice varieties, including PR107, released in 2022. Known as “NARO Rice 1” or “New Super,” this variety is praised for its aroma and taste.
As rice becomes increasingly important for food security, NARO is strengthening global partnerships to enhance production and expertise. Dr Baguma is leading a delegation to China to collaborate with leading rice research institutions, such as Yunnan University and the BGI Group, to advance rice research and production.
Cassava: More than food
Cassava is a well-known staple food in Uganda, but its potential as a cash crop has often been overlooked.
Dr William Esuma, a cassava breeder at NaCRRI, explains that over the past 12 years, they have developed new cassava varieties for both food and industrial use.
“We started with over 1,000 varieties and narrowed it down to 21 with commercial value, focusing on starch for bread and cake baking, sweeteners and colorants for soft drinks. We are working with industrial partners, like Nile Breweries, who manufacture Engule beer from cassava, to further research the varieties we plan to release,” he says.
For brewing, they are focusing on the UG 120193 and Mukumba varieties, which are currently under evaluation to determine if they produce high-quality beer.
On the food side, they are developing a yellow cassava variety rich in vitamin A, to reduce non-communicable diseases and fight malnutrition.
“In two to three years, Uganda will have its first yellow cassava,” he says.
This cassava can be consumed fresh or turned into flour for premium bread, offering more nutritious food options.
Anti-cancer sweet potato variety
Nutritional hunger has long been a major challenge in Uganda, evidenced by high rates of malnutrition among infants.
Dr Benard Yada, a sweet potato breeder at NaCRRI, explains that the purple sweet potato variety was developed to promote consumption and combat malnutrition. Sweet potatoes are a major staple, especially in rural communities.
“These varieties contain anthocyanins, responsible for their purple colour, which act as antioxidants. These compounds support cell repair and production, preventing diseases like cancer, heart disease and visual impairments,” he says.
Confectioneries
The trend of baking with local flours, such as sweet potato, cassava, millet, and pumpkin, is gaining popularity as a way to promote healthy eating.
NaCRRI is leading this innovation, by introducing baked goods like bread, mandazis, chapatis, cookies, and biscuits made with local flours.
Samuel Wamani, a researcher at NaCRRI, explains that these products are made from orange sweet potatoes, which are rich in vitamins essential for eyesight and immunity.
They also use the new purple sweet potato variety, which contains nutrients that may help prevent cancer.
“Sweet potato is one of the most widely grown root crops, but we needed to create new products to extend its shelf life and promote its consumption across generations,” he says.
NaCRRI has introduced new crop varieties, such as orange and purple sweet potatoes, which offer anti-cancer and sight-boosting benefits.
By baking products like bread and snacks, they aim to increase consumption, particularly among modern communities who prefer fast foods.
They have begun collaborating with local private bakers to popularise this innovation and bring locally made flour-based confectioneries to market.
Improved local chicken
Henry Mulindwa, the principal investigator at NaLIRRI, explains that the project’s goal is to produce a local chicken breed that matures quickly, similar to exotic breeds.
Unlike traditional local breeds, which take a year to reach 2kg, the improved chickens can reach 2kg in just five months. Both types will be sold for sh30,000, meaning farmers will profit more, as they can stock twice as many improved chickens each year.
“These are true local breeds collected from regions known for raising local chickens. We improved them through selective breeding, focusing on the most vigorous birds,” he says.
The foundation stock was sourced from districts like Lira, Apac, Gulu, Serere, Katakwi and Soroti. Selection criteria focused on weight, height, and egg size, with chickens from Lira and Apac being slightly superior.
Currently, by five months, females weigh 1.5kg-1.8kg and males weigh 2kg-2.3kg. However, the goal is to ensure they reach these weights at three to four months, similar to broilers, as local chickens typically take over a year to achieve this.
“We are now in the third generation and expect to screen the sixth generation. After that, we will focus on traits like colour, as some customers may prefer specific hues,” he adds.
Livestock innovations
Products from cow dung:
Winnie Nanteza, the communications officer at NaLIRRI, explains that researchers are addressing waste management issues faced by urban and peri-urban livestock farmers. Waste disposal limits farming productivity and harms the environment.
She notes that researchers have developed over 14 products from cow dung, turning it from waste into a valuable resource and improving farm profitability.
“A well-fed mature cow deposits 28kg of dung per day. If a farmer has five cows, that is 140kg daily. This poses significant challenges in disposal and creates environmental risks, including the release of hydrogen sulfide gas,” she says.
Experts encourage farmers to use the dung for biogas production.
Additionally, researchers have developed products, such as biogas, detergents (liquid soap, hand and body wash, shampoo), industrial products (carbonic and sulfuric acids) and animal feeds.
Anti-Tick Vaccine Ticks are a major threat to cattle, negatively affecting health, productivity and the development of the dairy and beef industries, leading to significant economic losses, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.
Justus Rutaisire, a researcher from Spain working with NARO, states that global losses due to ticks and tick-borne diseases in cattle range from $13.9b to $18.7b annually.
In Uganda, losses are estimated at over $1.1b each year, due to diseases like East Coast Fever (ECF), babesiosis (redwater), anaplasmosis (kashanku), and cowdriosis (kamunguluze).
“At the farm level, 80% of annual cattle disease management costs are related to controlling tick-borne diseases,” Rutaisire says.
ECF outbreaks, for example, can be fatal, causing up to 100% mortality in naive crossbred cattle and 30% in indigenous cattle annually.
Ticks are considered one of the most resilient and harmful livestock parasites worldwide.
To combat tick infestations in Uganda, NARO collaborated with Spain’s Health and Biotechnology Institute for Game and Wildlife Research (IREC), led by Prof. Jose de la Fuente.
This partnership has resulted in the development of vaccines targeting three tick species: the brown ear tick (Rhipicephalus appendiculatus), African blue tick (Rhipicephalus decoloratus) and tropical bont tick.
Unlike traditional local breeds, which take a year to reach 2kg, the improved chickens can reach that weight in just five months.
“So far, two types of vaccines have been developed: an injectable and an oral anti-tick vaccine,” says Swidiq Mugerwa, a NARO researcher.
The injectable vaccine is administered in the neck region, while the oral vaccine is mixed with cattle feed or administered directly.
The injectable vaccine has been tested on five farms across Uganda, representing various ecological zones, including Mbarara ZARDI, Kiburara Prison, Isimba Prison, Maruzi Livestock Research Station, and Nabuin ZARDI. Trials at Mbarara, Kiburara and Isimba farms lasted for 12 months.
Once registered and supported by the Government, NARO plans to produce and distribute the vaccine on a large scale, benefiting farmers, both locally and internationally.
Embryology Technology
In response to farmers’ concerns, NaLIRRI is promoting in vitro fertilisation to boost milk production in Uganda.
Abasi Kigozi, the project coordinator at NARO, explains that this is part of the Chase Hunger and Poverty project under the Development Initiative for Northern Uganda (DINU), supported by the European Union and the Office of the Prime Minister.
The project will benefit the entire country. Due to high costs, embryo transfer is primarily used by seed stock producers to accelerate genetic gains.
This method allows a superior female to produce more offspring than she would naturally. Dr Timothy Kasule, an embryologist at NaLIRRI, adds that the technology involves harvesting multiple eggs from a cow, allowing her to produce more calves per year, compared to just one under normal conditions.
