By Prossy Nandudu
The Minister of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries Frank Tumwebaze has written to the Attorney General for advice on the planned re-establishment of the National Seed Company.
Seed business is currently managed by the private sector, an issue which Tumwebaze said endangers the country.
With a national seed company in place, quality of seed will be tracked and maintained. It will also be used as a channel for sending out seed and other technologies produced by researchers to the community, according to Tumwebaze.
“Due liberalization, the seed trade was left to the private people. But not everything should be left to the private sector. If you allow every day to trade in those biologicals, you will be endangering the country,” said Tumwebaze.
He said that talks are ongoing with NARO holdings, a commercial arm of the National Agriculture Research Organization, on how the two will work together, Tumwebaze said.
WE are not competing with the private sector but we want to have our vehicle through which researched technologies can get to the farmer. We are in talks with NARO as we wait for advice from the Attorney General,” he added.
Apart from seed, Tumwebaze assured scientists of government support towards the development of climate resilient verities and carry on research that matches the current changing times.
The Committee on Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries has called for the revamp of the National Seed Company to curb counterfeit agricultural products on the market.
