The Agriculture minister says investment in research infrastructure must translate into better seeds, improved livestock breeds and practical innovations that help farmers raise productivity and withstand climate change.
Agriculture Minister Frank Tumwebaze has urged government scientists to prioritise research that delivers practical benefits to farmers, including higher productivity, improved livestock breeds and greater resilience to climate change.
Tumwebaze made the call on Thursday while presiding over the groundbreaking ceremony for a research and management complex at the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) institute in Kikyusa, Mukono District.
He also handed over the construction site to the National Enterprise Corporation (NEC), the commercial arm of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces, which will undertake the project.
“As a government, we are deliberately supporting our research system with all the requisite infrastructure, physical and technological, to enable them work and innovate solutions for our livelihood challenges,” Tumwebaze said.
He said the effectiveness of agricultural research should be measured by its contribution to farmers’ production and livelihoods, urging scientists to develop solutions that address challenges experienced on farms.
Tumwebaze emphasised that agricultural productivity depends partly on the quality of seeds and livestock breeds available to farmers, saying improvements in both could help raise output and strengthen farming systems.
“The quality and quantity of any of our farm yields can only be as good as the seed (plant and livestock) we produce and plant,” he said.
He warned that poor-quality seeds and livestock breeds undermine productivity, while improved and climate-resilient varieties can help farmers cope with changing weather conditions.
The minister said research should respond to the growing challenges posed by climate change, including increasingly unpredictable weather that threatens agricultural production and farmers’ incomes.
He also credited President Museveni with consistently advocating scientific research and innovation in government planning and budgeting.
Tumwebaze said continued investment in research infrastructure was necessary to equip scientists with the facilities and technology required to develop innovations for agriculture and other livelihood challenges.
The construction of the research and management complex forms part of government efforts to strengthen Uganda’s agricultural research system. Its impact will ultimately depend on the research it enables, the technologies developed and how effectively those innovations reach farmers.