NARO: Museveni’s directive on massive food production bearing fruit
NARO was granted funds amounting to Shs 390 billion to produce enough seeds for the farmers
SERERE – The National Agricultural Research Organisation [ NARO ] has started inspecting its projects to ascertain the progress of the recent government interventions on massive food and seed production aimed at fighting hunger in the country.
In the wake of the prolonged drought that sparked off hunger in some areas of Uganda, President Yoweri Museveni directed that particular government and private entities be given the capacity to produce food for consumption, but also seed for seasonal use by the farmers.
Among the government institutions selected included NARO, Uganda Prisons Service, National Agricultural Advisory Services [NAADS], and Operation Wealth Creation [OWC].
NARO was granted funds amounting to Shs 390 billion to produce enough seeds for the farmers and other entities that would be able to produce enough food for the country in the subsequent seasons.
NARO would later be tasked through its affiliate institutions countrywide to produce enough seeds for soybean, peas, corn, beans, sorghum, millet, cassava, potato, groundnuts, and other staple and non-staple community food items.
The National Semi-Arid Resources Research Institute [NaSARRI] was asked to plant at least 400 acres of sorghum, as it was identified as one of the most important food that would feed a bigger population in the eastern and northern regions.
NaSARRI Serere has so far planted 205 acres of sorghum, while observing the climatic changes, to avoid losing huge amounts of the precious seed and other resources.
Its director Dr. Michael Ugen said the funds for the sorghum project were received late, when the planting season was nearing its end, amidst the scarcity of labour at the institute.
He noted that the Institute does not have enough equipment to clear and till the land in a short period, which bogged the work in its early stages.
The institute, he said, has only one operational tractor that serves over seven different thematic research zones, with vast field areas.
Dr. Ugen added that Sorghum is always attacked by some pests, but added that the team is equipped with the chemical inputs to spray and fight any attacks.
“We are ready with our chemicals just in case we are attacked, we shall not even wait. We know when the rains stop, the pests also come in,” he added.
The Team Leader NARO Council, George Onya Edward, who also doubles as the head of audit in the council commended the work done at the institute in response to the intervention.
After field inspection, Onya said the work so far done would stand at slightly above 70 percent, commending the leadership at the Institute, and the project managers.
“For what we have seen, and what they have been able to do in the field, we scale this at 70 percent, especially with the technical know-how, with the knowledge to predict the weather, which would cause immense losses,” he said.
He was also optimistic that the institution plans to plant the other remaining acreage to shoot the intended target amount of sorghum seed for production, once the weather allows.
Onya argued the team to stick to the rightful agronomic practices, that they know would give maximum harvest, adding that the project is supposed to change the country’s food security status and feed the population adequately.
NaSARRI Serere is the centre of research for most of the semi-arid crops like Sorghum, millet, corn, soya beans, peas ground nuts among others.
The institute has several breeds of sorghum, ranging from the traditional to the latest breeds that are fast-maturing and high yielding while resistant to drought conditions.
However, sorghum is prone to pests like trigger grass, and other predators like birds, although some new breeds have a hard coating that repels the birds.
The strategic food and seed production intervention was a resolution of cabinet following a tragic hunger situation that claimed lives in Karamoja, Teso, and other parts of the country following a prolonged drought blamed on climate change.
The intervention is expected to raise enough food items to feed the country, while enough seed is produced and given to smallholder and large-scale farmers to produce food.
Other institutes under NARO in the eastern region that were also assigned production include Nabuin Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute in Karamoja, which was also tasked to produce sorghum seeds, and Buginyanya Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute tasked with production of corn and beans.
https://thecooperator.news/rwot-acana-writes-to-museveni-over-eviction-in-pader-residents/
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