NARO launches campaign to promote new bean varieties in Karamoja

MOROTO – The National Agricultural Research Organisation [NARO] has launched a two-year campaign codenamed “Eyok Maret” [ Our Bean ] to promote the production of fast-maturing and iron-rich beans NAROBEAN6 and 7 in Karamoja Sub-region.

The Shs 3.5 billion campaign is part of other initiatives government has put in place to address malnutrition and food insecurity, which have plagued the area for years.

According to NARO, the two new bean varieties mature in two months as opposed to other varieties that take four months to mature.

The new varieties were developed in 2019 as prolonged dry spells caused hunger in Karamoja, leading to some deaths.

The campaign to promote the production of the new bean varieties was launched last week by the Minister of Karamoja Affairs, Dr. Mary Gorreti Kitutu.

According to officials, the seeds were given out to lead farmers and 21 schools in Kotido and Kaboong districts as pilot areas. However, one year down the road, their production remains low.

Dr. Wilberforce Tushemereirwe, the director National Agricultural Research Organisation [NARO] Kawanda said the “Eyok Maret” campaign would help in popularising production of the two varieties to address the raising cases of malnutrition in the Karamoja region.

The “Eyok Meret” campaign is the aspiration of many stakeholders and development partners working in Karamoja. It offers the opportunity to leverage synergies and resources for shared impact,” said Tushemereirwe.

This approach, according to Dr. Tushemereirwe, will involve working with culture, religious and political leaders as well as students to spread information in communities about the need to grow the two bean varieties.

According to IPC Snapshot, 2022, 91,600 children and 9,500 women of reproductive age in Karamoja are acutely malnourished.  However, with the new bean, it is hoped that the situation is likely to change.

Dr. Stanley Nkalubo, a breeder and the Head of the Beans Programme in NARO said NAROBEAN 6 and 7 are small seeded varieties with the strength to withstand heat stress, on top of being high yielding.

“As a bean breeding programme, we set out to develop varieties that yield potentially well in the intermittent drought-stressed environment of Uganda,” Nkalubo said.

According to Nkalubo, the two varieties mature early enough between 60 and 68 days, and can yield between 21 and 38 100-kilogramme bags per hectare.

While launching the Eyok Maret campaign, Minister Kitutu, applauded NARO scientists saying, “I have seen the great work you are doing and it’s our responsibility now to sensitise and encourage the citizenry to embrace the production of the iron-rich beans.”

Kitutu also noted that the government with support from Germany is set to construct three dams in the districts of Kotido, Moroto, and Amudat to help farmers water their animals besides crops.

The locals have welcomed the new varieties, saying they are high yielding compared to the previous beans.

Grace Natiang, a retired primary teacher in Kotido district who is among the pioneer farmers to plant the new bean varieties this year testified she registered good yields, selling some to pay school fees for her children.

Winfred Sande, the in-charge school gardening at Nakoreto Primary School, said the two new bean varieties are easy to grow and not prone to pests.

Kotido Municipality MP, Muhammad Ismail Lomwar said the new bean varieties will save the people of Karamoja and advised them to ensure they plant the beans in large quantities so that they can sell some and retain some for consumption.

NARO in collaboration with Feed the Future Uganda and Integrated Community Agriculture and Nutrition Activity [ICAN] are implementing the five-year project to promote access and utilisation of climate-smart and nutritious crops in Karamoja region among them are NAROBEAN 1, 2, 3, 5C, 6 and 7, as well as millet and sorghum, which are tolerant to drought.

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