NaSARRI to revamp cotton growing with new varieties
Cotton is one of Uganda’s traditional cash crops, grown both for export and as a raw material for the domestic textile and edible oil industries
SERERE, May 4, 2025 – Uganda could soon witness a revitalisation of cotton production and export after years of stagnation. This is after the National Semi-Arid Resources Research Institute [ NaSARRI ] secured a collaborative research partnership with the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development [CIRAD], which has pledged funding for the development of new cotton varieties. These varieties will be distributed to farmers following successful trials.
Cotton is one of Uganda’s traditional cash crops, grown both for export and as a raw material for the domestic textile and edible oil industries. It is estimated that the cotton value chain in the country employs around 2.5 million people, directly and indirectly, across the production and marketing of its primary products, such as textiles and garments, as well as by-products including soap, edible oil, and animal feed.
While hosting potential funding partners at the coffee demonstration gardens in Serere district recently, NaSARRI Director Dr David Kalule Okello emphasised the significance of this collaboration for Uganda’s cotton sector, noting its potential to improve the livelihoods of cotton farmers.
“The Institute is accelerating research efforts to support the development and release of improved cotton varieties,” Dr Okello said. “These new varieties will be high-yielding, drought-tolerant, and possess desirable fibre characteristics, including high gin-out-turn and good fibre length.”
CIRAD, known for its dedication to sustainable development in tropical and Mediterranean regions, maintains that scientific partnerships are crucial to advancing agriculture in the global south.
The agency is now initiating a circular mission focused on cotton development in Eastern and Southern Africa. This initiative is expected to begin with enhanced research on the crop, the exchange of germplasm, and capacity-building programmes for local scientists.
Historical records indicate that cotton was introduced to Uganda by the British colonial government in 1903, becoming the country’s first cash crop. By the mid-1930s, production had reached 60,000 metric tonnes. One of the more controversial strategies used during colonial rule to boost cotton production was the enforcement of a poll tax, which supported the British textile industry’s demand for cotton.
In addition to facing challenges such as climate change and high input costs, the cotton sector in Uganda has struggled due to inadequate funding for research and technological development. This underinvestment has hampered the advancement of new cotton varieties and production technologies, limiting the sector’s capacity to respond to evolving demands and emerging constraints, particularly those driven by climate change.
https://thecooperator.news/acholi-farmers-advised-to-continue-growing-cotton/
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