Minister urges farmers to embrace technology-driven commercial agriculture

MBARARA CITY, October 20, 2026 — The Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries [MAAIF] Frank Tumwebaze, has urged farmers to shift from traditional subsistence farming to deliberate, technology-driven commercial agriculture that addresses household food security, income generation, livestock nutrition and environmental conservation.

Tumwebaze made the call on Friday during the national commemoration of World Food Day at the Mbarara Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute [MBAZARDI] in Mbarara City.

The celebrations, held under the theme “Innovate Today, Nourish Tomorrow,” coincided with MBAZARDI’s centenary celebrations. The institute was established in 1926 as the Mbarara Stock Farm, owned by the Government of Uganda.

Minister calls for research that solves farmers’ challenges

Addressing scientists, district leaders and agriculturalists, Tumwebaze said public research institutions such as the National Agricultural Research Organization [NARO] should prioritise practical, market-oriented research capable of addressing challenges faced by communities.

“My message today is that we must be intentional as planners, as MAAIF, as NARO and as leaders,” Tumwebaze said. “The way we farmed 30 years ago is not the way we farm today, just as the MBAZARDI of 50 years ago is not the MBAZARDI we have today. We need research that creates livelihood value, not simply academic value for university examiners.”

He said farmers should deliberately balance four key areas: food security, income generation, livestock feed production and environmental protection.

“Food will be here forever,” Tumwebaze said. “Whether you develop computer technologies or go to the moon, nothing replaces food. Can we have a crusade for intentional farming?

“First, let us prioritise food-security crops such as bananas, cassava and millet. Second, let us plant lucrative income-security crops such as coffee and cocoa under the four-acre model. Third, let us produce animal feeds. Fourth, let us protect the environment by using NARO technologies and innovations.”

New purple-fleshed sweet potato varieties unveiled

As part of the centenary celebrations, NARO scientists unveiled three improved sweet potato varieties known as purple-fleshed sweet potatoes.

Dr Bernard Yada, a lead potato plant breeder at NARO, said the varieties mature quickly, produce high yields, resist common crop diseases and contain nutrients such as zinc, vitamin A, vitamin C and anthocyanin antioxidants.

“Purple-fleshed sweet potatoes are rich in anthocyanins, compounds that help the body combat diseases associated with cellular oxidation, including some forms of cancer and high blood pressure,” Yada said.

He added that the varieties could also contribute to managing diabetes and hypertension and provide raw materials for value-added products, including industrial flour and wine.

Government pushes mass irrigation

Addressing the impact of climate change on agriculture, Tumwebaze said President Yoweri Museveni and Cabinet had directed the government to accelerate the expansion of irrigation to reduce farmers’ dependence on increasingly unreliable rainfall.

“In the past, less than two per cent of our farmland was under irrigation because rain-fed agriculture was relatively reliable,” Tumwebaze said.

“In my village, we knew that by the Feast of the Assumption on August 15, the rains would come predictably. But now it is October and the rains are unreliable. The Ministry of Water and the Ministry of Agriculture are therefore working together to scale up five key irrigation interventions involving rivers, farm dams and rehabilitated valley schemes.”

Tumwebaze also urged district agricultural extension workers to mobilise communities to utilise idle land, saying Uganda has about 40 million acres of arable land but that only a small proportion is under effective mechanised production.

He further called for continued investment in NARO research infrastructure at regional stations, including Kacwekano in Rubanda for Irish potato breeding and Rwebitaba for specialty caffeine-free teas.

MBAZARDI marks 100 years of agricultural research

Reflecting on MBAZARDI’s transformation from a colonial dairy breeding station into a modern regional agricultural research centre, the institute’s director, Dr Chrisostom Ayebazibwe, announced the establishment of the Southwestern Agro-Industrial Technology and Innovation Centre.

The centre is intended to strengthen the link between scientific research, innovation and commercial enterprise.

“Celebrating 100 years of MBAZARDI is a monumental milestone,” Ayebazibwe said. “For a century, this institute has supported dairy and crop production in the region. Without this facility, we would not have the thriving milk sector we see in Uganda today.

“Today, we are multiplying high-yielding, climate-smart banana varieties, specialised KR coffee cultivars, cocoa and probiotics aimed at reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. We are also working with the Chinese Big-Ear goat breed, which is not found elsewhere on the African continent, to provide foundation stock to commercial farmers.”

Dr Kasimu, NARO’s deputy director, said MBAZARDI had also been upgraded to a national centre of excellence for semi-intensive dairy farming and high-grade livestock breeding.

“We upgraded MBAZARDI to a national centre of excellence for semi-intensive dairy farming,” Kasimu said. “We are multiplying foundation seed, pasture varieties and superior animal breeds so that communities and commercial seed companies can take them to scale.

“As we commemorate 100 years, we must reflect on the four major fights: fighting poverty, food insecurity, nutritional deficiencies and environmental degradation.”

MAAIF calls for research to benefit farmers

MAAIF Undersecretary Mary Aacha Orikiriza, who represented Permanent Secretary Maj Gen David Kasura-Kyomukama, said agricultural research should translate into practical solutions and tangible improvements in the livelihoods of rural communities.

“It is an opportunity to recognise past achievements and renew our commitment to research and innovation that responds to farmers’ needs and improves future food and nutrition security,” Orikiriza said.

“As we celebrate 100 years of MBAZARDI, let us honour agricultural research by ensuring that innovation reaches farmers and improves their lives. Let us turn agricultural knowledge into practical solutions, production into prosperity and food availability into better nutrition for all Ugandans.”

Martin Ameu, Assistant Country Representative [Programme] for the Food and Agriculture Organization [FAO] in Uganda, commended NARO and MAAIF for their contribution to the country’s agri-food systems and called for faster transfer of research innovations from laboratories and demonstration sites to smallholder farmers.

“World Food Day challenges us to build agri-food systems that are more productive, inclusive, resilient and sustainable,” Ameu said. “Innovations must move from research laboratories and demonstration plots into real farm fields. Food must be safe, diverse, nutritious, accessible and affordable if we are to nourish Uganda tomorrow.”

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