Coop farmers excited as NARO introduces new climate-smart agriculture technology
KIKUUBE, August 30, 2026 — Farmers in Kikuube District have a reason to smile after the National Agricultural Research Organisation [NARO], in partnership with a Japanese biotechnology firm, launched a campaign to popularise SKEEPON, a new climate-smart agricultural technology aimed at helping farmers increase production.
The campaign is targeting farmers operating under cooperative societies.
SKEEPON is a climate-smart plant biostimulant introduced in Uganda by ac-planta, a venture company certified by a Japanese national research institute.
The technology activates crops’ natural defence mechanisms against drought, heat and high soil salinity.
Ian Lawson Davis, a British barrister and chief legal officer at ac-planta, said Uganda is the only country in Africa where the technology has so far been introduced.
He said the technology was introduced in Uganda at the request of Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja after she visited Japan, where she discovered that it was helping farmers cope with climate-related challenges.
Davis said Nabbanja believed the technology could help farmers in parts of Uganda that are frequently affected by drought, particularly Karamoja.
He said ac-planta, working with NARO, had spent four years in Uganda testing the technology, which he said had been proven safe for humans, animals, soil and the environment.
The technology was officially launched in Uganda in July 2026.
While sensitising farmers affiliated with Bugambe Grains Producers Cooperative Society Limited in Bugambe Sub-county on Friday, Dr Idi Ramathan, a senior research officer at NARO, said poor crop growth caused by excessive heat and dry conditions was a major concern for farmers.
He said SKEEPON had been developed as a solution to the problem.
Ramathan said the technology was effective on both perennial and annual crops, including maize, beans, cassava, Irish potatoes, onions, soybeans, cocoa, groundnuts, cabbage, coffee, bananas and sugarcane, among others.
He said the technology was safe and could be applied without protective gear.
He added that for annual crops, SKEEPON is applied once and remains effective for three months, with one litre sufficient for two and a half acres.
“Apart from addressing the issues of heat, drought and salt conditions in the soil, it is environmentally friendly. When you apply it to maize and beans, it adds 30 per cent to the yield. For tomatoes and onions, the technology adds 50 per cent, while in coffee it can increase a farmer’s yield by 60 per cent. For farmers who grow coffee and whose crops dry up, this is a solution for you,” he said.
Ramathan urged farmers to embrace the technology to protect the money they invest in farming.
He said the product is currently sold exclusively by NARO Holdings, adding that the organisation had not yet authorised agro-input dealers to sell it in order to prevent adulteration.
“A litre of this product costs Shs150,000, while 500 millilitres costs Shs 60,000. The product is expensive because it is imported from Japan, but there are plans to establish a factory in Uganda. Once the factory is established, the price of SKEEPON will significantly drop, enabling farmers to access it at a lower cost,” he said.
Farmers speak out
John Katusabe, a maize and beans farmer, expressed excitement about the new technology, saying its introduction was long overdue.
He said many farmers depend on rainfall, but climate change has made rainfall increasingly unreliable, resulting in losses every season.
“Because of the dry spell we experienced last season, we suffered heavy losses. On an acre of maize, I expected to harvest two tonnes, but I only harvested 500 kilogrammes. So, the introduction of this technology is a relief for many farmers, if it is as effective as they told us,” he said.
Sensitisation meetings to create awareness about the product have been conducted in Hoima City, Kikuube and Hoima districts, with similar meetings expected to continue in other districts across the region.
Buy your copy of thecooperator magazine from one of our country-wide vending points or an e-copy on emag.thecooperator.news
