NARO moves to develop new varieties of vegetable seeds
KAMPALA, August 20, 2024 – In a bid to address challenges of malnutrition among Ugandans, the National Agricultural Research Organisation [ NARO ] has unveiled plans to scale up production of new vegetable varieties across the country under VegeSeed project.
The project aims to laying the foundation for the mid-to-long-term development of new vegetable varieties in Uganda, strengthen the certification system, and disseminating certified seeds for five vegetable crops; nakati, tomato, onion, cabbage, and chili pepper by establishment of infrastructure for vegetable breeding and certification, and empowerment of human resource capacity; establishment of infrastructure for certified vegetable seed production and building of farmers’ capacity; and improvement of distribution, dissemination, and farmers’ awareness of certified seeds.
The project is supported by the Korean Government through Korea International Cooperation Agency [KOICA] and executed under KOICA in alongside a consortium of organisations, including Good Neighbors International [GNI], and the Korea Environment Agricultural Development Institute [KEADI] from 2022 to 2029.
The project will directly benefit 200 farmer households in the Parish Development Model [PDM] as well as over 800 research.
The VegeSeed project starts off with training of different NARO agronomists on the production of the seeds, to enable skills transfer to sustain vegetable seed production in the country.
NARO Deputy Director General in charge of Agricultural Technology Promotion, Dr. Sadik Kassim underscored the importance of maintaining the project facilities in operation and pledged that their operationalisation would be incorporated into the NARO annual work plans and budgets.
He said Ugandan farmers have been highly dependent on imported seeds for tomatoes, onions, and cabbages, but the VegeSeed project will bring this to an end.
“This is a new chapter for the farmers, that we shall produce our own seeds locally with research based on our own environment, we will create a change in this field for our farmers,” he said during the meeting at with KOICA official at NARO office in Entebbe recently.
With the increasing market demand for vegetables and fruits driven by rapid urbanisation and changing dietary needs, the adoption of these improved technologies is expected to double Uganda’s current annual vegetable production, which is estimated at 5.3 million tonnes and worth US$ 34mln.
The Country Director for KOICA, Jihee Ahn noted that the greenhouse technology required for the production is a critical infrastructure that would improve efficiency.
“I have visited a number of NARO research institutes and so far, I am very impressed by the breeding programmes there. We need to leverage the very good weather to export vegetables to foreign markets and improve farmers’ incomes,” he said.
The initiative considerably contributes to the agricultural industrialisation agenda by fostering local production of horticultural seeds, substituting imports from Europe and Asia, currently estimated at US$ 7mln.
Other project components required include the establishment of infrastructure for vegetable breeding and certification, empowerment of human resource capacity, establishment of infrastructure for certified vegetable seed production, building farmers’ capacity, and improving distribution, dissemination, and farmers’ awareness of certified seeds.
KOICA handed over a set of greenhouses to NARO, a key component for seed breeding. However, NARO will consider procurement and installation of other equipment for seed value chain.
The selected project hosting institutes include National Crop Resources Research Institute [NaCRRI] in Namulonge, National Agricultural Research Laboratories [NaRL] at Kawanda, Wakiso district, Mukono Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute [MuZARDI] in Mukono district.
Buganda Kingdom under the auspices of MuZARDI and Luwero District Local Government, is also hosting part of the project infrastructure.
The VegeSeed project aligns with the goals set by the Government of Uganda as it consists of measures enshrined in the 3rd National Development Plan [NDP III] programme of Agro-Industrialisation [AGI]to improve agriculture research, among which include rehabilitation of research infrastructure, capacity building of staff, strengthening of research standards, and increasing linkage amongst research institutions.
https://thecooperator.news/prices-of-green-vegetables-rise-in-teso/
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