PARLIAMENT | AGRICULTURE | NARO 

Members of the Agriculture Committee of Parliament have been shocked that despite the recent science and technology innovations by various scientists at the National Livestock Resources Research Institute (NaLIRRI), the country was not benefiting from their inventions. 

“But these people (scientists) can annoy, why is it that most of us and our farmers are not aware and even not benefiting from these innovations, what are they for if they are not benefitting the ordinary citizens,” legislators kept asking.

The Legislators said much of the ‘very good’ information they were exposed to at the NaLIRRI centre at Nakyesasa in Wakiso district would greatly benefit the country if it was disseminated to the farmers. 

The director of research at NaLIRRI, Dr. Swidiq Mugerwa (L) explains to MPs some of the innovations in breeding nutritious forage at Nakyesasa in Wakiso district. (All Photos by Eddie Ssejjoba)

The legislators, led by the committee chairperson, Janet Okori Moe and her deputy Dr. Agnes Atim Apea toured various innovation centres at Nakyesasa on Thursday. 

They were later joined by the state minister for fisheries, Hellen Adoa. The MPs included Susan Mugabi from Buvuma, Dr. Abedi Bwanika from Kimaanya-Kabonera in Masaka, Robert Ndugwa Migadde from Buvuma, Enock Nyongore of Nakaseke North, Charles Matovu from Busiro South among others.     

The MPs however later shifted the blame to the ministry of finance and the budget committee for allocating little funds to the ministry of agriculture, which they said is the backbone of Uganda’s economy. 

Dr. Atim said she was angry that despite the many innovations, NARO remained one of the least funded institutions. 

“We wonder why the NARO administration took long to invite us to this place, there is so much potential with the scientists to improve the competitiveness and agricultural productivity of this country”.  

“But unfortunately, it is one of the least funded institutions and yet they have all the potential to transform our agriculture especially when we are talking about moving farmers from subsistence to commercial agriculture,” she said.  

Dr. Atim said she was overwhelmed by the advancement in science but it remained at the centres yet farmers continue to struggle with production. “I think we have a disconnect between our planning, prioritization and allocation of funds. The little money that this country has if it was put in the right things the country would go a long way,” she said.  

Dr. Atim said the legislators were shocked that scientists at NaLIRRI had developed technology that fights aflatoxins in maize and can prevent cancer in humans yet many farmers lost millions of monies when Kenya rejected the country’s maize for containing the disease. 

“I feel so frustrated by this trip because I have discovered there is a lot the country can gain from these innovations yet we are not empowering the scientists,” she said, adding considering their capacity, there was potential to transform the agriculture sector if the appropriate to it enough money.  

The state minister for fisheries, Hellen Adoa admitted too, that the legislators were not happy with the NARO management because they took time to organize their tour “But it is good they have come to appreciate our challenges yet they have been asking too many questions wherever we go to parliament and cry for more funding,” she said.  

“When it comes to the budgeting, few people understand what the ministry does but we are happy that the committee is here and we hope they will push our budget,” she explained, adding that research was given little money yet there was a lot that NARO and research can do in the agriculture sector.  

There is nothing that NARO cannot produce, from cosmetics to livestock, food and everything including rewind one’s life through healthy foods,” she stated and asked the budget committee to reconsider the ministry of agriculture.  

NARO Director General, Dr Ambrose Agona shows some of the hybrid cows at NaLIRRI.

“They have cut the budget and it is too miserable to change this country, I am therefore appealing to the committee and any other arm of government to support us as the ministry of agriculture,” the minister said emphasizing that the fisheries sector was the worst affected. 

The MPs visited the embryo production facility where scientists are promoting in-vitro fertilization of embryos to boost milk production in Uganda, which can produce over 200,000 high-quality affordable seeds per year. 

They also visited a hybrid goat multiplication unit where the Karahari goats were being bred, a forage seed multiplication unit, a cowshed for dairy farming, an anti-aflatoxin facility, among others. 

They also toured an exhibition show by the various centres under NARO. 

The NARO Director General, Dr Ambrose Agona however said the organization needs about sh300billion for agriculture research. 

He said the money is also needed to enable the scientists to disseminate the recent advancements in science and technology in several sectors including crops, livestock, fisheries, forestry, natural resources and others that largely remain unutilized at the various research centers across the country.  

He lamented that they had been allocated sh106bn in the current financial year but because of the ongoing budget cuts by the ministry of finance the money had been reduced to sh86bn, which he said was insufficient to implement their programs. 

“How much can that (sh86bn) push on the agenda yet we have the Parish Development Model, under which farmers would need quality seeds for all sectors,” he said.   

“When you look at the budget that comes to the agriculture sector, NARO just gets about 8% but for any country to succeed on the frontiers of agriculture research, it needs to commit at least 1% of the GDP into science, innovations and technology,” he said, adding that the current budget gives the sector 0.2%.