The Minister of Agriculture Animal Industries and Fisheries, (MAAIF), Frank Tumwebaze, has reiterated government’s commitment to the development of Agriculture in Uganda.
Tumwebaze said that the government of Uganda through the National Development Plan III has prioritized agriculture as one of the key driving sectors that have the ability to increase livelihoods, but also generate employment and produce goods for export substitution and also import substitution.
He noted that to further achieve this, the government will accelerate the transformation from subsistence to commercial agriculture.
“By linking the smallholders we deal with these value chains and you know, currently what is undergoing under the Parrish development model. The ministry remains committed to the pursuit of social economic transformation as a visual entity,” he said.
Tumwebaze’s statement was read by Stephen Tibeijuka Byantware, the Director of Crop Resources at MAAIF, who represented him at the launch of the One Centre for the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) located at NARO’s National Agricultural Research Laboratories (NaRL) Kawanda, Wakiso District.
Tibeijuka said that government has over a long time prioritized issues that relate to the agricultural sector and its currently looking at issues that enhance production and productivity, improve market access and Agribusiness Development, enhance natural resource management and conservation, strengthen agricultural research and development all aligned to government’s development policies and direction.
He also underscored the role agriculture plays noting that the biggest population is in agriculture, and its immense contribution to Uganda’s GDP.
Tibeijuka on behalf of the minister, thanked and welcomed the collaboration between NARO and CGIAR, but also pledged to support the great partnerships.
The OneCGIAR Initiative plans for Market Intelligence, Accelerated breeding, Seed equality, Animal productivity, Plant health & Rethinking food markets, The event was described as a perfect occasion to demonstrate how researchers, development partners & governmental bodies can work together to address the needs of the country.
Speaking at the event, Juan Lucas Restrepo, the Director General of New Alliance Bioversity International and CIAT but also the Global Director of Partnerships CGIAR, thanked the Agriculture ministry, NARO Uganda, for supporting CGIAR centres since 1985 and also offering a conducive environment to implement research.
He said that OneCGAIR is coming up to deepen the collaborations with the government of Uganda, through partnerships.
Speaking at the same event Dr Yona Baguma, the Deputy Director General NARO underscored the role and importance of collaborations, and partnerships in research and innovations.
“Today as you go past Kafu river, you will see the most popular cassava, that Cassava, we were able to develop in partnership with IITA, when you pass in many other areas, you will see the cassava crops we were able to deliver in partnerships with IITA, in the case of Banana, we had many diseases ravaging bananas, Without banana, You can hardly talk of food security in this country, so we were able to sustain food security of this country by working with the development partners,” he said.
He said NARO has emerged as a world brand, saying this has been made possible through working with the CGIAR’s and development partners.
The CGIAR is a global partnership that unites organizations engaged in research for a food-secure future. It is dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and improving natural resources.