A Collaborative Effort to Enhance Breeding Operations for Key Crops
In Uganda, essential crops such as bananas, beans, cassava, maize, and sweet potatoes are pivotal to food security, nutrition, and income generation, covering over 5 million hectares of crop production. Recognizing the significance of these crops, the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) has launched the Scaling Breeding Operations in Uganda (SBO-UG) initiative, supported by a subgrant from CGIAR’s Accelerated Breeding program.
The Inception and Planning Meeting for the SBO-UG took place from September 9-10, gathering key stakeholders to outline the initiative’s objectives. The primary goal is to accelerate genetic gains and improve variety turnover for crucial crops, aligning with NARO’s national research agenda.
Key focus areas for the SBO-UG initiative include:
- Expanding niche markets for agricultural communities: This will enhance income opportunities for farmers and create a more resilient agricultural economy.
- Developing research products and services tailored to industry needs: Collaboration between research institutions and industry stakeholders will drive innovation in crop production.
- Promoting the adoption of improved agricultural technologies: By leveraging new technologies, the initiative aims to increase productivity and sustainability in farming practices.
- Strengthening institutions to support agro-industrialization: Building robust institutions will facilitate the scaling of agricultural innovations across the sector.
The SBO-UG grant is expected to bolster NARO’s breeding programs by implementing prioritized recommendations from improvement plans developed under the Transform Work Package. The allocation of the subgrant will be managed collaboratively by various teams within CGIAR and NARO, with representatives from leading agricultural research institutions present at the meeting.
Notable participants included:
- Dan Makumbi from CIMMYT, representing the Eastern and Southern Africa maize breeding network.
- Siraj Ismail Kayondo from IITA, serving as the ESA Cassava breeding network coordinator.
- Michael Bate from IITA, focusing on the East African Highland banana breeding network.
From NARO, the meeting featured contributions from Dr. Titus Alicai, Research Director at NaCRRI Namulonge, and Dr. Godfrey Asea, NARO Project Coordinator, along with crop breeding leads specializing in sweet potatoes, maize, bananas, cassava, and beans.
The SBO-UG initiative reflects a strong commitment to boosting agricultural innovation and enhancing crop breeding efforts in Uganda. With a collaborative approach, it promises to provide significant advancements in crop genetics and farming sustainability, ultimately benefiting farmers and agricultural communities across the nation.
