KAMPALA- Farmers under the Uganda National Farmers Federation (UNFFE) are to get quality seed from the National Agriculture Research Organization (NARO).
The move, according to UNFFE; will prevent farmers from buying counterfeit seeds and it is part of the renewed working relationship between the National Agriculture Research Organization (NARO) and UNFEE.
This was revealed by the president of the UNFFE, Dr.Dick Kamuganga, in a meeting with farmer representatives from across the country at the National Crop Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI) Namulonge.
Kamuganga said under the MOU that will be signed in a few weeks’ time, UNFFE will be getting seed from NARO and then channel it through the district farmer’s Associations. These will in turn distribute seed to farmers in their localities and this will be implemented in the next planting season.
Kamuganga said farmers will be required to pay some small fee that will be agreed upon for like transportation but will be assured of quality seed.
“NARO is already producing seed; we can make an arrangement as UNFFE so we can get seed from NARO and distribute it through DFAs. Farmers are getting grain, colored as seed, and sold at a high cost but results are always poor,” said Kamuganga.
According to Kamuganga, farmers are faced with challenges such as pests and diseases and fake agro inputs including seed.
The meeting was convened by the Science Foundation for Livelihoods and Development (SCIFODE) through the Virus Resistant Cassava for Africa (VIRCA) Plus project, with support from the National Crop Research Resources Institute (NaCRRI) to show farmer leaders progress made in research on cassava diseases like the cassava brown streak disease and Cassava mosaic.
What some farmers say
Dick Ayiku from Arua
I’m very much interested in the unity between NARO and the federation. We shall get good seed and cheaply other than being cheated in shops.
Edith Aliguma from Masindi.
Am happy to note that NARO will work with UNFFE to distribute seed, we shall be getting quality seed from the right source and that way quality of the inputs will be controlled.
