State minister for agriculture, Fred Bwino Kyakulaga has called on the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations to help identify potential investors to commercialise Uganda’s researched products, including the anti-tick vaccines.
According to Kyakulaga, investment in vaccine research is one of the priority areas emphasised by President Yoweri Museveni.
In addition to vaccines, Bwino informed the visiting FAO director general, QU Dongyu, that the Government had already secured 100 acres of land on which the vaccine manufacturing plant, including a pharmaceutical producing centre, will be constructed.
The anti-tick vaccine facility, when complete, will churn out 20 million doses of vaccines annually, enough to cover the current estimated 14 million head of cattle in the country.
Other vaccines being developed to manage livestock diseases include foot and mouth disease vaccine as well as swine flu/fever vaccines.
Other commodities that should be commercialised according to Bwino include milk, beef, hides and skins and maize.
He made the call on Tuesday while welcoming Dongyu to the National Livestock Resources Research Institute The director general of the National Agriculture Research Organisation (NARO), Dr Yona Baguma, requested for support towards the advancement of horticulture industry, development of nutrient-rich food items to address the growing needs for healthy foods and support in data analytics among others.
Baguma also explained that using the sh188b that was advanced to the institute by FAO a few years ago, they have been able to improve the cassava seed system, where disease-free planting materials have been developed and distributed to farmers in different parts of the country.
On his part, Dongyu pledged more support through their technical co-operation programme to improve NARO’s technical capacity.
He, however, called for the promotion of innovations and science-based solutions in the communities where farmers carry out their business in order to transform Uganda’s agri-food systems.
Sustainable production
He also pledged support towards other requests from the Office of the Prime Minister, local government among others.
For example, the Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja called for support to scale up climate-resilient food production hubs in refugee settlements.
This is intended to reduce the dependence of refugees on handouts that have declined due to reduced donor support.
Nabbanja, who was represented by the Minister of Local Government, Raphael Magyezi, explained that while Uganda allocates land to refugees, the plots are too small for sustainable production, especially so given the current challenges associated with climate stress.
She added that her office and FAO Uganda have developed the concept to establish climate-resilient food production hubs so as to boost access to nutritious foods like fish, milk, eggs and vegetables.
Dongyu’s three-day visit that ended yesterday was aimed at strengthening FAO’s collaboration with the government of Uganda, development partners and highlighting FAO’s ongoing support to national priorities in agriculture, forestry and food systems.
At the NaLIRRI, he was taken around the zero-waste management facility in the livestock section, visited the anti-vaccine hub and also interfaced with researchers on various products including the sweet potatoes, beans, rice, vaccine development, aflasaf technology for the post-harvest handling of grains among others.
Earlier on Monday, he visited President Yoweri Museveni at State House Entebbe, where the two leaders agreed to work together to advance the food systems agenda.
LEAD PHOTO CAPTION: Dongyu (second-left) takes a close look at cereals in the presence of Baguma (left), Bwino (third-right) and other officials, during an exhibition at NaLIRRI on Tuesday. (Photo by Mpalanyi Ssentongo)
