Minister Frank Tumwebaze recently launched the inaugural NARO–EAGC Agribusiness Expo and Trade Symposium in Namulonge, Uganda, highlighting the government’s continued commitment to advancing the agricultural sector. The event brought together a variety of stakeholders from across the agricultural value chain, offering a platform for exchanging knowledge, showcasing innovations, and promoting trade. The symposium was seen as a vital opportunity for farmers to learn about new technologies and for innovators to market their products directly to the farming community.
During his address, Minister Tumwebaze called for similar events to be held nationwide, stressing the importance of agricultural expos for the development of the sector. He urged the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) and its partners to ensure that each of NARO’s sixteen institutes across Uganda hosts annual agricultural expos. These expos are crucial for allowing farmers to interact with innovators, witness demonstrations of new technologies, and assess the suitability and cost-effectiveness of these technologies for their specific needs. Tumwebaze emphasized that the technology needs of small-scale farmers are different from those of medium and large-scale operations, making these expos indispensable for farmers seeking relevant solutions.
The Minister highlighted that the expos also serve as learning platforms for farmers and as marketing avenues for innovators and manufacturers. He further announced that the government would closely monitor the impact of these events, requesting detailed reports on their outcomes to assess their effectiveness. Tumwebaze also underscored the government’s ongoing efforts to increase the number of skilled agricultural researchers, pointing out that NARO had received funding to support the production of the anti-tick vaccine and other key initiatives.
Kasim Sadik, the Deputy Director General of NARO, echoed Tumwebaze’s concerns about the shortage of experts in various agricultural disciplines, particularly those needed to address climate change and its impacts on farming. Sadik pointed out the critical shortage of specialists such as entomologists, agronomists, and pathologists, which affects the country’s ability to fully tap into its agricultural potential. NARO’s staffing structure currently has about 760 personnel, leaving a gap of approximately 400 positions, which is significantly hindering the organization’s ability to provide effective solutions in key agricultural areas.
One of the key factors contributing to low production levels at the farm level, according to Sadik, is the insufficient budget allocated for the rapid multiplication of early-generation seeds and the effective dissemination of these varieties through extension services. Despite NARO’s network of institutes designed to link with extension services, the operational budgets for these institutes are severely constrained, further limiting their ability to reach farmers with the necessary resources and knowledge.
In addition to these discussions, the expo featured over 80 exhibitors, including innovators, researchers, and other stakeholders, who showcased a variety of products and services aimed at improving agricultural practices. A significant focus of the expo was the establishment of Grain Trade Business Hubs, or G-Hubs, by the Eastern Africa Grain Council (EAGC). These farmer-owned and operated hubs are designed to tackle the numerous challenges faced by smallholder farmers and promote regional grain trade. The G-Hubs facilitate collective action among farmer cooperatives, pooling resources and improving the bargaining power of farmers within the agricultural value chain.
The hubs offer crucial benefits such as improved access to inputs, post-harvest management, enhanced market access via the GSOKO platform, technical support, and better access to financial services. By enabling farmers to work together, the G-Hubs help to address the challenges of resource limitations and market access that often plague smallholder farmers. Additionally, the EAGC supports the development of these hubs through capacity building, market intelligence, and policy advocacy, working in collaboration with partners like TradeMark Africa to strengthen the effectiveness of the hubs and the broader grain value chain in the region.
