The National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) has reiterated its commitment to conducting research that drives industrialization in the country.
The NARO Director General, Dr. Yona Baguma, said research teams have been strategically established across NARO’s sixteen (16) Public Agricultural Research Institutes to ensure that innovations meet the demands of agro-industrialists.
“We are now running market-led breeding lines, where industrialists define the traits they need in raw materials, and our research teams deliver exactly that,” Dr. Baguma noted. He added that the National Agricultural Research Laboratories (NARL) in Kawanda are being strengthened to take the lead in providing industrial support services.
“Most of the challenges faced by agro-industrialists can be solved at NARO, whether it is demand for particular traits within specific agro-based raw materials or machinery. NARO is also developing product prototypes that entrepreneurs at all levels can pick up and scale into industries,” he added.
Dr. Baguma made the remarks during a business visit to Psalms Food Industries Limited in Nkoowe, Wakiso District, on Wednesday.
The company, which has been producing an assortment of snacks under the brand names Sumz, Krunchables, and Afrikan Harvest for the past 15 years, has established a new production plant in Nkoowe to meet growing market demand.
Briefing the NARO delegation, Mr. Dennis Ngabirano, the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of the company, revealed that they have been facing challenges related to the quality and quantity of agro-products they use, resulting in huge losses.
“Quality affects the final product. For example, different varieties of groundnuts mature under different conditions. But when farmers mix the varieties, it leads to wastage during preparation, and that translates into direct losses,” Ngabirano explained.
“On quantity, there are periods when we have to shut down our machines completely because supply is intermittent. And in all this, farmers are not the problem. We must deal with the root causes of these two critical issues,” he noted.
The CEO expressed optimism that the challenges of quality and quantity can be solved through deliberate interventions, especially mass multiplication and ensuring farmers have access to quality seeds and seedlings.
He commended NARO for developing improved varieties of crops such as groundnuts, Irish potatoes, maize, and simsim, among others, which they currently source from local farmers as raw materials.
Ngabirano also revealed that Psalms Food Industries, which started out producing ripe sweet plantains (commonly known as gonja), has now expanded its product range to over 30 items, including crispy potato crisps, baked products, extruded snacks, peanut butter, and various honey flavors.
In addition to the well-known Sumz products, the company has introduced two new brands. Afrikan Harvest caters to health-conscious consumers with a focus on organic snacks, while Krunchables targets children’s tastes and preferences.
“Our mission is to have Psalms products in every household,” said Ngabirano, adding that the company has also made inroads into the Kenyan, Rwandan, Tanzanian, Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudanese markets.
He noted that research has shown Ugandan agro-products to have a competitive edge in the region because of their superior taste.
“We therefore strongly believe that the quality and quantity challenges we face can be solved internally, and NARO is a key ally in this effort,” Ngabirano emphasized.
Early last year, the National Variety Release Committee (NVRC) approved the release of three groundnut varieties developed by NARO for industrial use. The varieties; NARONUT 3R, NARONUT 4R, and NARONUT 5R, have higher nutritional content and are excellent for paste (butter) and confectionery products, among other uses.
NARO has also recently released Irish potato varieties NARO Pot 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 that are suitable for processing into products like chips and crisps.
The Chairperson of the Board of Governors of Psalms Food Industries, Mr. Narcis Tumushabe, who also doubles as the Managing Director FICA Seeds, commended NARO for releasing varieties tailored to industrial needs. However, he called for more deliberate efforts to increase potato production, given the growing demand. He also stressed the need to strengthen extension services to guide farmers on handling varieties properly to avoid mix-ups that complicate industrial processing.
The NARO delegation included the Deputy Director General in charge of Agricultural Technology Promotion, Dr. Sadik Kassim; the Director Corporate Services, Dr. Stevens Kisaka; and other senior officials.
