For decades, the West Nile region was synonymous with tobacco cultivation, alongside traditional staples such as cassava and millet. Many homesteads had the iconic burnt-brick tobacco-drying barns that usually stood out in each compound for their narrow but towering nature.
Today, those barns are disappearing as tobacco growing declines sharply. In their place, rice cultivation is taking root, emerging both as a food security and income-generating alternative for farmers.
A collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is helping farmers make this transition through the Promotion of Sustainable Rice Development Project (ECO-PRiDe).
The five-year initiative, now in its second year of implementation, aims to promote sustainable rice production, improve farmers’ livelihoods, and contribute to regional economic growth. NARO is spearheading research to develop rice production techniques and varieties suited to the West Nile’s climate and soils.
As part of capacity building, 13 district agricultural officers from Koboko, Maracha, Yumbe, Nebbi, Moyo, Obongi, and Madi-Okollo have been trained in modern rice production methods under a Training of Trainers programme.
On Thursday, 28 farmers graduated in Nyadri Sub-county, Maracha District, after completing hands-on training in rice cultivation through the Musomesa Field School approach, developed under ECO-PRiDe. The training covers the entire rice production cycle from site selection and field management to post-harvest handling.
Upon graduation, farmers receive certification and go on to train others within their communities, promoting a farmer-to-farmer extension model that encourages widespread adoption of sustainable practices.
Buoyed by the success of the Musomesa approach, the project is developing a Trainer’s Guide to standardize training for extension officers and facilitators, providing step-by-step guidance for field school sessions, not only for rice but for other crops as well.
To ensure access to certified quality seed, the project has partnered with Equator Seeds Limited to multiply parent seed produced by NARO’s National Crop Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI) at Namulonge in Wakiso District.
The initiative has also partnered with the Office of the Prime Minister to engage refugees and host communities in rice growing in Yumbe and Madi-Okollo districts, where results have been highly encouraging.
Speaking at the farmer graduation ceremony in Maracha, Parish Chief Aseru Beatrice said rice cultivation, supported by funding from the Parish Development Model (PDM), has strong potential to help local farmers lift themselves out of poverty.
Mr. Toshinori Katsumata from JICA reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to supporting the ECO-PRiDe project and strengthening Uganda’s rice value chain. He noted that JICA remains dedicated to promoting agricultural transformation through technology transfer, farmer training, and research collaboration with national institutions like NARO and MAAIF. Mr. Katsumata emphasized that empowering smallholder farmers with practical knowledge and access to improved seed and production methods was key to achieving sustainable food systems and rural development.
Mr. Frank Mugabi, the Head of Communications at NARO, who represented the Deputy Director General for Technology Promotion, Dr. Sadik Kassim, commended the project for ensuring that farmers gain access to NARO’s technologies and innovations to improve their livelihoods. He noted that the high rice yields recorded among trained farmers were clear evidence that adopting new technologies and innovations can create food and income-secure communities, a vision aligned with Uganda’s national development goals.
Rice is rapidly gaining prominence in the region and is now ranked among West Nile’s top five most popular crops due to its dual role as both a staple food and a lucrative cash crop.
Nationally, rice production in Uganda has surged over the past 15 years from less than 300,000 metric tons to more than 700,000 metric tons. Uganda is now over 70 percent self-sufficient in rice production, and experts project that the country could soon achieve full self-sufficiency and even become a rice-exporting nation.
