For farmers in Uganda’s highland Irish potato-growing areas, access to quality seed remains one of the biggest barriers to unlocking the full potential of the crop. Now, a new generation of potato varieties developed by the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) is raising expectations among farmers, processors and seed producers.
NARO has started harvesting seed of NAROPOT 7, NAROPOT 8, NAROPOT 9 and NAROPOT 10, four newly released Irish potato varieties officially launched by the Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Hon. Frank Tumwebaze, during last year’s World Food Day celebrations.
The varieties are attracting strong interest because they combine high yield potential, disease resistance, shorter maturity periods and processing qualities, attributes that researchers say were deliberately built into the varieties in response to the needs of farmers and the market.
But with demand already growing, NARO says massive multiplication of clean seed will be critical to ensure that farmers can access the new varieties at scale.
Turning Uganda’s hills into productive farmland
According to Dr. Kubiriba Jerome, Director of Research at NARO’s Kachwekano Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute (KAZARDI) in Rubanda District, the need for productive and climate-smart technologies is particularly urgent in Uganda’s highland areas.
About 80 percent of the Kigezi region is hilly, with steep slopes that are highly vulnerable to soil erosion. Similar challenges affect other highland areas, including Mount Elgon, the Rwenzori region and Zombo.
Dr. Kubiriba says protecting the soil must be at the centre of agricultural development in these areas.
“When we talk about climate-smart agriculture, focus should be placed on these regions. Saving the soil sets a foundation for producing crops and having a very productive farming system,” he said.
The consequences of soil erosion are visible beyond the farms. Sediment washed down the hills is deposited in water bodies such as Lake Bunyonyi, contributing to siltation and the development of wetlands.
“It is a double tragedy for the farmers and the lake. We need technologies to save the hills so that farmers can practise productive agriculture while also saving the lakes,” Dr. Kubiriba said.
He notes that hills account for about 25 percent of Uganda’s land area but support approximately 40 percent of the population, making investment in these landscapes particularly important.
“We need affirmative support due to the vulnerability of people in these areas. We can make these hills productive. This will stem migration from the hills and its associated challenges while increasing productivity,” he said.
NARO is promoting technologies such as Calliandra and Napier, which can help improve soil health while providing livestock feed, supporting a more sustainable farming system.
More yield from less land
The challenge is particularly acute in Kigezi, where steep terrain, soil erosion and increasing land fragmentation have left farmers with relatively small portions of usable land.
Dr. Kubiriba says this makes the productivity of every available piece of land increasingly important.
“We cannot afford to use the little land we have for commodities which are not very productive. These new potato varieties promise more yield and will enable farmers to utilise their land more optimally.”
The new varieties also offer farmers an opportunity to reduce production costs because of their resistance to potato diseases, particularly late blight. For farmers who traditionally spend significant amounts of money spraying against blight, disease-resistant varieties can translate into substantial savings.
Dr. Kubiriba says NARO’s work must now move beyond developing the varieties to ensuring that enough seed is available.
“The missing link is strong linkage between research and extension. We also need support to mass multiply this seed at NARO and with private-sector players.”
A new potato seed hub takes shape
KAZARDI is also positioning itself as a major centre for potato seed multiplication in the highlands.
The institute has been selected to host a potato hub expected to produce up to one million plantlets annually, which will be distributed through other Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institutes serving the Mount Elgon, Rwenzori and Zombo areas.
According to Dr. Kubiriba, designs for the facility have been completed, with construction expected to begin this quarter.
The institute is also planning coffee screen houses for multiplication of planting materials.
Beyond research infrastructure, NARO is developing a master plan for KAZARDI that will include offices, laboratories and facilities for visiting scientists and guests, with the scenic Lake Bunyonyi providing an opportunity to strengthen agricultural tourism.
Varieties designed with processors in mind
For NARO potato breeder Dr. Prossy Namugga, the strength of the new varieties lies in their specific attributes and the deliberate effort to develop potatoes that respond to real market requirements.
The breeding programme did not focus solely on yield. As NARO sought varieties suitable for industrial processing, samples were taken to processors, including Psalms Food Industries and Café Javas, whose feedback helped inform the selection and improvement of the varieties.
“Because we were looking for varieties for industrial use, we took our samples to processors. We considered their recommendations for improvements,” Dr. Namugga explained.
The result is a portfolio of varieties designed to serve different segments of the potato value chain.
NAROPOT 7 is an early-maturing variety taking approximately 90–100 days, with a yield potential of 30.2 tonnes per hectare. Its disease resistance and relatively short maturity period give farmers an opportunity to reduce production costs and, where conditions allow, potentially grow two crops in a year.
NAROPOT 8 has a 22.1 percent dry matter content, making it particularly attractive for processing into crisps and chips.
NAROPOT 9, with a yield potential of 31.4 tonnes per hectare, is the highest-yielding variety among the four. It is also attracting attention for its performance under farmer conditions.
NAROPOT 10 stands out for its exceptionally high 28.1 percent dry matter content, making it particularly suitable for industrial processing. It takes approximately 100–120 days to mature and also offers strong disease resistance.
Farmers already seeing the difference
For some farmers, the new varieties are no longer simply research products—they are already being tested in farmers’ fields.
Mr. Fidel Kamali, Chairperson of the Kisoro District Potato Growers Cooperative Union, says access to clean seed has been a longstanding challenge in Kisoro and across Uganda.
Kamali obtained five kilogrammes of NAROPOT 9 and planted it on his farm. He says the variety has performed remarkably well.
“Along the way, I found that it is drought-resistant and tolerant to potato blight, so there was no need to spray. On average, I harvested nine to 13 tubers per plant. Its performance is better than the other varieties,” he said.
Kamali says farmers are already seeing commercial opportunities emerging around the new varieties. His cooperative has a contract with Psalms Food Industries Limited to produce the varieties for business.
“This empowers farmers. We are praying to government to support seed multiplication so that planting materials can be made available to farmers,” he said.
The reduced need for fertiliser and chemical sprays, he adds, could further reduce the cost of production for farmers.
The enthusiasm is equally strong among Uganda’s seed producers.
Mr. Stephen Tindimuboona, Chairperson of the Uganda National Seed Potato Producers Association (UNSPPA), says seed producers are encouraged by NARO’s efforts to develop varieties that respond to longstanding gaps in the market.
Tindimuboona, who has been involved in Uganda’s seed system since 1995, says producers have long searched for potato varieties that combine processing quality, drought tolerance and short dormancy.
“We pioneered farmer-based seed production, and along the way we have been searching for varieties good for processing, tolerant to drought and with short dormancy to enable planting twice in a year. These new varieties ticked off these requirements, and farmers are eager to get the seed,” he said.
UNSPPA brings together seed potato growers involved in producing certified seed tubers and promoting formal seed potato production in Uganda.
Private sector sees opportunity
Private seed companies are also preparing to play a role in taking the new varieties to farmers.
Ninsiima Nivious of Abid Farm Seeds Company says scarcity of Irish potato seed has been a persistent challenge.
“With these new varieties, we are going to sensitise our suppliers to popularise them. Diseases have also been a challenge, and these varieties have an answer to that,” she said.
Her comments point to an emerging opportunity for stronger collaboration between NARO, seed producers, private companies, farmers and processors to build a reliable seed supply chain.
From research to impact
The immediate task now is to multiply enough seed to meet farmer demand.
For NARO, the success of the new varieties will ultimately not be measured by their performance on research plots alone, but by how widely they are adopted, how much they improve farmers’ incomes and how effectively they supply Uganda’s growing processing industry.
As the first harvest gets underway, the journey of NAROPOT 7, NAROPOT 8, NAROPOT 9 and NAROPOT 10 is entering a decisive phase from research stations to farmers’ fields, from farmers to processors, and from innovation to income.
