‘Interstate agricultural research to boost trade, devt’

The Technical officer in charge of monitoring and evaluation at the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA), Mr Moses Odeke has said there is need to dialogue on emerging research on agricultural issues in order to promote development of the sector in the sub region.

“We need to convene stake holders to discuss other emerging issues such as cross border trade facilitation, sharing of technologies across national boundaries and scaling up of agricultural technologies across national borders,” he said.

Mr Odeke made the remarks during the opening of a five day bench-marking exercise for the 14 ASARECA member countries aimed at strengthening the capacities of the technical staff in member countries that is being held at National Agriculture Crop Resources Research Institute (NACCRI), in Namulonge Wakiso district.

“We need to mobilize additional resources across member’s countries to be able to build their capacities both human and infrastructural, for agricultural research for development in the region” he said.

Mr Odeke said ASARECA is currently implementing the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme CAADP ex-pillar IV (CAADP-XP4) project that will lead to improved productivity and nutrition in the respective member countries.

The head of the nutrition and bilanitrical laboratory at Namulonge Dr. Ephraim Nuwamanya said the improved agricultural technologies will boost the exportation of agricultural products by having relevant research results for both the regional and international markets.

“When the farmers bring in their samples especially when they have identified a particular problem, we will anaylse and give recommendations on what the farmer can do to solve that problem. We need to critically anaylse agricultural based products to ensure they fit the requirements of the market they are being exported to which will boost the country’s agricultural trade sector” he said.