Minister calls for impactful and transformative agricultural research

The last three days have had delegates from 15 countries converge under the umbrella of the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA), at Speke Resort Munyonyo discussing how resilient food systems able to feed Africa for generations can be built.

The Minister for Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries Hon. Frank Tumwebaze as the guest of honor and chairman of The Council of Patron Ministers (CPM) called for adaptive agricultural research to cope with these challenges. “The research should help farmers build resilient seed systems and solutions to diseases for both animals and crops. It should be adaptive and impactful. We want to see all member countries sharing innovations to build resilience for our ecosystems,” he said on the final day of the conference.

Tumwebaze also challenged the National Agricultural Research Organisation (Naro) to produce consumable research that addresses farmers’ problems. He however warned that it should be done with a native touch. “Our agricultural research agenda must be driven by our indigenous knowledge as a country. It must be our agenda, not anyone else's, and we must be prepared to deal with problems,” he added. He also identified increased production as a game changer, noting that doubling yield comes with innovation.

The three days had a segment each day with a general assembly where agriculture ministers from the member countries reviewed ASARECA activities. One of the biggest wins from the gathering was ministers agreeing to influence their respective governments on policies that facilitate the associations’ projects. “We are looking at policies that will increase the free movement of goods and agricultural commodities from one country to another. The ministers also resolved to create a platform where farmers and scientists can share knowledge, ideas, and technologies,” Enock Warinda, the Executive Director of ASARECA told Daily Monitor.

ASARECA affects over 400m people in East and Central Africa. The organization’s primary goal remains to avail food for them, not only today but for years to come. Its member states include Burundi, Cameroun, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Somalia who are the latest entrants.