The National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Busoga Kingdom to promote transformational agriculture.
The partnership is a strategic alliance focused on enhancing the dissemination and adoption of technologies, innovations and management practices generated by NARO to improve the livelihoods of the abasoga in Busoga Kingdom.
While at the Kingdom headquarters in Bugembe, Jinja City, Busoga Kingdom’s Constitutional Affairs Minister Owek. Luganda Alex, who represented Dr. Joseph Muvawala who was away at State House, signed on behalf of ObwaKyabazinga Bwa Busoga Institution as well as the Director General of NARO Dr. Yona Baguma signed on behalf of NARO.
Others who signed on the MOU included Busoga Kingdom’s Agriculture Minister Owek. Nkenga Sam and Dr. Nasser Kasozi, a director of research at Buginyanya Zonal Agriculture Research and Development Institute.
In his remarks, Owek. Luganda said that the move would foster increased agricultural support to the locals in the future.
Luganda said that the partnership is going to lay ground for research, technological innovation and capacity building initiatives that will benefit the communities for generations to come.
He said the MOU is designed to boost agricultural production within Busoga region by targeting a musoga at village level as a beneficiary adding that they are going to use OBB structures like the Chiefs, Clan systems and Abebisoko as the smallest unit within the cultural set up to reach to people.
Busoga Kingdom’s Agricultural Minister, Owek. Nkenga Sam said the major objective of the partnership is to see that research is brought nearer to the people in Busoga who have been left out in certain areas that they could not easily access the new technologies and new seed for their production.
Nkenga observed that in the MOU, they put a component to establish an Agricultural training site or demonstration site in every chiefdom whereby farmers will be able to access those sites so that they can see, touch, get trained and adopt those new technologies to their farms so that they can improve production.
The Director General of NARO, Dr. Yona Baguma said they have signed an MOU that will impact on lives of people of Busoga Kingdom and also make sure that in that partnership, people must actually have food both in the desired quantity and quality adding NARO is committed to working with the Kingdom to make sure that people have enough food.
Baguma humbly requested that the Queen of Busoga (Inhebantu) becomes a NARO technology ambassador in the Kingdom adding that when that works, her influence will permeate households, touch households and her influence through NARO technologies will also boost productivity and that productivity will be able to change the livelihoods of people in Busoga sub region.
He further requested that the Kyabazinga of Busoga declare a Climate Change Environment Day in his Kingdom that will be celebrated annually.
Present at the MOU signing from NARO were; the Chairperson governing council of NARO Prof William Olaho Mukani, Deputy Director General of NARO in charge Agriculture technology promotion Dr. Kassim Sadik, NARO’s director of finance Mununuzi Julius, Director of Research Buginyanya ZADI Dr. Nasser Kasozi, Director NAFIRRI Dr. Winnie Nkalubo and Director of Research NASARI Dr. Edyeru Michael.
Present at the side of Busoga Kingdom included; Speaker of Busoga Lukiiko George Mutyabule and his deputy Florence Biruma, Issabalangira of Busoga Samuel Zirabamuzale Nkuutu, Busoga Kingdom Attorney General Kafuko Ntuuyo, State Minister of Agriculture Matia Wakalali, Bukono and Busiki Chiefdom Chiefs.
Credit: Kyabazinga Press Unit (KPU).
