Message from Director of Research NARO -NARL
In this edition of our Third Quarter NARL e-bulletin, March 2026, I profoundly wish to share with you the highlights of our key achievements and experiences in agricultural research and development (R&D) at NARL.
January to March 2026 was a busy but a momentous period of the Financial Year 2025/2026, where our staff from the four NARL Research Programmes and Administration worked tirelessly, with all dedication and commitment to achieve what am pleased and honoured to share with you. NARL received, hosted and trained a number of stakeholders including Clergy from the Diocese of Kigezi, farmers and students from all walks of life, among others.
Furthermore, NARL scientists continued the institution’s long term mission of bringing our research products and services closer to farmers through direct farmer-field visits, farmer exchange visits and/or on-farm demonstration plots. We do this to ensure that our stakeholders utilise and benefit from NARO technologies. Accordingly, among the numerous key technologies promoted during the quarter, we created awareness of a wild coffee resource, called Excelsa coffee, commonly known to many as “Kisansa”, “Congo” and/or “Kiwangazi” coffee. Excelsa is a rare, high-yielding and climate-resilient coffee species native to Central Africa (including Uganda’s Zoka forest). Our scientists at PGRC are conducting comprehensive on-station and field research on this resource to ensure its full potential in breeding, value addition, industrial product development and income generation is realised.
We also bring to you the news of one of the projects launched during the quarter, titled “Climate Resilient Banana Production in Uganda (CRBP),” a prestigious DANID-funded collaborative project.
NARL through its four research programs; Soils, Environment & Agro-meteorology; Food Biosciences & Agribusiness; Bio systems & Agricultural Engineering, and Biodiversity & Biotechnology, with the support of a vibrant Administration has continued to adequately deliver on it long term trajectory of quality research, innovations and services supportive of and in alignment with the Agro-industrialisation Agenda of Uganda.
I wish you a nice reading!