Rice stakeholders along the value chain converged for a landmark event, the “Harmonization of the Rice Seed Roadmap Workshop,” held at Ridar Hotel Mukono, Uganda on April 25th to 26th, 2024. The participants who were from NARO, Seed companies, farmer groups, NGOS and MAAIF.
The discussions were on how the current rice landscape status and how best to sustainably grow rice to local demands and export the excess to markets outside Uganda to earn extra income.
Mr. Simon Alibu, in lieu of the director of NARO- NaCRRI, highlighted the challenges obstructing Uganda’s rice productivity. He outlined, “Seed quality deficiencies, agricultural inefficiencies, and market access limitations are critical issues hindering our rice sector.” Alibu further revealed a strategic blueprint aimed at boosting productivity, improving seed quality standards, expanding market reach, fostering human capital development, and reinforcing the sector’s sustainability.
Dr Arthur Wasukira, the coordinator of Technology for Africa Agricultural Transformation (TAAT), emphasized TAAT’s commitment to revolutionising Uganda’s rice farming landscape. He highlighted the importance of networking, enhancing current platforms, and advocating for climate-smart agriculture. Arthur also expressed gratitude for NARO’s participation in the workshop.
We are dedicated to championing high-yield rice variants, empowering seed producers, integrating mechanization solutions, and ushering in a new era of digital innovation within rice farming practices, he said.
Representing the Director General, Dr Sadik Kassim, commended partners like JICA, AfricaRice, and KOPIA for their support in developing Uganda’s rice sector. He encouraged farmers to join farmer groups including the Uganda Farmers’ Association (UFA), highlighting how integrating rice farming with livestock can be beneficial to them.
He emphasized the need for a roadmap to address challenges affecting the rice sector by lowering seed and production costs. Kassim urged stakeholders in the roadmap making to focus on a more achievable goal of 75% self-sufficiency rather than aiming for 100% right away.
On the government’s directive concerning rice growing in wetlands, the Director General proposed finding smarter ways to farm in wetlands.
We need clearer rules about wetlands to balance farming needs with protecting the environment, he said.
The Rice Seed Roadmap is set to undergo finalization, incorporating revisions to address challenges like seed quality and production costs. Mr. Emmanuel Ogwal, a representative of MAAIF, said it is important to harmonise the National Rice Development Strategy (NRDS) with the Rice Seed Roadmap.
Our goals include achieving self-sufficiency milestones, amplifying household incomes, and fostering synergy with regional and continental rice development frameworks, he said.
Discussing further on possible ways aligned to the harmonization of rice seed roadmap Mr. John Ereng, a representative of Rikolto, shared insights on incentivizing farmers to adopt modern farming practices. “We introduced the Private-Financed Climate-Smart Lending (CSL) program, designed to provide farmers with access to capital and training to embrace Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and digital technologies,” he said.
Mr. Gabriel Ewalu, from VAS Consult, discussed leveraging digital systems to boost farm productivity. He underscored the significance of smallholder farmers for food security and proposed micro-financing solutions tailored to their needs.
Our goal is to foster continued engagement of firms in the supply chain and enable digital supply chain finance, thereby replacing traditional cash transactions with digital payments for input providers, he said.
“Enhancing productivity involves more than just using machinery,” stressed Mr. Andrew Ebong, from Bongomin Groups, a farmer representative said, adding that providing decent work environments and fostering positive worker attitudes yields productivity.
Dr. Saidu Bah, a seed expertise from AfricaRice, emphasized the organization’s dedication to empowering the rice sector not only in Uganda but Africa as a whole.
“Through our training initiatives for seed technicians and our commitment to partnership, including with the private sector, AfricaRice aims to foster innovation and sustainable development in Africa’s rice industry, benefiting farmers and communities alike,” he said.