NARO announces new partnership to improve animal breeds, profitability

The National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) on Tuesday announced a new collaboration with a global livestock research agency, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), aimed at improving animal breeds and production systems for better farm profitability.

Dr Yona Baguma, the NARO Director General said during the signing of the memorandum of understanding with ILRI that this collaboration will be essential in the commercialisation of the livestock sector in the country. He said that 72.8 percent of households in Uganda keep at least one type of livestock.

“We will build on our collaboration with the International Livestock Research Institute, a global leader in livestock research to develop and promote agricultural technologies and innovations to grow and commercialise the livestock sector in Uganda,” he observed. 

Dr Appolinaire Djikeng, the ILRI Director General said that for the past 12 years, they have worked with partners in Uganda to reduce poverty through research for efficient, safe and sustainable use of livestock.

“Our collaboration with the National Agricultural Research Organization will build on past research efforts whilst charting out new research which is demand-driven by the Uganda Government and other stakeholders in the livestock sector,” he said. ILRI has 14 offices across Asia and Africa and an annual operating budget of USD 80 million (about Shs300 billion), according to information from their communication unit. 

Lt Col (Rtd) Dr Bright Rwamirama, the State Minister for Animal Industry, said after another meeting with ILRI officials on Monday evening that they would collaborate in areas of vaccine development and diagnostic kits for animal diseases. He said the past work of ILRI in the country has contributed to a huge increase in the pig population in the past 12 years from 1 million to 8 million (currently). 

“Recently, the study showed that actually, we are now producing almost same or even more than South Africa. So, the pork industry is very serious,” he said.

Details from NARO and ILRI indicate that two organisations indicate that the major areas of collaboration will include “research on animal nutrition; animal and human health research focusing on One Health research including Antimicrobial Resistance, vaccines and immunization, disease diagnostic tools; food/teed safety and zoonotic diseases.”

Other areas of collaboration include research on “animal genetics and breeding technologies, sustainable livestock systems focusing on technologies and approaches to optimize the economic, social and environmental roles of livestock.”

The institutions also committed to working together on capacity building and staff exchange programs that are aimed at boosting technical output as well as doing collaborative research proposal development aimed at mobilizing resources for joint research endeavors.