Uganda faces pressure to increase agricultural productivity to meet growing domestic demand and expand agro-industrial exports. Population growth of nearly 3% annually, combined with the impacts of climate change, is placing additional strain on food security, nutrition, and farmer incomes.
A key area for development is the breeding of crop varieties adapted to environmental changes and market demands. The National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) is leading national breeding programs with limited resources. A new grant-based partnership model has been introduced to support modernization efforts in line with the National Development Plan IV.
Since 2019, NARO has partnered with CGIAR to modernize breeding programs for maize, beans, cassava, banana, and sweet potato. These crops are considered strategic for food security and as raw materials for agro-based industries. Uganda is classified as Level 1 for maize, banana, and cassava, each grown on more than 1 million hectares, and Level 2 for beans and sweet potato, with under 250,000 hectares each.
Assessments and improvement plans under Accelerated Breeding TRANSFORM have guided the development of Target Product Profiles (TPPs) to address market segment requirements. Support has included market intelligence tools, marker-assisted selection, genomic selection, and the Breeding Management System (BMS). Infrastructure upgrades, funded through Germany's GIZ as part of Crops to End Hunger (CtEH), have improved mechanization, irrigation, and seed handling systems at key NARO breeding hubs.
The recent grant from CGIAR Breeding for Tomorrow enabled NARO to act quickly and integrate improvements into ongoing projects. "With the grant in our hands, we could act fast, align with our national priorities, and deliver measurable results within just six months," said Dr. Benard Yada, Sweet Potato Breeder and Program Leader, Root Crops, NaCRRI.
Results included defining and genotyping founder lines for maize, aligning heterotic pools, confirming F1 purity, forming NARO x CIMMYT hybrids, and screening for maize lethal necrosis. Ten breeding populations were submitted for doubled haploid induction, and Stage 1 hybrid testing was expanded. For the banana, diversity analysis was completed, and an impact assessment of released matooke hybrids was conducted. Bean breeding was reorganized to include marker-assisted selection, with expanded on-farm evaluations. Cassava programs integrated resistance to CBSD and PPD, and molecular markers were deployed for selection. Sweet potato genetic gain rates were established, virus-free planting material bulked, and variety purity confirmed.
Cross-cutting outputs included genotyping founder lines for all crops, optimizing breeding schemes, expanding nationwide Tricot trials, developing breeding manuals, and completing costing studies and training.
The model demonstrates that directly funding national programs can accelerate delivery and align breeding activities with local priorities.
Source: CGIAR