Uganda: Naro Licenses More Seed Companies to Boost Seed Exports

19 February 2024
Nile Post (Kampala)
By Lawrence Mushabe

The National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO) has made a move to license more 10 seed companies to boost the supply and export of seeds both locally and internationally.

This brings the total number of licensed seed companies to 23. Among the new seed companies on board include Variety Seed Company, Century Seed Company and Equator Seed Company among others.

The Director General of NARO, Dr Yona Baguma, emphasised the companies have duties to ensure the seeds supplied in their brands are of quality.

"We should be to deliver quantity and quality seeds to the farmers in a bid to serve humanity and consequently ensure they supply quality seeds to farmers at national and regional levels," Baguma said.

He appealed to seed company directors to invest in good infrastructures and skilled people who understand the dynamics of seed varieties.

"Invest in systems and values to move forward and promise the country quality. Let's also fulfill national market and internationally for proper tapping ,expansion of the market while contributing to the national GDP," Baguma said.

"Have long term business plan to tap in greater markets along regions. Think beyond national boarders, and develop a mechanism of availing feedback to NARO. The license given to your seed companies meet international standards, and have a clear structural framework with no room for error."

The Deputy Director General in charge of Agriculture Technology Promotion at NARO, Dr Sadiq Kassim, said recently there has been increase in maize export especially maize grain.

"This has been due to this seed export companies where we are able good amounts of quality and certified seeds for hybrid varieties purposes, open pollinated maize and this has been replicated in all other crop varieties and we are very grateful for this move," Kassim said.

Golden Bull Uganda Ltd operations manager, Swamy Babu told Nile Post that the seed industry is very young and argued the government of Uganda through Parliament should put a fund in Uganda development bank for the private sector to support them in terms of importing machinery, infrastructure, among others

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