Uganda gets modern rice research centre
Akia Goto, the coordinator of the Nerica Rice
Promotion Project, in a rice field
By Ronald Kalyango
A regional rice research and training centre is being constructed at the National Crops Resources Research Institute (NaCCRI) at Namulonge in Wakiso district.
The $7m facility to host a modern laboratory for scientists from Eastern, Central and Southern African Countries will open in October.
“Not long ago, Uganda was spending about $90m to import rice. Today the story is different and I am optimistic that the research centre will make Uganda a leading rice producer on the continent,” says Akio Goto, coordinator of NERICA Rice promotion Project.
The research centre will have a training hall, laboratory equipment, storage facilities, tractors for research purposes, residential houses and a post-harvest handling facility.
Also an irrigation system is currently being installed at the centre. The centre which will cover two hectares will focus mainly on paddy rice research.
“The introduction of upland rice, the expansion of paddy rice, and the recent introduction of high yielding and disease resistant New Rice for Africa (NERICA) varieties have revolutionised rice production in Uganda,” he says.
Records show that in 2004 when NERICA was introduced, only 4,000 hectares had been opened up for rice cultivation. By 2005, rice was grown on over 35,000 hectares. Today the increase in rice production is evident countrywide.
In 2007, 65 out of 80 districts were growing rice, representing 82% of the country’s rice production. As domestic rice production increases, local and regional demand is also increasing. Today, East African countries import over 700,000 metric tonnes of rice per year.
Experts estimate that rice production would create an import substitution industry worth over $150m per year in Uganda, if production was doubled.
Since 2004, rice has also attracted new investment of eight medium scale rice processors and one large scale rice milling industry in Uganda, worth $2.3m.
“The market price of rice in Uganda is about sh2,000 per kilo, which is higher than the price of other crops. Therefore, producing rice would help improve farmers’ incomes,” he observes.
Goto says, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has since 2008, been promoting two projects, NERICA Rice Promotion Project and Sustainable Irrigated Agricultural Development Project. The programme which is a commitment from the government of Japan to the government of Uganda is supposed to run till 2017.
NERICA Rice Promotion Project which focuses on upland rice and the Sustainable Irrigated Agricultural Development dealing with lowland rice will be combined in 2011 under a comprehensive Rice Promotion Project.
“Uganda is so far the most developed in NERICA rice promotion among Sub-Saharan African countries,” states Goto.
He says eight Zonal Agricultural Research Development Institutes have been identified as potential partners to promote NERICA cultivation. The institutes include Bulindi, Mukono, Abi, Ngetta, Nabuin, Buginyanya, Mbarara and Rwebitaba. In addition to that, 22 eastern districts are expanding lowland cultivation areas with support of Ugandan officials and JICA experts.
“Uganda has few extension workers with rice growing expertise. We hope the institutes will help us bridge the gap,” Goto explains.
Extension workers according to Goto will visit the institutes for training and later will be required to pass on the acquired skills to farmers in the countryside.
He says they are also working with the Agricultural Engineering and Appropriate Technology Research Centre at Namalere in Wakiso district to equip rice millers with better skills.
“Our target is 600 rice millers but more millers will be trained in different mechanisms of handling rice,” says Goto.
