KAMPALA, Uganda – Dr. Yona Baguma, director general of the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), unveiled a sweeping portfolio of new crop varieties and livestock technologies Thursday at the 13th Certified Public Accountants Economic Forum. His address focused on how these innovations are transforming Uganda’s agricultural sector and driving economic development.
The three-day forum, organized by the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda (ICPAU), ran from July 9 to 11, 2025, at Imperial Resort Beach Hotel in Entebbe. It attracted accountants, policymakers, private sector representatives, government officials and development partners.
Baguma highlighted NARO’s extensive work in developing high-yield crop varieties and advanced livestock breeding programs, alongside climate-smart technologies and nutrition-enhancing food products. He emphasized research’s crucial role in improving livelihoods, developing agro-product prototypes for industrialization and safeguarding food security.
“Every time you sit at the table to eat, NARO is your silent visitor because your meal is largely, if not entirely, originating from NARO,” Baguma told the forum. “We innovate for sustainable agricultural transformation, but our focus is clear: increasing productivity and securing the future of our nation.”
Over the past three decades, NARO has developed 1,038 technologies, Baguma said, each with the potential to create an industry. These include 289 improved crop varieties, many of which are now staples in Uganda and the wider region.
Baguma cited the case of cassava mosaic disease, which NARO defeated through local research. “This speaks to the power of local innovation. What we solve here can change the world,” he said. He also highlighted Vitamin A-rich maize variety 63, developed to combat malnutrition in weaning children. In the sweetpotato sector, NARO has developed cream, yellow and purple-fleshed varieties, with the latter known for its detoxification properties. Among other innovations, Baguma presented black rice, a variety with a low glycaemic index that supports diabetics by regulating blood sugar levels. “It’s not just about growing food. It’s about growing health,” he said.
Turning to Uganda’s livestock sector, Baguma noted widespread low productivity due to poor genetics and inadequate nutrition. He said Uganda has Africa’s largest pasture germplasm collection, with more than 1,000 pasture accessions, which NARO uses to develop customized feed systems. He pointed to the rollout of Lab Lab pastures, which he said significantly increase milk yields for zero-grazing dairy farmers.
NARO is also working to improve poultry genetics, aiming to boost local chicken egg production from an average of 14 to 24-28 eggs per cycle, and shorten the time to reach table weight to four to six months. In goat farming, two breeding programs are underway using breeds from South Africa and China to cross with indigenous goats, aiming to produce animals weighing up to 100 kilograms for local and export markets. Similar efforts in the beef sector use Brahman genetics to produce 400-500 kilogram cattle within 18 months, improving meat tenderness and economic viability.
“Our abattoirs are idle not because they lack infrastructure, but because we lack an adequate number of animals to supply them,” he observed.
Baguma said NARO’s potato innovations have saved Uganda more than $9.8 million annually, replacing imports with locally grown varieties tailored for industrial processing standards. A new groundnut variety with high oil content is slated for use by food industries to reduce reliance on imported ingredients. Meanwhile, cassava varieties developed by NARO are now used in brewing Eagle Lager, in partnership with local breweries.
Baguma also introduced a new coffee-infused bread product. Blending flour with 8% coffee powder, he said it enhances mental clarity, reduces brain fatigue and contains antioxidants that support gut and cellular health. “You don’t just eat to fill your stomach; you eat to nourish your body,” he said. NARO is also developing cosmetic and health care products from coffee, such as lotion, scrubs and oils, designed to delay skin aging and promote skin repair.
In a circular economy initiative, NARO has developed more than 10 products from cow dung, including liquid soap, pesticides, fertilizers, fish feeds and shampoo. Baguma urged farmers to use these technologies to generate electricity and add value to their waste.
He announced the development of a fish smoking kiln capable of reducing toxic compounds to below 1 part per billion, far outperforming the European Union safety limit of 5 parts per billion. The kiln is expected to open doors to export markets by eliminating hazardous substances during fish processing.
Perhaps the most significant announcement was NARO’s development of an anti-tick vaccine, which Baguma said is poised to save Uganda 3.8 trillion shillings annually in livestock losses. Backed by government support, with 50 billion shillings allocated this year, the vaccine has proven more than 90% effective, a feat unmatched globally.
“We conducted thorough evaluations on vital organs — kidneys, brain, spleen — and the results are clear: our vaccine is safe, effective and world-class,” Baguma asserted.
NARO is also working on a quadrivalent Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccine, blending SAT 1 and three other strains from Egypt, to end the country’s dependence on expensive vaccine imports. Baguma concluded by praising innovations like Aflasafe, a product developed to combat aflatoxin contamination in grains, improving food safety and expanding export potential.
He paid tribute to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and government structures for their consistent support of agricultural research. Baguma called for greater collaboration across sectors, stating, “As accountants and financial minds, you must understand that every technology we roll out has value. Each is a potential industry.”
The forum concluded with applause for Baguma, whose keynote sparked renewed interest in commercializing research outputs and integrating science into Uganda’s development agenda.
