NARO Targeted Research Supports Industrial Growth
The NARO Director General, Dr. Yona Baguma (3rd from left) with the Dennis Ngabirano, the Chief Executive Officer (2nd from left) Psalms Food Industries Ltd at the factory premises Nkoowe, Wakiso district
WAKISO -The National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) is committed to conducting research that drives industrialisation in the country.
The NARO Director General, Dr. Yona Baguma, said research teams are strategically established across NARO’s sixteen (16) Public Agricultural Research Institutes to ensure that innovations meet the agro-industrialists’ demands.
NARO is running market-led breeding lines, where industrialists define the traits they need in raw materials, which our research teams exactly deliver. Kawanda-based National Agricultural Research Laboratories (NARL) are being strengthened to lead in providing industrial support services.
“NARO can solve most of the agro-industrialists’ challenges, whether it is the demand for particular traits within specific agro-based raw materials or machinery. It is also developing product prototypes that entrepreneurs at all levels can pick up and scale into industries,” Dr Baguma said.
He made the remarks during a business visit to Psalms Food Industries Limited in Nkoowe, Wakiso District, on Wednesday. Producing an assortment of snacks under the brand names Sumz, Krunchables, and Afrikan Harvest for 15 years, the company has established a plant in Nkoowe to meet growing demand.
Dennis Ngabirano, the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of the company, told the NARO officials that his company’s challenges relate to the quality and quantity of agro-products, resulting in huge losses.
“For example, different varieties of groundnuts mature under different conditions. Mixing the varieties by the farmers leads to wastage during preparation, translating into direct losses,” Ngabirano explained.
“Further, because supply is intermittent, there are periods when we shut down the machines. And in all this, farmers are not the problem. We must deal with the root causes of these two critical issues,” he noted.
Ngabirano expressed optimism that the challenges of quality and quantity can be solved through deliberate interventions, especially mass multiplication and ensuring farmers have access to quality seeds and seedlings.
He commended NARO for developing improved varieties of crops such as groundnuts, Irish potatoes, maize, and simsim, among others, which they currently source from local farmers as raw materials.
Ngabirano also revealed that Psalms Food Industries, which started by processing ripe sweet plantains (gonja), produces a range of over 30 items: crispy potato crisps, baked products, extruded snacks, peanut butter, and various honey flavours.
In addition to the well-known Sumz products, there are two new brands: Afrikan Harvest, catering to health-conscious consumers with a focus on organic snacks, and Krunchables, which targets children’s tastes.
His company’s mission is to have Psalms products in every household. It has made inroads into the Kenyan, Rwandan, Tanzanian, Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudanese markets.
He noted that research has shown Ugandan agro-products to have a competitive edge in the region because of their superior taste. “We believe that our quality and quantity challenge can be solved internally, with NARO as a key ally.”
The National Variety Release Committee (NVRC), early last year, authorised the release of three groundnut varieties developed by NARO for industrial use: NARONUT 3R, NARONUT 4R, and NARONUT 5R, which have higher nutritional content and are excellent for paste (butter) and confectionery products, among other uses.
NARO has recently released Irish potato varieties NARO Pot 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, which are suitable for processing into chips and crisps.
The Chairperson of Psalms Food Industries, Narcis Tumushabe, also Managing Director of FICA Seeds, commended NARO for releasing varieties tailored to industrial needs. He called for further increased potato production, given the growing demand.
He emphasised the importance of enhancing extension services to assist farmers in properly handling the varieties, thereby avoiding mix-ups that complicate industrial processing.
The NARO delegation included the Deputy Director General in charge of Agricultural Technology Promotion, Dr. Sadik Kassim; the Director of Corporate Services, Dr. Stevens Kisaka; and other senior officials.
