Scientists working under their umbrella body the National Agriculture Research Organization (Naro) have been breeding agricultural commodities since its establishment in 1992.

These ranges from livestock breeding, crop breeding, fisheries, forestry and agricultural engineering among other

However Naro has since established Intellectual Property Management with structures that progressively encourage the participation of private sector and industry in agriculture research.

This arrangement leads to awarding scientists who have bred crop varieties or any other agriculture commodity which has been heavily commercialized.

As search a number of scientists and technicians from Naro were given awards in various disciplines most of whom are from the cereals programme breeding maize varieties which is the most commercialized commodities and below are the details.

The history of agricultural commodity breeding 

 The Deputy Director General, Agriculture Technology Promotion at Naro Dr Sadok Kassim explaining the background of agricultural breeding in the country noted that the institution which was established in 1992 comprise of 16 public Institutions seven of which are national agricultural research Institutes and the rest are Zonal development agriculture research institutions.

Naro’s aim is to innovate for sustainable agriculture transformation and to contribute to the agro-industrialization programme by conducting research in all aspects of agriculture including crops, livestock, fish, forestry and livestock and cross cutting areas with a goal to increase total factor productivity.

Achievements so far

Dr Sadik explained that over the years Naro developed and disseminated over 900 technologies, innovations and management practices which have increased productivity, food and nutrition security, environmental conservation, agro industrialisation, economic growth and wellbeing.

The institution has contributed to improvement by developing and releasing over 200 yielding and nutritious crop varieties.

Those tackling food nutrition include among others orange fleshed and purple fleshed sweet potato rich in vitamin A and iron and anti-oxidants including beans rich in iron and Zinc

There are a number of technologies developed in livestock breeding including anti tick vaccine, invitro fertilization, bio- acaricides, kits for redetecting African swine fever among others.

In Fisheries the Intuitions is promoting aquaculture technologies and has developed a number of fish feeds and kit for detecting fish diseases.

Others are proto types of value added products for chemical and pharmaceutical industries, food and beverages, animal feed, skincare and cosmetics among others ready for uptake including agricultural engineering ranging from weeders, harvesters and hand ploughing tractors among others.

IP Management

According to the scientists, knowledge and intellectual property is increasingly driving economic growth and they have a role in agro industrialisation.

Agricultural technologies developed by Naro have reached end users without formal access procedures.

This has not only led to misappropriation but limited recognition and benefit to sustain research since there is also the challenge of inadequate research funding.

As such IP Management will enable motivation of Naro Institutions and individual scientists and technicians.

The journey for Naro began with recognition and appreciation of intellectual property as a tool for technology transfer and commercialization and this is possible by forming intellectual property management committee and Naro Holdings.

Naro has been able to have engagement with stakeholders including Uganda Plant breeders Association, Ministry of Agriculture police, Uganda Registrations Services Bureau, seed companies among others where identification numbers were developed to help solve the challenge of fake seed.

The Institution has also signed licensing agreement with seed companies for membership payment in a bid not to access Naro’s parent seed free of charge.

The institute has so far filed 24 IP applications for protection of intellectual property of its technologies as well as partnerships with breweries industry for agro industrial plant breeding.

Key plans and challenge

The Institution now plans to strengthen and enforce plant variety licensing agreements for quality seed production as well as profile and engage community seed producers in the different zones regarding Naro’s seed access framework.

Despite all these achievements, the institution according to Dr Sadik is faced with the challenge of some seed companies failing to sign the licensing agreement and they continue to multiply Naro’s seed.

Others are absence of plant variety protection system as well as inadequate research funding.

Rational of the awards

The Director of the National Crop Resources Research Institute, Dr Geoffrey Asea explained that recognition of breeders is as a result of streamlined intellectual property management. This is in consideration with varieties licensed y seed companies.

Under the Plant variety Act of 2014 it is stated that breeder’s rights can be recognized. This is a motivation to breeders and contribution by the private sector that is contributing to research.

The reason most of the scientists who were rewarded are maize breeders is because they have bred several varieties that have been taken up by seed companies for commercialisation. Through the licensing procedures the seed companies are able to give back to the scientists in form of a reward.

He said this is going to be annually reward but the scientists must work hard to breed agricultural commodities that can be taken up for commercialization.

The minister of Agriculture Frank Tumwebaze urged scientists to be given adequate respect because human livelihoods depends in their hands.

Giving example of the Covid -19 scenario he went ahead to quote a social media discussion where someone asked spots personnel who are paid lump sum of money to go ahead the save the world because there is no scientists who earns 20 billion US dollars per annum yet they are doing a great job.

He praised the agricultural scientists because all other stakeholders get seed from them to feed the nation meaning their efforts must be recognized.

He urged the scientists to collaborate with National Information Technology Authority to develop for Naro Apps which are capable of tracing fake seed in the markets as well as promote E farming across the country. 

Awards

The awards ranged from the category of professional seed company, supportive partners on commercialisation such as USAID Feed the Future. These were given accolades and certificates.

Accolades were also given to breeding programmes namely Root Crops in particular breeding programme for cassava and Sweet potato, Cereals programme all at NaCRRI, banana breeding programme at the National Research Laboratories (NaLR)

Others Irish Breeding Programme recognized are Kachwekano Zonal Research and Development institute (KAZARDI) and the Semi-Arid cereals programme at the National Semi-Arid Resources Research Institute who also got cash price.

The breeders committed in agro industrialization and the most compliant breeds to commercial efforts were cash awards in different rates with the highest rate of 30 million given to Dr Geoffrey Asea.