Uganda’s potato farmers are set to benefit from a new wave of improved varieties after the National Agricultural Research Organisation (Naro) handed over 13 types of potato to nine private seed companies for multiplication and distribution.
The list includes the newly released NaroPOT 7 to 10, bred specifically for industrial use and capable of yielding over 25 tons per hectare. Other varieties handed over are Uganda 11 (Rutuku), Victoria, KachPOT 1, and NaroPOT 1 to 6, among them NaroPOT 4 (Rwangume).
Speaking at the signing ceremony in Kajjansi, Dr Sadik Kassim, Naro’s Deputy Director General in charge of Technology Promotion, said the agreements will provide farmers with reliable access to quality seed while sustaining research through licensing revenues.
“This is a journey we commenced in 2017 by establishing an Intellectual Property and Commercialization Unit at Naro headquarters and later signed up the first 10 companies in 2021," Dr Kassim said.
"By last year, we had signed up 26 companies in total for different varieties of Naro technologies."
He added that potatoes are the first vegetatively propagated crop Naro has handed over to seed companies.
Naro Director General, Dr Yona Baguma, described the handover as a milestone in the country’s agricultural transformation.
“Seed is the beginning of productivity. Without quality seed, there can be no sustainable transformation. This milestone affirms our mission to feed the nation, protect the environment, enhance farmer incomes, and strengthen national security,” Dr. Baguma said.
He urged the seed companies to provide farmers with technical support, warning that without proper agronomic practices the yield potential of the new varieties could be lost.
“As a country, we have struggled with the availability of potato seeds. This signing is a huge milestone and presents big hope to the people of Uganda,” he added.
Representing Naro’s Kachwekano Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute, Dr. Abbey Byarugaba said the new varieties could mature in as little as 90 days.
“This is the greatest collaboration between Naro and the private sector for farmers’ benefit,” he said.
Seed companies also welcomed the partnership. Mr. Narsis Tushabe, Managing Director of Fica Seeds, noted that Uganda had long relied on imports to meet demand.
“Access to quality seed has remained a major bottleneck for potato production, forcing Uganda to import from neighboring countries. With this partnership, we look forward to empowering farmers with quality seed and reducing imports,” he said.
The chairperson of NARO’s Intellectual Property and Management Committee, Dr. Winnie Nkalubo, said the occasion was proof of science serving society.
“After many years of work, we finally have a product to present to the farmers,” she said.
The new varieties will be formally launched during World Food Day celebrations on October 16, 2025, at Naro’s Rwebitaba Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute in Fort Portal.