World Food Programme and Agricultural researchers are demanding that the government invests more funds in climate warning systems and the right agricultural research technologies to support farmers in the face of unpredictable climate change.
Emily Doe, the head of the World Food Programme in Southwest region says once government invests in the right technologies to support farmers it will be an important first step towards more inclusive systems and research.
However, Doe worries that climate change combined with COVID-19 has left people hungrier, with the declining resources to provide food to the most vulnerable support.
Doe says the Program itself is trying to make the little resources for food assistance work and ensure that compulsory ration cuts do not continue to disproportionately affect the most vulnerable.
Doe was addressing the media at the World Food Program regional offices in Mbarara City on Friday ahead of Today’s World Food Day Celebrations.
Dr Sameul Mugasi, Executive Director for the National Agricultural Advisory Services and a member of the National Agricultural Research Organisation council says food would be in plenty if the importance of research in the modern world is realized.
He says agricultural researchers like NARO are faced with a challenge of funding to do their research because it largely depends on donor funding, thus urging the government to increase the funding for its research.
He says the money the organisation receives is not enough.
Dr Alex Barigye, the Director of research at NARO Kachwekano zonal research institute in Rubanda district says the institute’s agricultural research focuses on developing agricultural technologies that assist the farmer fight hunger, poverty and enhance nutrition but this is done at a slow pace due to lack of funds.
He says the demand for good seed variety supply to farmers currently stands at 98% compared to the 2% complete researched seed production noting that this is due to little resources including funds and land.
Dr Barigye says if NARO is provided with enough resources to invest in infrastructure development and farmer technologies research would provide solutions to climate and food production.
James Kihiinda a consult farmer with Hands-on Agriculture initiative Organisation says new crop pests and diseases are increasing due to lack of research to get resistant seeds.
He says all crops and animals have various diseases which make them susceptible to climate change, noting that since most indigenous crops are no longer resistant to climate change there is need for new varieties.
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