NARO, Trade for Jobs partner to drive adoption of dairy innovations

UGANDA – The National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) has partnered with Trade for Jobs Uganda to accelerate the adoption of agricultural technologies and expand employment opportunities in Uganda’s dairy sector.

The partnership seeks to bridge the gap between agricultural research and commercialisation by ensuring that innovations developed by research institutions reach farmers, businesses and other players in the dairy value chain.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Uganda’s annual milk production increased from 2.7 billion litres in 2020 to 5.4 billion litres in 2024.

The value of milk and milk product exports also grew from US$264.5 million in 2023 to US$285.4 million in 2024, highlighting the sector’s growing contribution to the economy.

However, they noted that limited access to agricultural technologies and challenges in commercialising research innovations remain obstacles to unlocking the sector’s full potential.

NARO Director General Dr Yona Baguma said the partnership would help translate investments in agricultural research into practical solutions that improve productivity and household incomes.

“Uganda has invested significantly in agricultural research and technology development. The opportunity now is to ensure that technologies generated through research reach farmers, businesses and other actors who can use them to improve productivity and incomes,” Baguma said.

He said NARO had developed several technologies with the potential to transform the dairy and livestock subsectors, including an anti-tick vaccine that has already been rolled out and is expected to generate additional employment opportunities along the livestock value chain.

Baguma said the partnership would help move agricultural research beyond laboratories and research stations into commercially viable activities that create livelihoods.

Under the agreement, the two organisations will work together to promote the development, transfer, adoption and commercialisation of dairy-related technologies.

The collaboration will also strengthen links between research institutions and market players, including dairy processors, cooperatives, milk collection centres and agro-dealers.

A key component will involve designing, testing and scaling business models through which private-sector players can facilitate the adoption of agricultural technologies.

The organisations will also strengthen data and knowledge-sharing systems, promote stakeholder engagement and build NARO’s capacity to deliver market-oriented technology transfer.

NARO will provide technical expertise, identify innovations with potential for wider adoption, facilitate access to research information and coordinate commercialisation strategies.

Trade for Jobs Uganda, meanwhile, will provide technical assistance in designing and scaling interventions to improve technology transfer and adoption, subject to available resources and applicable regulations.

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