NARO and KOICA push Uganda's first local vegetable seeds

Uganda's first homegrown certified veggie seeds are inching closer to reality after years of Korean-backed breeding work finally hit the trial stage.

VegeSeed Project hits a pivotal phase

• NARO and KOICA met at NaCRRI in Namulonge on Wednesday.
• Six Nakati, seven tomato, and five pepper lines are trial-ready.
• Breeding kicked off in 2020 under a KOICA-Uganda finance deal.
• Crops targeted are Nakati, tomato, cucumber, chili, and pepper.

Funding and sustainability are real concerns

• Dr. Yona Baguma pledged to close a UGX 280 million budget gap.
• Baguma stressed nutrition impact matters way beyond agriculture.
• Long-term skill-building, not just education, got major emphasis.
• Lab equipment installation still needs wrapping up.

Regulatory guardrails are non-negotiable

• Dr. Mary Teddy Asio warned against rushing variety releases.
• Performance trials must run across a minimum of five sites.
• Seed stays a tightly regulated commodity under current law.
• A legal review of the tomato hybrid pipeline was requested.