Can NARO turn billions of private investment into profits?

What the report says

Uganda’s National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) is exploring public-private partnerships to commercialize parts of its research infrastructure and ease pressure on its finances, according to The Observer. The proposal was discussed by Director General Dr Yona Baguma at a management meeting at Speke Resort Munyonyo on Wednesday, where officials reviewed concept notes and feasibility studies for possible ventures.

The facilities under consideration include a dairy processing plant and livestock feed mill at the National Livestock Resources Research Institute, a fish feed mill at NaFIRRI in Kajjansi, a feed sorting facility in Mbarara, automotive garages at several institutes, and hostel facilities in Jinja and Mukono. The idea is to allow private investors to bring capital, technology and management expertise to help use existing equipment more fully, while NARO keeps focus on agricultural research.

The article says NARO wants to diversify income as donor support declines, even though government funding has risen over the past decade from Shs 61 billion to Shs 223 billion. Baguma said the organization needs more sustainable financing and better use of its assets. He also pointed to existing revenue streams such as licensing crop varieties and seed hub activity as examples of the commercial value of research outputs.

Jim Mugunga of the Finance ministry’s Public-Private Partnership Unit backed the approach, saying public institutions cannot rely only on the national budget. He said the next step is to test which projects are commercially viable and how any deals should be structured. More broadly, the plan reflects a wider effort to make publicly funded research facilities financially self-sustaining without reducing their service to farmers.