How ASARECA, FARA, EAAF are stimulating uptake of innovations rural agriculture-based livelihoods in Uganda
BY BEN MOSES ILAKUT
How Black Soldier Fly (BSF) rearing is rewriting the script on how livestock, poultry, fish, and crops can be fed cost effectively using BSF larvae; how dissemination and value addition initiatives for clean cassava seed are defining the future of one of Africa’s leading staples and industrial crop; how tech-savvy youth are enabling diffusion of digital tools to connect farmers to services that make a difference in their livelihoods; and how tomato farmers are taking advantage of contract farming to maximize output.
These are some of the initiatives rocking the Agricultural Research for development space in Uganda, courtesy of the five-year European-Union-funded initiative, “Strengthening Agricultural Knowledge and the Innovation Ecosystem for Inclusive Rural Transformation and Livelihoods in Eastern Africa (AIRTEA) Project”. The funding is channeled through the Organization of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS) through the ACP Innovation Fund and is managed by a consortium consisting of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), ASARECA and the Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF).
How AIRTEA was implemented
In its final year, the AIRTEA project, implemented through Third Party Projects (TPPs) in-country in Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda, has posted visible achievements in the intervention districts of Maracha, Lira, Dokolo, Bugiri, Kayunga, Wakiso, Mityana and Kisoro. TPPs located in these districts were facilitated to broker multi-stakeholder partnerships among the youth, women, researchers, universities and policy makers to foster co-creation and co-ownership of innovation, generate appropriate technologies, and increase transfer and uptake of technologies. The project also strengthened capacities of IPs to take advantage of technological solutions for dissemination, use of innovations, and co-design training materials and technology delivery methods. Besides, the project facilitated dialogue among smallholder farmers, the research community, agricultural extension services and policy-makers.
Impressive achievements in all TTPs
Over the last five years, the foregoing inputs have led to a number of achievements worth documenting as value for money improvements in rural communities. As part of the activities to close out the project, the AIRTEA Steering Committee comprising the Executive Directors of FARA, Dr. Aggrey Agumya; ASARECA, Dr. Sylvester Dickson Baguma; and the Chief Executive Officer of the East African Framers Federation (EAFF), Mr. Stephen Muchiri, undertook a two-week monitoring visit to six TPPs in Uganda, spread over the eight districts. Accompanied by project staff of the consortium, the committee sought to observe and test the achievements, and collect feedback from project beneficiaries. According to Dr. Aggrey Agumya, FARA Executive Director, “The feedback will be used to guide the project leaders on how to sustain the project achievements as well as distill sublime attributes for scaling.” Below are highlights of observations at the TPPs.
Wole Mixed Farm School and Skilling Centre
Accompanied by researchers from Abi Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute (AbiZARDI) of the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO)—Uganda, the team visited TPP11, an Innovation Platform focusing on harnessing multi-stakeholder innovation platforms for knowledge transfer and aquaculture value chain development. The team interacted with Mr. Patrick Wole Inaku, the lead farmer, who has founded Wole Mixed Farm School and Skilling Centre.
Listening to the narratives of Mr. Wole, the Steering committee learnt that the Skilling centre has strategically positioned their Black Soldier Fly (BSF) growing facility as a prime symbiotic and complementary ecosystem locus where various enterprises support each other in a closed-loop cycle. The system is built on a simple, yet highly effective principle: using waste from one enterprise as a valuable resource for another. BSF larvae are fed on waste matter collected from the farm’s livestock, including poultry, cattle, and rabbits. This process not only manages animal waste efficiently but also transforms it into a high-protein food source. The BSF larvae, in turn, are harvested and processed into various products, such as larvae, oil, and protein-rich powder. These are then used as high-quality feed for the poultry and in aquaculture facilities to feed fish. This cycle reduces the need for costly external feed and minimizes waste, making the entire farm more self-sufficient and sustainable.
Beyond the farm, the facility extends its complementary nature to the wider community. It operates as a learning center for schools, youth, women, and NGOs, sharing knowledge and best practices on BSF farming. A notable example is the synergy with the local youth, who collect chicken manure from their homes and bring it to the center to nurture BSF larvae. In exchange, they receive BSF protein products to feed their own chicken, creating a mutually beneficial relationship that boosts community-level poultry production and showcases the facility’s role in economic empowerment.
Achievements
The facility has achieved remarkable success by creating an integrated, cyclic farming model. The project has directly benefited over 189 fish farmers in Maracha, a significant increase from just 28 farmers in 2018. Farmers now produce an average of 3,000 fish per eight-month cycle, creating a ready market. The facility has developed more than 13 diverse BSF products, including larvae, insect skeleton powder, and floating feed pellets, though some of the products require further refinement for mainstream markets. By utilizing waste from livestock like poultry and cattle to grow BSF, the project has established a symbiotic system where the larvae, in turn, become feed for the animals. The center has expanded its reach and capacity with BSF larvae production soaring to 180 kg per week, up from only 30 kg a few years ago. The initiative has also created a significant social impact, with 50 youth employed (28 women and 22 men) and five more young people participating in a chicken waste collection synergy. The center’s innovation has also drawn interest from neighboring countries, with over 30 organizations and communities learning from the facility. As a measure of sustainability, the center now charges visitors a fee to learn from its success.
Actions for sustenance
Following discussions and based on the asks from the farmer and the community, the steering committee provided guidance of way forward. Some of the suggested action areas included the need to: Conduct research to scientifically validate the safety of BSF products, enabling them to be refined and sold in mainstream markets; create a central facility to process larvae into standardized products like feed pellets, which will support larger-scale production and wider distribution to local farmers; formalize the youth-led manure collection and BSF product exchange into a sustainable business venture, boosting the income of young entrepreneurs; increase BSF larvae production to meet growing demand and strengthen financial independence by charging for training and visitor access.
Impressive cassava value chain initiative in Lira and Dokolo
On July 23, 2025, the steering committee with technical support from the Cassava Centre of Excellence at NARO, visited Divine Organics, a private-sector company in Lira which specializes in cassava value addition and product diversification. According to Ms Noella Ojara, the lead entrepreneur, Divine Organics mission is to add value to the cassava value chain. The company serves as a vital intermediary, between agricultural research with farming communities.
With support from the AIRTEA project, Divine Organics has established a crucial partnership with NARO to revitalize the cassava value chain by providing clean, disease-free cassava planting materials from NARO to 1,800 farmers, 55% of whom are women. Divine Organics offers research-informed essential training in Best Agronomic Practices, governance, and market access. In return, the company guarantees a premium market for the farmers’ cassava harvest, paying up to UGX 35,000 per sack of cuttings, a substantial increase from previous prices. The AIRTEA project also equipped Divine Organics with a solar drying facility, a key piece of infrastructure that has been instrumental in the company’s ability to add value to the cassava. This technology, combined with ongoing technical support from NARO researchers, has transformed the cassava value chain from a high-risk venture into a profitable and sustainable enterprise for the local community.
Achievements
The Divine Organics initiative has achieved significant success in the cassava value chain. Farmers’ incomes have dramatically improved, with a guaranteed premium price of up to UGX 35,000 per sack of clean cassava cuttings, a huge leap from the previous UGX 10,000. This has empowered local farmers, with one group alone harvesting UGX 13 million from just six acres, inspiring them to triple their planted area to 18 acres. Divine Organics has doubled its processing capacity from 10 tons to 20 tons of fresh cassava per month thanks to a new solar drying facility. This has enabled them to create a diverse range of value-added products like composite flour and biscuits. These products are now sold in local supermarkets as well as international markets such as Kenya and Europe, providing a reliable and profitable outlet for farmers’ produce. This has also empowered women within farming groups to create their own food products, directly boosting their family income.
Sustainability recommendations
Discussions with the steering committee zeroed down on key recommendations going forward. These include the need to: Expand the initiative beyond the current 1,800 farmers to include more communities and farmers, leveraging the established model to further increase cassava productivity and income across the region; support Divine Organics to reach their goal of processing 20 tons of fresh cassava per month, which will stimulate productivity across the Lango and Teso regions; continue to innovate and develop new value-added cassava products beyond the current range of flours and biscuits to capture new markets; support the two certified farmers and other organized groups in their clean seed multiplication efforts to decentralize production and distributing high-quality planting materials, explore the possibility of using cassava to develop energy solutions, which could create a new, high-value market for the root tuber.
Tech savvy youth connecting farmers to services via ICTs
The mission visited the Digital Connectors for Farming Communities Project in Bugiri, Uganda. Guided by the Uganda Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (UFAAS) and the African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS), the mission observed an initiative designed to accelerate sustainable agricultural extension services. According to Dr. Beatrice Luzobe, the executive Director UFAS, through the AIRTEA project, nine young agripreneurs in Uganda and Kenya were trained to become “digital connectors’, providing essential agricultural services to farmers. This initiative aimed to build their capacity to run sustainable businesses offering services like input supply, market access, and extension services.
According to Dr. Sarah Majuga, the District Production and Marketing Officer in Bugiri, the district is embracing the Digital Connectors concept and plans to integrate it into the government’s Parish Development Model, a rural agricultural empowerment framework. This is anticipated to help farmers gain easier access to agricultural technologies, markets, inputs, and e-extension services. The project has equipped nine young agripreneurs from two innovation hubs—Zirobwe Agaliawamu Agribusiness and Training Association (ZABTA) and Bugiri Agribusiness Institutional Development Association (BAIDA)—with digital tools, training, and mentorship thereby enabling them to build their own sustainable advisory service businesses that benefit local communities.
Achievements
Some of the achievements include: Successful training of nine connectors, establishing farmer-focused one-stop centers, and providing them with digital tools and business mentorship. The new entrepreneurs have already launched their own businesses and have reported increased incomes.
Testimonies by the digital connectors
Salim Kasamba: Salim is the youthful proprietor of IEC Materials Ltd., a digital platform that packages knowledge and makes it available to farmers digitally. The connection enables grain and fresh foods farmers to access markets hence contributing to agricultural extension through well designed materials that farmers can access via phone and the platform https://iec-ext.com/. IEC has so far registered and onboarded 400 farmers to their platform enabling them to receive needed information mainly on market access at a fee.
Kenneth Mwanja: A resident of Magoola village, Buwanga sub-county, Bugiri district, is the owner of E-TAG seeds, a platform providing clients with affordable digital access to genuine seeds, various input suppliers, agricultural financial services, and weather advisories. The platform has profiled 400 farmers and provided them direct access to service providers, effectively eliminating brokers, reducing delays, and diminishing the risk of counterfeit inputs.
Nicholas Wabuyiwa: Nicholas is the proprietor of NIC E-Soil, a platform that provides digital soil testing, and extension services focusing on soil nutrition and health. The innovation uses soil analysis tools to assess soil health and integrates AI for personalized solutions to address challenges. Challenges associated with traditional service delivery such as poor access to experts, delayed delivery of solutions, and high cost of services have been minimized among farmers.
Andrew Munyole: Andrew established AIM 4 Farmers which provides a wholistic package to support farmers from production to marketing of products through a digital portal. AIM focuses on the livestock value chain supporting farmers to access quality livestock breeds, extension services for livestock management, market access, and training on rabbitry, piggery, poultry etc. All transactions including payments are digitally enabled.
Anthony Kisakye: Anthony is the proprietor of e-Dimes, a digital delivery platform for irrigation and water management and extension services for individual farmers and farmer groups. E-Dimes enhances efficiency and accessibility in water management through real time information on efficient water use, best irrigation practices and overall climate variability. Through these services, the innovation has cultivated partnerships with service providers a such Davis and Shirtliff, AKVO.
Challenges
However, the project faced challenges, including limited internet connectivity, high operational costs, and difficulty securing funding.
Recommendations
Some of the key recommendations for sustainability included the need to: Focus on expanding services by creating customized platforms and physical shops, addressing infrastructure limitations, and providing additional funding and training in digitalization and business management for long-term success of these agripreneurs; conduct a thorough evaluation of the project’s impact on both farmers and digital connectors; and explore scaling opportunities by identifying potential partners and funding sources to support the project’s growth.
Contract farming stimulating productivity for tomato farmers
The Steering Committee on July 25, 2025 visited Patience Pays Farmer group in Kayunga District in Eastern Uganda, one of the organized groups in Third Party Project TPP 6, which seeks to enhance inclusive market access for African Indigenous Vegetable seed and value-added products by Smallholder farmers. According to Prof. Elizabeth Kizito, the lead implementer, through AIRTEA, Uganda Christian University, has connected these farmers to an off-taker, Dan Agro, a processing firm, which has entered a contract farming arrangement with the group. Through this arrangement, the off-taker has offered the farmers a stable price of Ush 300 about USD 83 for a standard box of tomatoes, and committed to honour this price on time irrespective of the season and size of tomato. Besides, the off-taker has teamed up with a seed company, Syova, to ensure that quality seeds and pesticides are provided to farmers on credit in addition to training on Good Agronomic Practices. On their part, the farmers have committed to practice Good Agronomic Practices and supply required amounts of tomato to meet the demand of Dan Agro-processing plant.
Achievements
This arrangement has helped stabilize prices for the farmers, which in the past would fluctuate down to Ush100,00 about USD 27. Through this arrangement, the project has surpassed their target of reaching 300 farmers and instead directly impacted up 500 and about 4,000 indirectly. Farmers in this group testify that the arrangement has motivated them to indulge without reservation as they find it gainful compared to their past endeavors.
Recommendations for sustenance
Some of the recommendations from discussions included the need to: Implement a cyclical production system to ensure a steady supply of crops and help farmers adapt to climate challenges like droughts and floods; improve distribution networks and contract management to help farmers access markets more efficiently and ensure fair prices for their produce; offer training to enhance group dynamics and encourage collective farming; helping farmers tackle shared challenges like pests and timely delivery; conduct a thorough evaluation of the project’s impact to pinpoint areas for improvement and identify opportunities for scaling the initiative to new regions.
Using a school setting to scale out dairy innovation
The Steering Committee visited the Dairy Innovation Centre hosted by Katalemwa Primary School in Wakiso district near Uganda’s Capital, Kampala. The headteacher of the school praised the Innovation Platform supported through AIRTEA and hosted by end-users, such as farmers or farmer groups. The project has piloted in various settings, including peri-urban farmers, large-scale farmers, and an educational institution. In the school setting, the project is promoting vocational and practical skills with a focus on agriculture. The goal is to create a sustainable and scalable model that can be replicated in other areas by tapping into the younger generation, providing them with practical skills in agriculture, noting that the school curriculum is changing, into a competency, vocational and skills development.
The IP is nurturing Black Soldier Fly (BSF) farming by demonstrating how to harness BSF for protein production and waste management. This involves production of BSF larvae which currently is used as a sustainable and nutritious feed source for livestock, particularly in dairy and poultry units promoted at the school for learning and scaling. BSF larvae contain up to 40% protein, making them an attractive feed source for livestock. It requires minimal land, water, and feed resources. By converting organic waste into valuable products, BSF has reduced waste disposal costs and environmental pollution. The value of the frass can triple from $10,000 to $30,000 after passing it through the black soldier fly system. Each net can give you up to 75 kilograms of fresh larvae per cycle, which is approximately 200 kilograms a month.
In Lubanja, Mityana district where TPP05 is promoting dairy fodder production, the steering committee observed the various components of the Dairy Innovation work, including solar-powered irrigation systems, rainwater water harvesting system, biodigester and biogas production for clean cooking, biopesticides and biofertilizer production, the drought tolerant cowshed and equipment for forage processing. The beneficiary farmers also interacted with the steering committee members clearly stating what actions need to be undertaken to scale up thee Dairy Innovations.
Recommendations
Some of the measures agreed to for sustenance included: Scaling up BSF farming to meet the demand for sustainable livestock feed; developing value-added products from BSF larvae, such as animal feed, fertilizer, and biofuel, training farmers, entrepreneurs, and stakeholders to support the growth of the BSF industry.
Dissemination of potato varieties in Western Uganda
On July 29, 2025, the Steering Committee visited the Director and staff of Kachwekano Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute (KaZARDI), NARO. According to the Director of the Institute, Dr. Jerome Kubiriba, KaZARDI is home to newly released varieties of potato NAROPOT 1. Under the AIRTEA project, KaZARDI is promoting Technologies Innovations and Management Practices (TIMPS) for optimization of NAROPOT1 among seven farmer groups that form the three Innovation Platforms established under the project. According to the Principal investigator, Dr. Abel Arineitwe, A senior Research Scientist at KaZARDI, the practices that were promoted under the project included fertilizer use, pest and disease control measures, and use of quality certified seed, among others. Potato farmers in the intervention areas, according to project reports, recorded an increase from 7 tonnes per hectare to 25 tonnes of potato per hectare in the intervention areas.
Subsequently, the mission visited TPP03 potato seed multiplication IP in Chahi in Kisoro district. Located at the border with Rwanda and DR Congo, Kisoro is considered a potato hub for Uganda, and strategically located to tap from potential for cross border trade. Ironically, farmers in the district continue to produce below optimum levels. With technical backstopping from KaZARDI, the consortium has been promoting NAROPOT1 with accompanying Best Management Practices covering crucial aspects like proper seed selection, spacing, fertilizer application, and pest management for optimization among seven farmer groups. Specifically, members of the Good Samaritan farmers group with 25 members reported that before receiving project support, they faced significant challenges, primarily using their own low-quality, saved potato seed. This often led to poor yields and, in some cases, total crop failure, especially when they were duped by fake seeds from unscrupulous traders. Through the AIRTEA project, and with support from NARO, the farmers were given access to the certified potato variety, NAROPOT1 and comprehensive training in Good Agronomic Practices.
Achievements
The intervention has led to remarkable achievements and improved livelihoods for the farmers. By adopting the NAROPOT1 variety and new farming techniques, their potato productivity increased dramatically from just 7 tons to 18.5 tons per hectare. This shift from using poor-quality seeds to certified ones was a game-changer. One farmer highlighted that using good seed means you are “already 40% above the rest.” This boost in productivity translated into a significant increase in income. For example, a quarter-acre plot yielded 16 bags, which translated to UGX 6.4 million (about USD 1,777) in a single season. This demonstrates the potential for a farmer to earn up to UGX 12.8 million (about USD 3,555) per acre per planting season.
Recommendations
The committee held discussions with farmers and agreed on some action areas to sustain the gains. Some of the actions included: Completely adopting the culture of using certified seed and fertilizers from verified providers; developing and formalizing off-taker and contract farming agreements to provide farmers with a guaranteed, premium market; going beyond production by focusing on value-added products including developing centralized hubs for processing raw produce into higher-value goods; scaling up the use of digital tools and agripreneurs to deliver e-extension services, market access, and real-time information; looking out for drought-resistant crop varieties’; providing farmers dedicated training on group governance, financial literacy, and collective marketing; and advocating for policy changes to facilitate formal, cross-border trade, reducing reliance on informal middlemen.