News and Updates

A cross section of the goat stock belonging to one of the successful farmers in Buseesa in Kibaale

ASARECA, ICARDA, ILRI, NARO move to boost goat productivity via community breeding of indigenous goats

BY BEN MOSES ILAKUT KIBAALE & BULIISA—UGANDA: Goat farmers, agricultural extension officers, value chain actors and local leaders in the districts of Kibale District in Western Uganda and the oil rich Buliisa District also in Western Uganda have received a mindset changing training and sensitization on establishment of Community Based Breeding...

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Regional Trainers Empowered to Champion Climate-Smart Agriculture through Agroecology ToT in Uganda

BY GENEVIEVE APIO Kampala, Uganda | July 14–18, 2025 – Over 30 Trainers of Trainers (ToTs) from six ASARECA partner states, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, and Cameroon, gathered in Kampala for an intensive 5-day Regional ToT on Integrated Pest and Disease Management and Agroecology. Among the participants were 9 youth,...

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Dr. Bagabe (Front left) and RAB DG, Ndabamenye with CGIAR and ASARECA staff during the Dialogue

ASARECA Private Sector Dialogue generates critical inputs into the African Conference on Agricultural Technologies discourse

BY BEN MOSES ILAKUT KIGALI, RWANDA—"Countries don’t fail because they lack policies to facilitate agricultural productivity and open up access to markets. They fail because they lack strong political will to ensure technologies from research are profitable.” This is one of powerful messages that was delivered during the Private sector Dialogue...

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Dr. Sylvester Dickson Baguma Appointed Substantive ASARECA Executive Director

BY BEN MOSES ILAKUT ENTEBBE, UGANDA—The ASARECA Board of Directors have appointed Dr. Sylvester Dickson Baguma as the Substantive Executive Director of the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA).  The full Board of Directors, comprising the Directors General of the National Agricultural Research Institutes (NARIs) of...

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ASARECA and CGIAR Deepen Collaboration to Drive Agricultural Transformation in Eastern and Central Africa

BY GENEVIEVE APIO Kampala, Uganda — May 2025 ASARECA continues to play a pivotal role in fostering regional collaboration with CGIAR centers to promote agricultural transformation, resilience, and food security in Eastern and Central Africa. Over the years, ASARECA has built a strong and strategic relationship with CGIAR partners, working together to...

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ASARECA and National Potato Council of Kenya firm-up collaboration to boost potato value chain

BY BEN MOSES ILAKUT KAMPALA, UGANDA—ASARECA and the National Potato Council of Kenya (NPCK) have formalized their partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), especially to boost the performance of the potato value chain.   Strategically witnessed by an Africa-wide audience attending the 13th Triennial African Potato Association (APA) Conference at the Speke...

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ASARECA facilitates stakeholder review of Implementation of the East African Community Regional Seed Potato Strategy and Action Plan

BY BEN MOSES ILAKUT KAMPALA, UGANDA—The Minister of State, East African Community Affairs for Uganda, Hon. James Magode Ikuya has extolled the value of ASARECA in supporting its 15 Member States in harmonization of policies, guidelines and procedures for sharing Agricultural technologies and facilitating trade in the East African Community and...

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Africa Potato Conference casts potato, sweet potato into continental spotlight for food & nutrition security, trade

BY BEN MOSES ILAKUT KAMPALA, UGANDA—Strong public private partnerships to crowd in dedicated investments into new potato varieties with a focus to commercialize them, aligning national policies to regional and international policies to stimulate market access, promoting a tripartite linkage for Government, the private sector and farmers (including extension services), mainstreaming...

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7th Africa-wide Agricultural Extension Week resonates the call for more investment and alignment of Extension to CAADP livelihoods goals

BY BEN MOSES ILAKUT LILONGWE, MALAWI — Commitment to: Domestic resource mobilization at national, Continental regional level; mobilization of women and youth as drivers of extension and advisory services delivery; building and nurturing coalitions; building a critical mass of extension and advisory services providers. These are some of the key demands...

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ASARECA and ILRI Lead Regional Consultations to Co-Design Climate-Smart Legume Production Guidelines in Eastern Africa

BY BEN MOSES ILAKUT   KIGALI, KAMPALA, NAIROBI & ADIS ABABA—In the first half of 2025, ASARECA, in collaboration with ILRI and partner projects including AICCRA and LEG4DEV, convened a series of national consultative workshops in Kenya, Rwanda, Ethiopia, and Uganda to co-design Climate-Smart Legume Production Guidelines and Manuals. These workshops were...

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