Uganda set to become regional rice exporter

But David Kamukama, vice chairman of the National Organic Agriculture Movement in Uganda, says the country could instead lose out on the regional market by going GM when other countries in the region oppose the idea.

“We are part of the Common Market for East Africa which includes five other member states, many of them have said no to GMO’s (genetically modified organisms), so who will buy (the modified rice)? Our biggest market is Southern Sudan and Rwanda who will not allow GMO’s. And the East African Community has not harmonised their position on this,” says Dr Kamukama.

Stir production

Dr Kamukama believes that Uganda can still increase rice production without tampering with the existing rice species by simply creating access to markets to stir production and teaching farmers better farming methods.

But the project for GM rice is still going ahead. NACRRI received six million dollars from the republic of Japan in July for the construction of a regional centre for farmers and scientists majoring in rice production.

Under Japan’s African Development initiative it also launched the Coalition for African Rice Development.

It is a research collaboration on rice whose goal is to double rice production between 2008 and 2018.

Mr Asea hopes researchers will be able to develop a genetically modified rice variety soon.

Salongo Waswa, a paddy rice farmer in Wakiso district on the fringes of Kampala, is worried that the new rice varieties being promised may not be as tasty as the ones he has been growing for years.

“As a farmer I am interested in improving yields but will the farmers like their rice variety they want to bring? Will it taste like what I am growing now?” asks Mr Waswa.

He is also concerned if he will become dependent on suppliers for seed, like is currently the case with the farmers of NERICA rice.

IPS