The National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) has entered into a landmark partnership with the Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences (JAAS) of China to establish a joint research facility aimed at enhancing Uganda’s premium tea production.
The agreement, formalized at NARO’s headquarters in Entebbe, was signed by Dr. Yona Baguma for NARO and Dr. Yang Yiyang for JAAS. The centerpiece of the partnership will be the creation of a state-of-the-art tea research laboratory at NARO’s Rwebitaba Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute in Fort Portal—Uganda’s primary tea research center.
The collaboration seeks to address longstanding challenges in Uganda’s tea sector, such as reduced yields from aging tea bushes, limited access to improved planting materials, pest and disease pressures, outdated farming practices, and a lack of value addition that has kept the country dependent on exporting raw tea. The new lab is expected to accelerate research, drive innovation, and facilitate knowledge transfer to reinvigorate the industry.
Key areas of focus will include tea breeding using unique germplasm from both countries, agronomic improvement, soil fertility, pest and disease control, and enhancing plant health. The initiative will also support the development of value-added tea products, standardize product quality for international markets, and boost infrastructure and capacity at Rwebitaba.
The collaboration includes capacity-building efforts, with Ugandan scientists set to benefit from training and joint projects. JAAS, founded in 1931 and known for its leadership in agricultural research, will fund the laboratory and share its decades-long expertise in tea science and processing technology.
Dr. Baguma hailed the agreement as a major step towards agricultural modernization, aligned with Uganda’s National Development Plan, which emphasizes agro-industrialization, job creation, and food security. He expressed confidence that the partnership will equip the country with the tools needed to increase tea yields, improve quality, and enhance export competitiveness.
Dr. Yang Yiyang emphasized the importance of product quality and noted the shared agricultural potential between China and Uganda. He hinted at future collaborations in other crop sectors beyond tea.
The signing ceremony was attended by several high-profile figures, including Hon. Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja, a former Minister of Agriculture and Defence, who praised the partnership as a game-changer for Uganda’s tea industry. Also in attendance were representatives from Green World International Group, Nanjing Agricultural University, and key NARO staff from both headquarters and the Rwebitaba institute.
The partnership is expected to unlock new opportunities for Uganda’s tea sector by leveraging science and international cooperation to drive growth and transformation.