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Pader, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Pader District is pushing to establish an Integrated Agricultural Laboratory as part of the Uganda Climate Smart Agricultural Transformation Project. The facility would provide essential diagnostic services for pests, diseases, and soil health, aimed at boosting agricultural productivity in the region.
The district has identified three potential sites that meet critical requirements such as land, water, and electricity access. The proposal has garnered strong support from local farmers, agricultural leaders, and government officials, who view it as a game-changer for the region’s farming sector.
Lawrence Awio, a maize and soybean farmer from Pukor Sub-County, highlighted the challenges farmers face without local diagnostic services. He explained that farmers “farm blindly” and often lose crops to undiagnosed diseases.
Traveling to distant labs, such as Ngetta ZARDI in Lira, is both costly and impractical. “A laboratory in Pader would change everything for us,” Awio said.
Patrick Ocaya, Director of the Northern Uganda Farmer’s Center, also stressed the need for a local lab. He noted that soil testing and disease diagnostics are expensive and inaccessible for many farmers in the region. Ocaya pointed out that the lab would benefit not only Pader but also neighboring districts like Agago, Kitgum, and Gulu.
“Farmers often lose crops and livestock due to undiagnosed diseases. A laboratory would provide them with solutions,” Ocaya explained.
Pader District Production Officer, Seydou Opoka Adolatona, emphasized that mobile agricultural clinics are insufficient. He noted that a laboratory would allow for more accurate diagnoses, improving farmers’ productivity and livelihoods. “The lab will help us diagnose issues in time, leading to better yields,” Opoka said.
he Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries (MAAIF) is currently evaluating Pader’s readiness for the facility. Senior Agricultural Inspector Opiolo Andrew Evans expressed confidence that once the district meets the requirements, the lab would offer affordable and timely diagnostics, improving yields and reducing losses.
Ngetta ZARDI currently serves 17 districts in northern Uganda, including Lango and Acholi sub-regions, with a satellite station in Kitgum. NARO, under MAAIF, oversees 16 agricultural research institutes, including 7 National Agricultural Research Institutes and 9 Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institutes.
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