Group photo of participants who attended the Germplasm conservation meeting at the Plant Genetic Resources Centre, Entebbe.

A workshop on collaboration of key stakeholders in germplasm conservation and exchange in Uganda was held on the 27th January, 2022 at the Plant Genetic Resources Centre (PGRC), Entebbe. This engagement was organized by The National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO- PGRC) with support from the Alliance Bioversity International –CIAT. The purpose of this engagement was to create awareness and build stakeholders’ capacity to understand available strategies, tools and innovations for effective and efficient collaborations among stakeholders for germplasm use and conservation. 

The main objectives for this meeting were to; To disseminate the NGB-CSB collaborative protocol to stakeholders in the country, Popularize the database website (online platform) for community seed banks to stakeholders, strengthen linkages amongst the National Genebank, CSBs, Breeders and other stakeholders and create awareness on policy issues concerning germplasm exchange at global and national levels.

A total of 30 representatives of Community Seed Banks (CSBs) from across the country, Breeders, MAAIF’s Unit of Seed Certification Unit and Extension) and staff of NARO participated in this workshop.

PGRC is currently implementing a project; “Resilient seed systems for climate change adaptation and sustainable livelihoods in the East-Africa sub-region” currently being implemented by PGRC aims at combining and scaling from local to global lever, strategies, methods and tools that increase farmers’ timely availability, affordability and improved access to good quality seed of a portfolio of crops and crop varieties.

There is currently a standard operating procedures manual developed by scientists at PGRC available online for access on www.csb.naro.go.ug