Studies have shown that youths and women have lagged behind in accessing improved agricultural technologies and extension services. Spearheaded by Mukono Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MuZARDI), the NARO Youth Empowerment project is a three-year intervention seeking to enhance uptake of NARO technologies particularly chicken, vegetables and piggery among youths. In the Bunyoro sub-region, this project is being implemented by NARO Bulindi ZARDI. The project is harnessing structures that were established by Gudie Leisure Farm (a partner organisation) such as Village Entrepreneurship and Learning Associations (VELA) and farmer service centres as uptake routes to accelerate adoption of these technologies by the youths.

On 30th March 2023, the project implementation commenced in Bunyoro sub-region with a consultative meeting with key stakeholders (VELA chairpersons and district coordinators of Gudie Leisure Farm) in the Main Conference Hall, NARO Bulindi BuZARDI.

Facilitated by a team of officers from MuZARDI led by Dr. Babirye Damalie, the meeting was focused on understanding the information needs more specifically their perception of NARO technologies and factors limiting adoption to facilitate informed decision-making.

Dr. Babirye Damalie Magala, who was representing the project principal investigator Dr. Barbara Zawedde, said that many youths who are engaged in agriculture are unsure whether they can earn lucratively from it.

During consultations, participants identified limited knowledge on improved varieties and breeds, land shortage, lack of start-up capital and limited refresher training as major factors hindering adoption of improved NARO technologies among the youths. According to Dr. Babirye Damalie, the project will address the challenges mentioned above through training on modern agriculture including urban farming, exposure visits to implementing NARO institutes, technology demonstrations and use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). After the meeting, there was a guided tour of vegetables technology demonstration gardens and NARO local chicken unit on-station. Similar engagements have been conducted in Mukono, Mbarara, Abi and Buginyanya ZARDIs.