MbaZARDI
Who We Are
Overview
Background
Our Mission
Our Vision
Our Mandate
MbaZARDI News
Organic Bio fertilizer for Climate Smart Agriculture
Projects
Crops
Banana is a major food security and income generating crop grown by 65.1% of the households in the SWAEZ. However, challenges of low nutritional values, and postharvest losses of highland cooking banana are common due to climate change. Mbarara ZARDI is developing banana products (composite flours and wine) to minimize food and nutrition insecurity, postharvest losses and unstable household incomes. The composite flours are being developed from the local cooking varieties while wine is developed from improved banana varieties.
Coffee is a major cash crop in South Western Uganda grown by 38% of the households. This project focuses on addressing challenges affecting coffee productivity including pests and diseases, low soil moisture and fertility and poor management practices through developing zonal specific agronomic technologies. The project is also working on increasing local utilization and profitability through developing coffee based skin care products.
Technology Promotion and Outreach
This project aims at supporting the Multi Stakeholder Innovation Platforms around seed production through trainings in agronomy, quality control, post-harvest handling, group management and marketing.
Every calendar year, Mbarara ZARDI receives up to two hundred schools with O and A level students, tertiary institution, farmer groups and extension workers for research, internship and on farm training in livestock & crop husbandry, aquaculture and agriculture mechanization. This is one of the major ways Mbarara ZARDI technologies are promoted in the zone.
Planting materials of improved fruit trees, coffee, banana, cassava, beans, soybean and livestock pastures. Livestock feed production, grain milling, seed sorting, Holstein Friesian bulls, Mubende and Boer goats, Cambrough piglets and laboratory services.
Livestock
Mbarara ZARDI is focusing on isolating and commercialising starter cultures for yoghurt and ghee. Currently the country is depending on imported and the traditional non-standardized starter cultures. The Ankole Longhorn-derived starter cultures being developed by the institute improve food-safety, ease product standardisation and support the alleviation of ulcers and diarrhoea among yoghurt consumers and improve ghee processing productivity by 30%.
Porcine respiratory disease complex (PRDC) is an economically important health condition that causes abortions and piglet mortality. This lowers the reproductive performance of a herd leading to economic losses. Mbarara ZARDI is working towards reducing the impact of PRDC in Uganda’s piggery sector through development of in-feed probiotics to modulate the pig’s immune defenses against PRDC-associated pathogens. Based on PRDC pathogens collected from the Albertine Rift region of Uganda and working on estimating their associated economic impacts, the institute plan to develop an immune modulating in-feed probiotic to control PRDC in pig farms.
The Jersey is considered a much more feed efficient breed than the commonly farmed Holstein Friesian. The Jersey also has a higher protein and butterfat content in its milk and is well adaptable to the hot and humid weather of South Western Uganda and survives much better on low amounts of pastures.
Governance
The Institute is headed by Dr. Halid Kirunda as the Director of Research
supported by an Advisory Committee
Operational Areas
Areas
Services
Livestock feed production, maize hulling, seed sorting, school trainings, tree seedlings for assorted fruits and coffee, foundation seed for beans and soybean, conference hall hire.
Other Services
Climate Smart Projects
Mbarara ZARDI is developing climate-smart agricultural technologies for improved productivity and support sustainable agro-industrialisation in Uganda.
Programs/Activities
Crop and Natural Resources Research Program
Animal Resources Research Program
Technology Promotion and Outreach Research Program
Products & Services
Trainings Services in
Achievements & Milestones
Partnerships & Collaborations
Development (ISSD)
District local Governments
Excel Hort Consult
Pearl Dairies
Volunteer & Internships
Application Procedure for Volunteers and Internships
Volunteers: Interested persons are advised to write and deliver applications to MbaZARDI on weekdays.
Internships: MbaZARDI runs one internship program annually. Students are advised to deliver applications and university recommendations to the Institute on weekdays.
Contacts
Contact Information
- Mbarara Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute - MbaZARDI
- +256 414 668928
- director.mbazardi@naro.go.ug
- Mbarara City, The research station is located out of Mbarara City center, 6 km along Mbarara – Kasese Road.
- P.O Box 389, Mbarara City