Uganda is moving to scale up a new generation of Irish potato varieties developed by the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), with researchers beginning seed multiplication of four varieties designed to improve yields, strengthen disease resilience and meet the changing needs of the country’s food and processing industries.
NARO has begun harvesting seed for NAROPOT 7, NAROPOT 8, NAROPOT 9 and NAROPOT 10 following their official release. The move is an important step from agricultural research into commercial production, as the organisation works to make improved planting material available to farmers in Uganda’s major potato-growing areas.
The new varieties have different production and market characteristics. NAROPOT 7 is an early-maturing variety that takes about 90-100 days and has a yield potential of 30.2 tonnes per hectare. Its disease resistance and shorter maturity period could allow farmers, where climate and production conditions permit, to shorten production cycles and potentially grow two crops in a year.
NAROPOT 9 has the highest reported yield potential among the four, at 31.4 tonnes per hectare, while NAROPOT 8 and NAROPOT 10 are particularly focused on the processing market. NAROPOT 8 has a dry matter content of 22.1%, while NAROPOT 10 records 28.1%, characteristics that make them suitable for products such as crisps and chips. NARO says processors were involved in evaluating the varieties, helping researchers align breeding objectives with industrial requirements.
The development comes against a persistent seed challenge in Uganda's potato sector. NARO previously reported that certified potato seed production met only about 1.5% of effective demand, leaving many farmers dependent on recycled or home-saved seed. Poor-quality planting material can reduce yields and contribute to the accumulation of seed-borne diseases.
NARO has therefore been pursuing a broader commercialisation strategy around improved potato genetics. In September 2025, the organisation handed 13 potato varieties, including NAROPOT 7-10, to nine private seed companies for multiplication and distribution to farmers. The four newer varieties were developed with industrial use in mind and were reported to have yield potential above 25 tonnes per hectare.
The potato programme forms part of a wider agricultural research effort in Uganda to develop crops that can withstand production pressures while improving productivity. NARO's research portfolio includes drought-tolerant maize, disease-tolerant rice and high-yielding sweetpotato varieties, demonstrating a broader shift towards crop improvement as a tool for food security, climate adaptation and agro-industrial development.
For Uganda, the commercial potential extends beyond fresh potatoes. Higher-yielding varieties with suitable processing characteristics can strengthen supply to the growing crisps, chips and other food-processing industries while creating additional demand for quality seed and farmer aggregation. At the same time, getting improved genetics into farmers' fields at scale will depend on reliable seed multiplication, distribution, extension support and market access.
NBF Insight
Uganda's potato story shows why agricultural research only creates economic value when it moves beyond the laboratory.
A variety capable of producing more than 30 tonnes per hectare can improve farm productivity, but the impact depends on whether farmers can obtain affordable, quality seed and whether processors and markets are ready to absorb the additional output.
NARO's latest multiplication programme therefore represents more than the release of new potato varieties. It is an attempt to connect plant breeding, climate resilience, seed systems, farmer productivity and agro-processing. The kind of research-to-market pipeline African food systems need to produce more from limited land while building stronger agricultural value chains.
