The Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Frank Tumwebaze, has called for increased investment in agricultural research, innovation and climate-resilient farming to protect food security and nutrition gains amid forecasts of El Niño conditions.

Tumwebaze made the call during national World Food Day celebrations at the Mbarara Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MbaZARDI), which also marked 100 years of agricultural research and innovation at the institute.

He said scientific research was critical to addressing Uganda’s agricultural challenges while balancing food production, household incomes, livestock feed needs and environmental conservation.

Tumwebaze added that World Food Day provides an opportunity to link research findings and agricultural innovations to farming communities, ensuring scientific knowledge translates into practical solutions that improve productivity and farmers’ livelihoods.

Emmanuel Rustinda, the World Food Programme (WFP) Head of the South West Region, who represented Country Director Wanja Kaaria-Ndoh, warned that anticipated El Niño conditions between October and December 2026 could reverse gains made in reducing hunger and malnutrition.

Rustinda said agricultural innovation must be backed by government leadership and combine modern technologies with indigenous knowledge and farming practices suited to local conditions.

He said WFP was scaling up anticipatory action to help vulnerable communities prepare for climate-related shocks before they occur.

The programme is also promoting indigenous crops, locally adapted crop varieties and traditional knowledge held by pastoral communities as part of efforts to strengthen resilience to climate change and safeguard food security.