Relevance of University - Based research to local farming problems: The case of Makerere University Agricultural Research Institute

The contribution of university-based agricultural research to solving local farming problems is a major area of debate in developing countries. A case study of Makerere University Agricultural Research Institute, Kabanyolo, Uganda, was done to ascertain the nature of research done at the institute and to assess the institute's impact on farming practices on surrounding areas. Most research programmes were found to cover commodities and problems that had a bearing on farming on the Institute's surroundings and the country at large. However, only a few of the research programmes had yielded technologies that could be applied to the farmers. Moreover, only a few farmer-usable technologies availables at the institute were not widely adopted among the farmers studied. Most of the potential adopters were unaware of the existence of such technologies at the institute. The institute could increase the utility of its research to Ugandan farmers by conducting more adaptive research, strengthening its links with the agricultural research institutions outside the University, and establishing a formal programme for reaching out to the farmers and extension workers.