Uganda Breweries Limited (UBL) and the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish, foster and promote research and development collaboration.
Under UBL’s Local Raw Materials program (LRM), the partnership seeks to source 100% of the materials they use in their production processes. This program has been developed In line with the second objective of the Third National Development Plan (NDP III) of strengthening the private sector to create jobs and the overall theme of Sustainable Industrialization for inclusive growth, employment and wealth creation.
Uganda Breweries Limited (UBL) is making significant investments aimed at boosting local production capacity, import substitution, promotion of local content and job creation.
The Managing Director of UBL Alvin Mbugua said “UBL is now making 96% of its brands locally. The brewery works with over 20,000 farmers, directly benefiting over 25,000 households countrywide and invests over 45 billion shillings in farming communities annually”
The Director General of NARO Dr. Ambrose Agona said that partnering with NARO, contributes to the ten year goal of innovating for sustainable Agricultural Transformation through financial support to set up agricultural research infrastructure at NARO’s designated constituent public agricultural research institutes, and offering support to post-doctoral students under their scholarship program.
“We are happy to enter this partnership with Uganda Breweries Limited and pledge to work together to achieve mutual benefits that will go a long way in improving the livelihoods of farming communities who have long been the backbone of our nation,” he said.
Uganda Breweries pledged to support NARO to transfer and disseminate agricultural research and development technologies from NARO to the farming communities and value chains. In addition, UBL will utilize NARO owned agricultural technologies in UBL’s local sourcing programs to boost productivity, improve household income and promote BUBU at the Agricultural sourcing level.
“Sourcing quality raw materials locally for our products connects us to the communities where we work, allowing us to strengthen local farming and change lives. It makes our supply chain more resilient and creates a healthy economic loop in national economies. We know that the long-term success of programmes like ours rests on mutually respectful and supportive relationships with other organisations: governments, NGOs, suppliers, farming co-operatives and the like. This landmark partnership with NARO therefore seeks to deliver on our fundamental objectives of the LRM program,” Mbugua said.
