The Ugandan government has launched the nationwide rollout of Skeepon Technology, a climate-smart agricultural innovation designed to help crops withstand drought, heat stress and erratic rainfall as the country grapples with the growing effects of climate change. Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja unveiled the technology on Tuesday at the 2026 National Agricultural Show in Jinja, describing it as part of the government’s efforts to strengthen agricultural resilience, improve productivity and enhance household incomes.
Uganda has in recent years experienced prolonged dry spells, rising temperatures and unpredictable rainfall, conditions that have reduced crop yields, threatened food security and affected millions of farming households. “Climate change continues to pose one of the greatest threats to our agricultural sector. Government will continue supporting technologies that improve resilience, increase productivity and enhance household incomes,” Nabbanja said.
Skeepon was introduced through a partnership involving the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), the Office of the Prime Minister and Japanese biotechnology company Ac-Planta Inc. The technology is a plant biostimulant that activates crops’ natural drought and heat tolerance mechanisms, enabling them to continue growing under water stress for up to three months while improving plant health and productivity.
Field trials conducted by NARO over two cropping seasons recorded more than a 30 percent increase in maize yields and over 45 percent higher vegetable yields compared with untreated crops. Researchers also reported faster crop growth, improved plant vigour and greater tolerance to heat and drought.
NARO Director General Dr Yona Baguma said the results demonstrate the role of scientific research in addressing the challenges facing Uganda’s agricultural sector. “This innovation demonstrates the power of science in solving real problems facing our farmers. The positive results from our research give us confidence that Skeepon will significantly contribute to Uganda’s food security and economic transformation,” he said.
The government’s collaboration with Ac-Planta began after Prime Minister Nabbanja met the company’s founder during the Uganda-Japan Business Forum in 2022. The technology was subsequently evaluated under Ugandan conditions before receiving regulatory approval for deployment-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
