Abstract:

The National Coordinator, LSRP made opening remarks based on the initial diagnostic and planning stages of the LSRP. He noted that LSRP has a fairly long history dating as far back as about 6 years. He said that NARO inherited a colorial research naradigm which was commodity based production and productivity focussed thus ignoring other technologies. Consequently within two years of NARO's existence scientists produce good publications but technologies were not reaching the farmer. A World Bank consultant was then contracted in 1992 to study this approach. Madamba repor of 1993 looked at the holistic approach paradigm which gave birth to the systems research approach. Implementing the systems research research was so expensive that the Uganda government could not undertake it. A donor- DANIDA- was thus approached. The LSRP programme took off in 1996 in the following themes, SHD, PAP, FRP, and SR. In a bid for the themes to take care of the environment, a natural resource management taeme was also put in place. Scientist then undertook baseline surveys to assess the farmers' need in 6 districts representing the different agro-ecological zones.