Abstract:

This strategic plan depicts the direction that the Agroforestry Research Programme (AFRP) of the National Forestry Resources Research Institute (NaFORRI) is going to take from 2016/2017 to 2025/2026. This programme was instituted to unlock the vast potential for agroforestry to increase productivity, profitability and diversity of farm production in Uganda. Therefore, it will generate and disseminate technologies for growing trees on farms in order to optimize crop and livestock productivity, provide multiple tree products and conserve natural resources. Integration of tree on
farm increases land productivity through soil fertility improvement, soil erosion control and biological nitrogen fixation and household income through the sale of forest products. In doing this, the programme is contributing to several national and global development frameworks like the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), The East African Community Treaty, The Constitution of Uganda 1995, Uganda Vision 2040, the second National Development Plan (NDPII), Agricultural Sector Support Programme (ASSP) 2016/2017 – 2020/2021, NARO Strategic
Plan (2010 – 2019) and The National Forestry and Tree Planting Act (2003).
Initial ideas about development of this programme strategic plan arose out of deliberations from the 2015 Annual Review and Planning Meetings held by NaFORRI, whereby stakeholders noted the need for research programmes to align their activities to well thought through strategic plans. NARO’s Standard Operating Procedures under development also require that such plans be a prerequisite for all NARO programmes.
The process of developing this plan was informed by a situational analysis of the agroforestry research programme. This plan therefore aims to build on the strengths and tap into opportunities the programme is endowed with, while at the same time addressing the weaknesses and threats that may hinder the programme’s success.
In developing its strategic plan for 2016/2017-2025/2026, the programme drew inspiration from the desire to become a topnotch, nationally felt, internationally recognized research and development facility in the field of agroforestry. The plan states the AFRP’s vision as being: “A leading research programme generating high-impact agroforestry technologies, practices and strategies for national development”. The mission is “To generate and disseminate technologies for growing trees on farms to optimize crop and livestock productivity, provide multiple tree products and conserve natural resources”. These aspirations are driven by excellence, innovativeness, inclusivity, accountability and integrity as the programme’s core values.