MP Ottober Wellborn Odiya Tasks Ngetta ZARDI on White Sorghum Focus, Demands Food Security Priority

BY OKIDI PATRICK OCAMOYITDYEL

LIRA CITY — The Parliamentary Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) has tasked Ngetta Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Ngetta ZARDI) to balance its promotion of white sorghum with broader food security interventions.

The committee made an oversight visit to Ngetta ZARDI on Tuesday, September 8, 2026.

Aruu North County MP, Hon. Ottober Welborn Odiya, said while he appreciates the institute’s work on white sorghum for the brewery industry, management should not lose sight of food security.

“The need to advocate for food security is paramount since households have to overcome hunger by growing other tangible food crops,” Odiya said. “The issue of promoting white sorghum so that we have support going to the field of breweries is good, but injecting resources into white sorghum alone, Ngetta ZARDI should be mindful about food security.”

The legislator also raised concern over cassava brown streak disease and cassava mosaic, which he attributed to the continued recycling and over-cutting of the same cassava stems by farmers.

Omoro County MP, Hon. Olanya Andrew Ojok, who comes from one of the biggest soya beans and coffee producing areas, questioned the criteria used by ZARDI to select beneficiary groups and districts.

“I come from Omoro, an area well known for being the biggest producer of soya and coffee, so I want to understand what criteria you used for identifying the groups and the 17 districts?” Ojok asked.

He however commended the institute for a job well done in research and community outreach.

Ngetta ZARDI is mandated to conduct agricultural research for the Lango and Acholi sub-regions and has been at the forefront of promoting improved varieties of sorghum, cassava, soya and other crops.