Title: Incorporating Climate Smart and Fast Growth Traits to Transform the Local Chicken Value Chain in Uganda (SMATCH) PI: Dr. Donald Rugira Kugonza (PhD) Department of Agric. Production, College of Agric. and Environmental Sciences, Makerere University, P .O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda e-mail:
[email protected];
[email protected] Tel: +256414532269; +256782874551; Fax:+256-414531641 Co-Researchers: Prof. Marion W. Okot Dept. of Animal Production and Range Management, Faculty of Agric & Environment, Gulu University P.O. Box 166, Gulu , Uganda e.mail:
[email protected] Tel: +256772589526Fax:+256471432094 Dr. Gideon Nadiope Iowa State University – Uganda Program (ISU-UP), [an NGO] P .O. Box 218, Kamuli, Uganda e-mail:
[email protected] Tel: +256712472233 / 0776472233 Dr. Brian Martin Babigumira Research Officer, National Animal Genetic Resources Centre and Data Bank (NAGRC & DB), P .O. Box 183, Entebbe, Uganda e-mail:
[email protected] Tel: +256-789-638672 Purpose: Increase chicken productivity, supply of animal protein and diversify the income base of farmers Project Summary: The proposed project aims to increase productivity of semi-intensive and free-range (family) chickens and empower farmers so as to transform the chicken value chain to improve household food security and incomes among small and medium scale farmers of Uganda. The work will be undertaken in Kamuli district, with record levels of malnutrition and poverty in Uganda; and Kiryandongo district, with record number of refugees and internally displaced persons and rampant poverty in Uganda. This will be achieved through research 1 The Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) on: the characterisation of the chicken value chain; on-farm evaluation of growth and survival performance of selectively bred Namasagali chicken ecotype; cross-breeding of climate smart/heat tolerant (Naked-naked or Frizzle-feathered) chickens and fast- growing (Kuroiler) chicken ecotypes.