My name is Noah Waisindye and I am the second born of 15 children. I was born on 26th March 1991 in Wagona village, Baitambogwe sub-country, Mayuge district, Eastern Uganda. My parents, Mr. Robert Balugire and Mrs. Takali Rebecca, are from Wagona and Mukuta villages respectively. I went to Bute Mixed Primary and Busoga Secondary Schools in Musita for my primary and O-Level education, respectively. I attended Bukoyo Secondary School in Iganga for my A-level studies before proceeding to Makerere University for a Bachelor of Science degree in Ethno-Botany. I hold a Master of Public Health degree from Bishop Stuart University, Mbarara where I am currently working as a researcher in the Ethnobiology Laboratory and an incubate at the PHARMBIOTRAC – Natural Products Business Incubator (PNPBI), supported by the RUFORUM Entrepreneurship Challenge Program (RECAP) with funding from the Republic of Korea under the KOAFEC Trust Fund through the African Development Bank.
Currently, I am a practicing naturalist specializing in production and application of essential oils in Public health Products including animal health and human therapeutics. I have actively contributed to the promotion of the commercialization of aromatic crops in western Uganda. As head of the Ethnobiology Laboratory, I established an in situ collection of medicinal plants, which have been recently upgraded to a Gene-Bank with financial support from the World Bank through PHARMBIOTRAC. Further, I have coordinated several research projects with focus on the production and commercialization of essential oils and aromatic crops under the supervision of Prof. Maud Kamatenesi Mugisha as Principal Investigator.
Essential oils have potential therapeutic benefits for use in the management of biotic infections. Provided the increasing resistance to most antibiotics coupled with their residual effects in the human food chains, I developed an efficacious product with less side effects for use as animal growth promoter. My enterprise is about commercialization of essential oils from aromatic crops and using them in the production of public health products including animal health growth promoters. I currently produce Plectratinc®; a natural essential oil-based growth promoter for pigs and chicken (broiler). My target market are commercial poultry and pig farmers. I reach the farmers through the traditional market, veterinary shops and animal feeds outlets.
The novel essential oil-based animal growth promoter is very fundamental in improving poultry and pig production, job creation for the local people such as the growers of the targeted aromatic crops and generation of revenue. Additionally, there is guaranteed opportunity for out-growers of aromatic crops for essential oils production and an available market for pig and poultry products. I succeeded in developing this business idea because of my qualification as a natural scientist and experience in essential oil production.
The essential oils used in developing the product are non-indigenous, hence I had to domesticate and establish commercial gardens and also enroll farmers as out -growers of the aromatic crops. However, it was not easy to sensitize the farmers and encourage them to grow a new crop since most of them were disappointed in the past by others crops introduced in Uganda like vanilla and moringa.
In order to grow my business, I need additional capital to invest into the different segments of the value chain such as in production of aromatic crops and processing of essential oils. For the marketing segment of the value chain, I need to invest in advertising and creating awareness so that this novel product finds a niche.
I recommend Mbarara University of Science and Technology, and other RUFORUM member universities to develop innovation policies to guide the incubation centers so as to ensure favourable conditions for primary innovations, product development and research. I urge African Governments to develop innovation policies and invest heavily in science, technology and product development by identified scientists and innovators. I strongly encourage the youth to embrace science and identify their talents from an early age.
Author’s Contact details
Tel: +256 787 704313, Email:ysin4700mk@gmail.com
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