Lango: Farmers urged to use clean planting materials to boost cassava production
This call was recently made by Silvesto Dickson Baguma, Executive Director of the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa [ASARECA]
LIRA CITY, August 5, 2025 – Cassava farmers in the Lango Subregion have been urged to adopt the use of clean planting materials to improve farm yields and enhance household food security.
This call was recently made by Silvesto Dickson Baguma, Executive Director of the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa [ASARECA].
He also encouraged farmers in the subregion to treat cassava farming as a serious business that can significantly improve their livelihoods.
Speaking during a monitoring and evaluation exercise of the Strengthening Agricultural Knowledge and the Innovation Ecosystem for Inclusive Rural Transformation and Livelihoods in Eastern Africa [AIRTEA] project, Baguma highlighted that a total of 1,852 farmers in Lango Subregion have already accessed clean cassava planting materials. The AIRTEA project has been running from 2021 and is set to conclude in 2025.
The evaluation took place in Lira City and Dokolo district. Baguma stressed the need to scale up technologies along the cassava value chain to facilitate greater farmer adoption.
He also noted that through collaboration with the National Agricultural Research Organisation [NARO] and Divine Organic Foods, an agribusiness company based in Lira City, the AIRTEA project had distributed clean cassava planting materials free of charge.
“For the sustainability of this initiative, we are now encouraging farmers to start purchasing these materials, as we want them to view farming as a viable business,” he explained.
Valued at €300,000 [about Shs 1.2 billion], the AIRTEA project was launched to bridge the gap between agricultural research and rural communities, particularly women and youth engaged in cassava production.
In Uganda, the project is being implemented in the districts of Lira, Dokolo, Apac, and Kwania, all located within the Lango Subregion. It is also operational in Kenya and Rwanda.
Neola Ojara, Chief Executive Officer of Divine Organic Foods, said the company is adding value to cassava by producing items such as cassava cakes, cassava flour, and other confectioneries.
Dr Christopher Omongo, Head of Root Crops at NARO, confirmed that the AIRTEA project has registered notable successes. He explained that while NARO had successfully generated clean cassava planting materials, distribution to farmers remained a challenge.
“We have trained communities on how to grow clean seed, and how to identify pests and diseases affecting cassava,” he said.
Omongo further noted that some farmers have already started earning income by producing clean planting materials, following training sessions provided under the project.
“By sharing the idea of earning from clean cassava planting materials, we have seen some farmers begin producing and selling these materials to their peers,” he added.
https://thecooperator.news/naro-official-urges-farmers-in-lango-to-commercialise-cassava-growing/
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