Masindi: Local factory, NARO partner to boost cassava growing for bioethanol production

MASINDI, July 12, 2026 — Smart Start Industries Limited, a bioethanol producer based in Bokonzi Subcounty, Bujenje County, Masindi district, has partnered with the National Agricultural Research Organisation [NARO] to promote large-scale cassava production among farmers.

The initiative aims to encourage farmers to adopt improved cassava varieties as demand for the crop grows due to increased bioethanol production in the district.

Bioethanol is a renewable, plant-based alcohol produced through the fermentation of sugars and starches from agricultural crops and plant waste. It is mainly used as an environmentally friendly alternative to petrol in vehicles and as a clean-burning fuel for cooking and heating.

In 2020, President Yoweri Museveni signed the Bioethanol Act, paving the way for investors to venture into bioethanol production.

Following this development, Smart Start Industries Limited, owned by David Byensi, started producing bioethanol from cassava, creating a reliable market for cassava farmers in Bunyoro and other parts of the country.

According to Byensi, the Executive Director of Smart Start Industries Limited, government is promoting bioethanol because of its cleaner energy properties for cooking and transport.

He said bioethanol is renewable because it is produced from crops such as sugarcane and cassava, while also being environmentally friendly because it emits fewer greenhouse gases compared to fossil fuels.

He added that the industry helps the country save foreign exchange and create employment opportunities.

“Many people were stranded with cassava because they had no market, which is no longer the case. Since we started buying from them, their economy has been enhanced,” Byensi told theCooperator, adding that cassava is a high-yielding crop suitable for bioethanol production.

However, Byensi noted that the region still faces a shortage of cassava to meet the factory’s demand. The facility currently processes 33 tonnes of dry cassava daily and produces about 15,000 litres of bioethanol per day.

“We have now brought NARO on board to ensure we get the best cassava varieties for farmers to benefit from higher yields. We want fast-growing and high-yielding varieties,” he said.

Byensi appealed to the government to support cassava farmers through funding schemes similar to those available for other agricultural commodities.

“I would request the government to support cassava farmers with zero-interest funding schemes to encourage and promote large-scale cassava growing. Farmers are very willing to embrace cassava growing because they want to get out of poverty,” he said.

He explained that the strong market for both cassava and bioethanol presents an opportunity for farmers to improve their livelihoods.

Currently, Smart Start Industries sources dry cassava from other regions, including Busoga, because production in Bunyoro remains insufficient.

“Right now, I am buying a kilogramme of dry cassava between Shs800 and Shs1,000, but what is locally produced is not enough for the facility,” Byensi said.

NARO trains farmers

On Friday, July 10, 2026, farmers interested in supplying cassava to Smart Start Industries Limited attended a training session at the company’s facility.

The training focused on improving cassava production through better agronomic practices, the use of clean planting materials, and quality control measures.

“The purpose of this training is also to benchmark cassava production areas within Masindi with the aim of mainstreaming the crop as an anchor for agro-industrialisation. We have also introduced farmers to cassava varieties that NARO has developed over the years and those with the potential to provide affordable raw materials for this facility,” said Dr Enock Wembabazi, a research scientist at NARO specialising in cassava.

He said NARO expects farmers to embrace cassava as a commercial crop capable of reducing poverty and promoting socio-economic transformation in the region and beyond.

“We anticipate that the cassava value chain should be able to create jobs for young people in the region through production, processing, and marketing. As NARO, our primary responsibility will be to promote important technologies, including proper management practices and appropriate post-harvest handling,” he said.

Wembabazi added that NARO would also link farmers with processors and encourage them to organise themselves into groups and cooperatives.

He said NARO has developed cassava varieties that mature within one year and encouraged farmers to adopt them.

“Among the support we shall provide to farmers is healthy, clean cassava planting material that enhances resilience against diseases and pests. We shall also promote appropriate post-harvest technologies to minimise losses,” he said.

Robert Atugonza, Chairperson of Masindi Sugarcane Outgrowers Association Limited [MASGAL], said sugarcane farmers are looking for competitive and economically viable alternatives and encouraged farmers to diversify.

“This is a good initiative for us sugarcane farmers. We are going to start growing cassava along the boundaries of our sugarcane plantations because it helps with fire management, food security, and provides an alternative source of income,” he said.

Nicolas Babweteera, a councillor representing Bwijanga Subcounty and Chairperson of the Social Services Committee, commended the organisers for the training, saying it was beneficial to farmers.

He welcomed the initiative, citing the existing market for cassava as a major opportunity for farmers.

“It is an alternative to sugarcane growing, especially here in Masindi. Sugarcane does not address food security, but cassava can. It can even be grown on a small piece of land and is also a short-term crop. Getting Shs 7 million from an acre is not small money,” he said, urging farmers to embrace cassava production for commercial purposes.

https://thecooperator.news/buliisa-farmers-coop-starts-bulking-cassava-to-improve-members-incomes/

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