LIRA-The National Agricultural Research organisation [NARO] has launched a cassava production and productivity project worth Shs 400 million in some of the districts that form Lango Sub-region aimed at boosting farmers’ incomes.
The project, Strengthening Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Ecosystem, for Inclusive Rural Transformation and Livelihood in Eastern Africa, is being implemented in the districts of Lira, Kwania, Dokolo, and Apac.
According to NARO`s principal research officer, Robert Kawuki, the project will establish a cassava knowledge hub, seed multiplication demonstration sites, and bulking centres, as well as put in place value addition facilities.
He said the two-year project is running in Rwanda and Kenya with the University of Nairobi as the lead partner. In Uganda, NARO and Divine Organic Foods are taking the lead.
“The project is to improve the livelihood of the communities that depend on cassava by enhancing access to better varieties of the crop, and establishing multi-sector platforms,” he said.
Presenting the overview of the project to the district agricultural officers, and farmer groups at Ngetta Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute [NZARDI] in Lira City, Kawuki emphasised that the project would boost production and productivity of the cassava business.
Kwauki said the districts were identified by NARO simply because cassava is predominantly grown in the area though he noted the production of the crop is still very low.
Noela Ojara, the managing director of Divine Organic Foods said they will establish knowledge hubs which will be a learning centre for everything that rotates around the cassava value chain.
“It will begin from the seed up to the final products and it will also be a place where cassava farmers will get market information, production of seed and roots,” she added.
Dr. Laban Turygenda, the director of NZARDI said farmers still have gaps when it comes to the best varieties of cassava, adding that the project will breach the gaps.
He added that some farmers are stuck with their local cassava varieties because of a lack of knowledge and information on the market.
https://thecooperator.news/teso-cassava-farmers-upset-by-govt-failure-to-build-processing-plant/
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