By Patrick Okino
The University of Nairobi in Kenya has linked up with farmers in the Lango sub-region to boost cassava production, improve livelihood, create jobs and generate household income.
Under the project, Strengthening Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Ecosystem, for Inclusive Rural Transformation and Livelihood in Eastern Africa (AIRTEA), the project is being run in the three East African countries, Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda.
Dr Dorah Kilalo, a lecturer at the University also principal investigator of the project said the National Agricultural Research Organization and Divine Organic Foods are taking lead in the implementation of a two year project worth sh400m.
The project is running in four districts in the sub region, Lira, Dokolo, Apac and Kwania.
Dr Kilalo said cassava stands out more than any other crops to fill in the gap for food security and it should be industrialized in East Africa.
According to NARO the production of cassava declined from 2.09 million acres in 2019 to 1.26 million in 2020 due to pest and disease, poor demand and lack of market.
“I want to advise farmers to pick up cassava growing as a crop that can be grown cheaply and produce a very small carbohydrate within a very small unit area compared to maize and other crops,” she encouraged them.
Drs Kilalo, Mary Buttibwa, a research scientist with NARO and Chief Executive officer of Divine Organic Foods, Noela Ojara were meeting Abolet Divine organic women group in Bar sub county, Lira district.
With support from Divine Organic Foods, the group has established cassava seed multiplication sites to serve two purposes, produce seeds and roots for sales.
Dr Kilalo said their aim is to strengthen the stakeholders producing cassava to be able to mobilize or use the technology and knowledge being produced by researchers to transform the lives of women and youth growing cassava.
She added that she was impressed with the Divine Organic Foods and it is one of the partners they can trust because they have delivered especially encouraging farmers to grow cassava and also to set up cassava knowledge hubs.
“We want to believe particularly for the women and youth, that they will be able to make money, get jobs and improve their livelihood,” she added.
Ojara said the project has a public private partnership arrangement and they are working with 200 farmers in the sub region in the cassava value-chain and that they are expecting the number to grow in this season.
She said Divine Organic Foods is going to contract the farmers to supply them with roots and also the clean seed because they have been given by NARO and they expect them to sell it to earn more income.
She said the company is also doing value addition for cassava which they expect to be in the market in a few months to come.
She said they have already established sales agents in the four districts they are operating and they expect the community to appreciate and consume the products made out of our cassava.
