By Prossy Nandudu
The absence of a country strategy for millet production in Uganda is to blame for its low production, despite its numerous benefits.
According to Dr Micheal Ugen, the Director of Research at the National Semi-Arid Resources Research Institute based in Serere, current millet production remains low.
Through the strategy, there will be deliberate efforts to promote its production, and processing to add value but also ensure adequate production for both domestic and the market.
“Unlike other crops like maize, and rice, millets have for long not received much support both at national and international level, and this has caused the lack of realisation of the potential productivity of these crops. A deliberate effort to support production is needed in terms of infrastructural, value addition facilities,” Ugen explained further.
This was contained in an interview, shortly after the celebration of the 2023 International Year of Millets, at an event organised by the Food and Agriculture Organisation, offices in Wandegeya recently.
Officiating at the event, the FAO country director, Antonio Querido, said that millets like sorghum require inputs, including water, to thrive.
In terms of resilience to climate change, millets are some of the most important food security crops because they can withstand climate change challenges like drought and their cultivation does not affect the health of the environment or existing biodiversity, Querido added.
Querido advised farmers to take advantage of improved millet varieties, such as those being produced through collaborations between the Government of China, through the FAO-China South-South Cooperation project, in which fox tail millet varieties have been produced and are being introduced to smallholder farmers in different districts across the country.
Officiating as chief guest, Minister of State for Agriculture Fred Bwiino Kyakulaga explained that due to the increase in climate change, millet has emerged as a beacon of hope due to its resilience to
adverse conditions, low water requirements, and minimal environmental impact position millet as a key player in sustainable agriculture.
“Let us seize this opportunity to promote climate-smart farming practices, emphasising the cultivation of millet as a means to build resilient and adaptive agricultural systems,” he added.
According to Bwiino, among the cereals grown in Uganda, finger millet ranks third after maize and sorghum and its production is on a decline with on farm average yield of less than 1 ton/hectare compared to its potential yield of 5 tons/ha.
Additional information from NARO adds that Sorghum and finger account for 80% of the area planted for cereals and 90% of the region’s grain production.
But their production is hampered by challenges such as low yields due to unreliable rainfalls, damages caused by pests and diseases, striga weed infestation and Low fertile soils.
In addition, the limited market available for both crops and some of the varieties available are not suitable for the farmers.
