By Moses Kigongo
Farmers in the oil region have been equipped with modern processing skills in an effort to fight post harvest losses.
Over 390 farmers’ groups operating in the oil region have been trained and introduced to modern cassava processing techniques by Living Earth Uganda,
an NGO that partnered with Total Energies.
Total Energies is a French company which is developing the Tilenga Oil Project in Buliisa district). Recently, it successful erected drilling equipment at Tilenga.
Through the initiative, smallholder farmers acquire modern processing skills that will not only reduce post harvest losses, but also enable them sell their product to the oil and gas sector whose market in readily available in their area.
“Farmers have been making losses each time they produce a lot of cassava since they lack most of the post handling skills such as storage and processing techniques,” said Philmon Nganda,o ne of the officials of this NGO, while showing some of the processing skills that farmers have attained after being trained.
Nganda revealed that over 500 smallholder farmers have been sun drying their cassava for more than 3 days (depending on the weather conditions) and in the process, store it in dirty places where they are attacked by micro-organisms which cause aflatoxin.
But with the modern techniques that involve cutting clean pieces of cassava into chips (using a simple machine),then drying it from a clean surface(within 3 hours) and storing the produce into simple silos for further processing at the right time, the farmers are to benefit from their produce.
His take was supported by some of the farmers led by Robert Akunguzibwe, one of the members of Buliisa district farmers’ group, who appreciated the oil companies for working closely with the host communities to transform their lives, after relocating them to carry out oil activities on their land.
They also thanked Living Earth officials for the training, as well as the government that has complimented their efforts by organising them and registering their associations in the area.
