Uganda: The hidden wealth in cassava

In Uganda, 74 per cent of farming households grow cassava but the majority of them are poverty-stricken communities, with very limited access to markets. More than 96 per cent of the cassava farmers access low cassava planting materials from their own fields or from fellow farmers. Two viral diseases, Cassava Mosaic Disease (CMB) and Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD), are responsible for low yield and low-quality planting materials perpetuated by the use of virus-infected cuttings. Cassava is flexible and the slow rate of growth makes it suitable for intercropping, especially with maize. Cassava production is carried out all year round lasting an average of 12 months in the field. The Programme for Education, Advocacy, Counselling and Economic Empowerment (PEACE), a humanitarian project by the Adventist Relief Agency (Adra), established a functional cassava seed system in northern Uganda among refugee hosting communities for sustainable productivity of cassava in the target ...