Men in vegetable growing for improved nutrition, income generation and poverty alleviation in Kamuli District Uganda

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Men in vegetable growing for improved nutrition, income generation and poverty alleviation in Kamuli District Uganda

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Men from Kamuli District, Uganda have joined the bandwagon of vegetable growing to improved nutrition and household income. This is a domain that has traditionally been left to woment in most communities. Ecological Christian Organisation (ECO) came up with a project in the region, to encourage vegetables cultivation as a business. According to Mr Isaac Kabongo, the Executive Director of ECO, the project appealled to men more because of the potential income from the sale of vegetables.

Some of the male farmers pose for a photo with Dr. Grace Nakabonge, the PROTA

Regional Officer in Uganda ourside ECO office.

In Uganda, there are over forty plant species currently used as vegetables. The most popular are Doodo (Amaranthus spp), Nakati (Solanum aethiopicum), Entula (Solanum gilo), Enyanya entono (Lycopersicon esculantum), Malakwang (Hibiscus sabdariffa), Jjobyo (Cleome gynandra), Gobe (Vigna unguiculata) and the fruity Solanum spp (entula, Katunkuma). Despite this, studies have shown that the diet of average rural dwellers in Uganda is deficient in proteins, iron, calcium, vitamins B and C, riboflavin and often iodine. All these nutrients can be obtained from locally available indigenous vegetables. Commercial demand drives farmers to allocate more resources to farming exotic vegetables whilst neglecting the indigenous species.

ECO started the initiative of growing of both indigenous and exotic vegetables to address the nutrition deficiency among the rural dwellers and at the same time provide additional income to the households. ECO organised farmers, most of them men, from Ikubya village, Kamuli District (Luuka district) into farmer groups and equipped them with knowledge on improved farming techniques on several vegetable species; Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) locally known as ’Enyanya entono’, the African Nightshade (Solanum anguivi) locally known as ’Entula’, Cabbage (Brassica oleracea), spring onions (Allium fistullum) and Water melon (Citrullus lanatus). These species were selected mainly due to their commercial potential.

Mr. Goefrey Kapo, working on his onion farm. He has just harvested his tomato crop from the garden

Using information from the PROTA 2: the farmers were trained on various vegetable agronomy techniques. According to Mr. Kabongo, during the training workshops, ECO used information from PROTA handbook on Vegetables to develop the training material. They particularly used the information on propagation, management and diseases and pests. After the training, the farmers were provided with improved cultivar seeds to boost production.

The activities of the project have resulted increased quantity of vegetables harvested as a result of using improved cultivars and farming methods. All the farmers interviewed indicated that they had increased harvest of the vegetables of choice as a result of using the improved cultivars and also as a result of employing the farming methods learnt during the community training. For example, Mr. Godfrey Kapo, grew tomatoes before he was trained by ECO and he harvested between 8-10 boxes of tomatoes each season. After training and acquisition of improved seeds for tomatoes he reported to be harvesting 62 boxes per harvesting season (each box weighs approximately 14-15Kgs). During his interview, Mr. Kapo indicated that he sold each box at US $ 3.5 (8000 Uganda shillings). This therefore translated to US $ 220 (UgShs. 496,000) up from a paltryUS $ 35 (UgShs 80,000) before training and access to improved cultivar seeds.This is a 6 fold increase in income per harvesting season. Mr. Kapo has a family of 24 and now he is a happy father capable of taking care of his family; he can meet there school fees, medical and he now has a small retail shop in Ikubya trading centre stocked using his savings from tomato farming.

A tomato farm belonging to one of the group members

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Growing was found to be more profitable than other traditional crops grown in the areas. Most of the farmers interviewed confirmed that little land and less labour input was needed and required for vegetable production while the returns on the inputs were higher than the other cash crops grown. The fact that vegetables had more than two harvests in a year thus guaranteeing income all year round, was another factor that attracted more farmers to the project. Mr. Robert Mwanika, a member of the group, reported that more farmers were joining the ECO farming group persuaded by improved living standards of those already in the group. Another member, Mr. Buwaso Sowedi also contends that there was a ready local market for the vegetables unlike other cash crops in the area.

The farmers reported that with vegetable growing, their income had significantly improved, the nutritional status of their homes improved and they now could access a variety of vegetables and therefore defiencies associated with lack of certain vitamins and minerals in the diet have been reduced.

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