Cassava, a staple food for many families in Busoga, is anticipated to become a commercial crop in the region as new developments indicate significant progress in the cultivation of this root tuber. Ms. Eseza Airo, the cassava ambassador for East Africa, has revealed the government’s future plans to construct a cassava factory in the Eastern Region.
During the annual Meet and East Cassava Festival on Saturday, November 2, 2024, in Kampala, Airo encouraged Ugandans to engage in mass cassava production, highlighting the bright future of this cash crop.
“Sometimes we Ugandans can be lazy about certain issues, but this is very serious. Let us grow cassava; we shall not regret it,” Ms. Airo stated.
Cassava is known to thrive in Busoga’s soils. It is highly resistant to diseases and doesn’t require much vigilance or extra care to be productive, making it well-suited for the people of Busoga.
Uganda is among the leading cassava producers in Africa, with its agricultural sector contributing nearly 20% to the national budget. Ms. Airo was appointed by President Yoweri Museveni in 2018 as Uganda’s cassava ambassador and later took on the same role at the regional level in East Africa. This position has helped her expand cassava production in Uganda.
Currently, Airo owns the leading cassava company, Airo Eseza Cassava Farmers, Growers, and Processors Limited, producing more than 100,000 tons of fresh cassava, which the company supplies to manufacturing firms. Over the years, Airo’s company has expanded its scope to include over 10,000 outgrowers in the eastern, central, and northern regions.
According to her, the government of Uganda is in the final stages of constructing a cassava processing factory in Amuria District, which she claims will mark a significant milestone for cassava production in Uganda. She therefore urged all Ugandans to take an interest in cassava cultivation, as it is one of the leading cash crops in the country.
“I urge all Ugandans to grow cassava because it has proven to be one of the leading cash crops in both the Ugandan and international markets,” she said.
Cassava is a good source of resistant starch, which supports gut health and blood sugar management. It also contains vitamin C, a key micronutrient that can enhance immune function and collagen production.
It can be used to produce cakes, biscuits, porridge, and many other products, which cassava farmers have asked the government to support in terms of production.
The 2016/2017 Uganda National Household Survey data indicated that 74.8% of the people in the Busoga sub-region were considered poor and food insecure, compared to the national average of 63%. The causes of poverty in Busoga are attributed to several factors, including poor agricultural practices (such as subsistence farming), land fragmentation, and a lack of clear focus on better alternatives to failing sugar cane cultivation, among others.
This has led the population to gamble on various business ventures and farming enterprises that have not yielded much, keeping people in poverty. The introduction of cassava as a new enterprise, with a complete value chain where the roots can be used both as food and processed into high-quality cassava flour, presents a much better alternative. This cassava flour can also be used for baking pastries (cakes, cookies, bread).
Cassava is a nutty-flavored root tuber that belongs to the group of starchy root vegetables rich in carbohydrates and calories, providing various small amounts of vitamins and minerals. The development of high-quality cassava flour could help the Busoga region reduce its dependence on other grains. Cassava can grow in poor soils and on marginal lands where other crops cannot. It requires minimal fertilizer, pesticides, and water. Additionally, because cassava can be harvested anytime from 8 to 24 months after planting, it can be left in the ground as a safeguard against unexpected food shortages.
Districts such as Buyende, Luuka, Kaliro, Namutumba, Bugiri, and Namayingo are renowned producers of cassava.
On December 12, 2023, the Busoga Consortium for Development (BCD) signed a trade cooperation agreement with Liaoning Products Trading Center Limited, a Chinese company dealing in agricultural products. The three-year trade partnership focuses on four crop enterprises, including soybean, sesame, maize, and cassava.
People from Busoga and across the country will have the opportunity to export agricultural products to be processed in the yet-to-be-established agricultural-industrial park within Busoga to China.
