More farmers growing indigenous vegetables to meet market demand

A farmer inspects his vegetable garden. There is increased interest in growing indigenous due to awareness campaigns about their nutritive value as well as the availability of market opportunities. PHOTO BY LOMINDA AFEDRARU 

Most people in Uganda are consuming hybrid vegetables that farmers are engaged in growing due to commercial demand. These include include cabbages, broccoli, spinach, carrots, among others. But agricultural experts contend that much as farmers appreciate their commercial value, indigenous African vegetables could fetch profit just as well.

Market engagement
These indigenous vegetables farmers can grow in different parts of Uganda are the following: Nakati (Salanum aethiopicum), Amaranthus dubius (dodo), Gynandropsis gynandra (African spiderflower), African eggplant, Hibiscus sabdariffa (malakwang), Crotalaria ochroleuca (Alayu), Hibiscus esculentus (Okra), Jute mallow (Otigo lwoka), Vigna unguiculata (cowpea for the leaves), Manihot esculenta (Cassava for the leaves) and Cucurbita maxima (Pumpkin for the leaves).
Dr Monica Kansiime, a scientist at Centre for Agricultural Biosciences International (Cabi), presented a survey carried out in Kampala, Buikwe, Masaka, Mpigi and Wakiso districts.
It regarded the farmer engagement vis-a-vis market demand for indigenous vegetables; It found that many farmers preferred growing Nakati, Amaranth and Africa spiderflower.
The team realised that most farmers are growing these vegetables mainly for home consumption but in case of surplus, they are taken to the local markets for sale.

Awareness raised
On average, those engaged in growing these vegetables allocate 0.2 acres of their land for the activity. However, for the last five years, many more farmers are grow the vegetables due to the awareness raised by different development partners about the nutritive importance.
Many farmers prefer to sell their vegetables on farm in bundles of 70kg to 100kg with each costing Shs65,000 to Shs70,000 depending on the season and they process the seed locally.

Sell to local markets
Many farmers prefer intercropping the vegetables with other commodity crops such as cassava, maize and banana. But, Dr Kansiime advises, that it would be a good idea to grow the vegetables on a large scale if a farmer is to reap better income.
The marketing system for the vegetables is mainly formal where a number of farmers sell their produce in the local markets. It is worth noting that there is a possibility for export market if value is added by making sure the vegetables are kept clean and packaged well. Some can still be dried using solar energy and packaged for sale in supermarkets.

All-year production
Majority of the farmers process the seed on bare ground and handling of the vegetables is by sprinkling water on them to keep fresh.
This is not a recommendable practice but rather processing the seed on a raised structure is a preferred method to avoid contamination.
The Cabi team also advises farmers to use irrigation especially during dry season where they can fetch more income compared to what is grown in the rainy season. This also enables them to produce throughout the year.
Value addition includes practices like making juice from pumpkin or confectionaries using Nakati powder, which some farmers in Mukono are already doing.
Robinah Naggayi Gafabusa, a breeder at Mukono Agricultural Zonal Research Development Institute, added that these farmers have formed associations through which they are promoting vegetable production as an income-earning initiative.
During the survey, she visited Nkokonjeru seed farmers group, Kamengo parish farmers research group, Kitengessa group in Masaka and Luguzu group in Namayumba.
These are engaged in growing and selling leafy vegetables as well as seed mainly for Nakkati. The farmers in Masaka are growing vegetables on a large scale ranging from one acre to two acres.

Best practices
But, as she points out, farmer groups who are engaged in processing vegetable seed do it using the rudimentary method, where they wash it and put it to dry in the sun sometimes packaging it before it dries to the required moisture content.
On the research, scientists at National Crop Resources Research Institute in Namulonge, are multiplying seed for pumpkin, Amaranth, Africa spiderflower and cowpea using best practices in a bid to make a good selection of the seed to give out to farmers to improve their yields.

significance of african vegetables
Over the next four decades, world population is projected to grow by almost one-third, to more than 9 billion people, of which almost 70 per cent will be living in urban areas by 2050.
To feed the growing population, farmers in the developing world must intensify and diversify food production, a challenge made even more daunting by the combined effects of climate change and growing competition for land, water and energy.
The intensification of production systems and their diversification to vegetable crops, especially indigenous vegetable species, could make a significant contribution to meeting increased demand for food.
Indigenous vegetables are important to food security, nutrition and income in many countries of sub-Saharan Africa. However, owing to the lack of resources allocated for the development of the vegetable subsector, they have not received the attention they deserve.
Until recently, research and development efforts have focused mainly on improving production systems for exotic vegetables, and have paid little attention to more diverse and abundant indigenous species and varieties, and the ways in which they are used.
Source: International Society for Horticultural Science

70 – 100
range in kilogrammes in which farmers package the vegetables into bundles

65,00 – 70,000
range of prices at which farmers sell the various bundles of vegetables

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