A number of initiatives to help solve farmer oriented changes in growing bio fortified crops to help solve the challenge of food security and nutrition have been ongoing by different development partners in agriculture sector.

However as climate change challenge keeps persisting leading to crop failure as a result of drought, pests and diseases  that keep emerging in the crop and animal husbandry sector leading to continuous efforts by different stakeholders, there is need for continuous effort to help solve the problem.

This time a new approach is being used by scientists from fourteen African Countries under their umbrella body the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA) where scientists in these countries are going to work with farmers in the area of enhancing bio fortified crops by strenthening the seed system of various crops and animals as selected by each country.

These countries include Uganda, Tanazania, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Ethiopia, Rwanda, South Sudan and Sudan.

Background

Scientists in East and Central Africa in 10 African countries with the help of National Agricultural Research Organisations in 1994 established ASARECA to help coordinate Research initiatives in the agricultural sector in order to come with various technologies to benefit farmers as end users.

Later in 2014, four other countries joined the ten countries and the team have been working with various partners in implementing various projects across Africa where various farmer groups have benefited.

In terms of seed multination and use of improved seed of various crops ranging from finger and Perl millet, sorghum, beans, maize, cassava among others, over 1.37 million individuals benefited in a project run between 2017 to 2018 because 364 technologies were developed.

Other beneficiaries included 350 students in terms of education support in various disciplines.

About 220,349 families were reached and 89 agricultural policies analyzed.

In a 2019 meeting by the ASARECA direct generals in the various countries in Arusha, they suggested two projects worthy 500 US dollars be implemented by each of the member countries focusing of multiplying bio fortified seed of suggested crops by each country for farmer uptake to improve nutrition in the communities.

It is against this background that representatives from the fourteen countries gathered in Entebbe to discuss the project proposal to kick start the activities in member countries.

Project proposal background

ASARECA Executive director Dr Enock Warinda giving welcome remarks noted that developing technologies through agriculture research is key to solve the challenge of food security and nutrition including increasing farmer’s income across Africa.

He contends that by bring scientists from the 14 countries, the aim is to develop agricultural technologies through inclusive approach where the end users must be the youth, women, people with disabilities as well as the interested stakeholders

“The aim of implementing two projects in each country running for two years is increase productivity of bio fortified crops and livestock for increased diary and beef products for consumer uptake. We are also aiming at increased commercialization of the selected products both within the countries and in the entire region,” he noted.

He noted that his team will coordinate and facilitate the research process for scientists in the countries in a bid to generate technologies that can solve the challenge faced by farming communities across Africa.

Giving the statistics, he noted that in the last five years the organization had spent 131 million US dollars in agricultural technology investments and analyzed five policies affecting the sector.

The organization is run by funds obtained from member countries with each contributing 100,000 US dollars per annum.

The project proposals is focusing on crops such as cassava, Bio fortified Perl millet, breeding of local poultry and livestock breeding including forage processing.

Project proposals

Moses Odeke the acting head of programme at ASARECA explained that as the scientists are developing the proposals to suit technology development in their countries, what they must put in mind is that each country must develop two project proposals which will run for three years with 500,000 US dollars

The projects will be rolled out in different clusters depending on when a country is ready to start and about Shs300, 000 US dollars is being availed by the European Union and the rest will come from membership fee by the different countries and their research Institutes.

Some of the products to be considered by countries is orange fleshed sweet potato, Rice rich in Zinc, Wheat production particular to be taken up by scientists in Cameroon.

In the project proposal the focus is on farmer groups who will acquire the breeder seed for onward multiplication especially for projects to be implemented in East African countries.

Ms Blaise Among programme officer at ASARECA explaining about the two projects notes that each country has been guided to adopt the two project titles namely “Building resilience for enhanced food and nutrition security in Bio fortified crops in East and Central Africa” and “Building  community resilient seed systems for improved livelihoods in East and Central Africa

This means 7 countries will implement projects on seed system enhancement where Uganda falls and the seven will concentrate on improving nutrition through dissemination of bio fortified crops both for farming and processing.

Some of the crops considered by the different countries

The scientists in DRC will concentrate in disseminating bio fortified maize seed for farmer uptake and processing while those in Madagascar are taking up Iron rich beans and Rice rich in Zinc. South Sudan and Sudan have taken up Beans, Sorghum and Perl Millet rich in Iron and Zinc.

Ugandan case

Uganda is considering implementing its projects in multiplication of cassava stalk and dissemination of improved forage varieties to livestock farmers.

According Abas Kiggozi from the National Livestock Resources Research Institute (NaLRRI) one of the scientists to implement the project in Uganda, already his team has farmer groups whom they have been working with in the districts of Sembabule, Mbarara and Nakasongola in forage multiplication.

The same group will be sensitized to uptake the forage multiplication initiative which can later be disseminated to livestock farmers across the country.

Some of the forage varieties include Napier grass, Calliandra for goats, Chloris gayana grass, neem tree leaves, maize and sorghum plant among others.

In as who far as cassava stalk is concerned, Robert Kawuki cassava breeder at the National Crops Resources Research Institute noted that his team will implement the project in cattle corridor areas stretching from western, Central and Karamoja region in Northern which favours cassava growing because it is tolerant to drought.

The Ugandan team estimates a total of 1.4 million farmers across the member countries who will benefit from the two projects with at least 200 households from each country as a beneficiary.

The major focus will be on Naro cas1 cassava variety seedlings multiplication because apparently it is the most grown variety by farmers due to its good performance in the yield.