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Kitgum, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Gulu Archdiocese has begun supplying high yielding cassava cuttings to farmers in Kitgum district as part of the presidential initiative for cassava commercialization in Northern Uganda.
At least 7,763 bags of Narocas-1 cassava cuttings will be delivered to the selected farmers in the district by the end of this month. The task is jointly undertaken with Acholibur Parish project in partnership with National Agricultural Advisory services [NAADS] and Operation Wealth Creation.
Lt Col Benson Bokello Odur, the Operation Wealth Creation Coordinator in Kitgum District says that the cassava cuttings will be distributed to farmers in the nine sub-counties and two villages in the Municipality.
According to Lt Col Odur, 435 bags of cassava cuttings will be distributed to farmers in Namokora sub-county, 1,485 in Orom Sub-county, 1,275 in Omiya Anyima, 645 in Lagoro sub-county, 615 in Labongo Amida and 345 in Labongo Layamo. Meanwhile farmers in Kitgum Matidi will get 900 bags of cassava cuttings, 1,170 in Mucwini and 278 bags of cassava cuttings to farmers in Kitgum Municipality.
He notes that the cassava cuttings will boost the production of cassava which has turned out to be lucrative when grown for commercial purposes and also a source of food security.
Wilfred Nyeko, the Labongo Amida LCIII Chairperson lauded the initiative and noted that farmers in his sub-county have already started planting the supplied cassava cuttings due to the current rainfall. He, however, notes that the quantity supplied was little compared to the high demand for the cassava cuttings.
“We appeal to the Acholibur parish project officials to consider increasing supply of the cassava cuttings to our local farmers. What we got is few yet the demand is high,” He says.
The Acholibur Parish Project [APP] initiated by the Archdiocese of Gulu under the stewardship of Archbishop John Baptist Odama aims at commercializing cassava growing in Acholi Sub region. At least 10,000 farmers have been mobilized in the region to grow cassava under the project.
President Yoweri Museveni launched mass cassava growing in the region in March this year in Acholibur sub county, Pader district and encouraged farmers to grow cassava as a strategic crop.
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