Ugandan agriculturalists call for new efforts to preserve traditional foods

Fort Portal, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Agriculturalists have called for efforts to preserve and grow traditional food crops.

The call was made on Thursday during the Rwenzori Regional Indigenous Food and Seed Fair that was organized by Sustainable Agriculture Trainers Network (SATNET) that was held in Fort Portal.

They noted that most of the traditional food varieties and delicacies such as yams, mushrooms, cassava, sweet potatoes, millet have disappeared from the menu and given rise to western type of food which has affected nutrition and are unhealthy.

Charles Tumuhe, an agricultural researcher from African Rural University in Kagadi District, noted that indigenous foods are disease-resistant and do not need a lot of money to grow when compared to exotic foods.

Tumuhe also explained that the indigenous crops ensure protection of the soil since they don’t require artificial fertilizers and chemicals.

Joseph Mate, an agricultural officer with Satnet added that from their findings, the indigenous foods are even more expensive, which Implies that farmers growing them can be assured of more income.

Dennis Baijuka, a farmer from Kagadi says indigenous food crops require less labour and have ready market, a reason he is abandoning the genetically modified ones.

Teddy Namazzi, a nursing officer from the Nutrition Department of Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital, says that more people are suffering from a number of diseases like diabetes and hypertension because of exotic foods which lack nutrients.

Tumuhe says that the university plans to document all local food crops that are under the threat of extinction for preservation.

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