S1-11
Cassava
Growing- The Ugandan Experience
Kulata
A.N.
Cassava
is a widely grown crop throughout the tropical world. In
Uganda it is grown all over the country, but most especially the Eastern
region. It has
traditionally been grown as a food crop.
Recent economic advancements have turned it into a cash crop.
It is mainly used as a food crop. Others include, a component in
the manufacture of drugs, a binding material in construction,
cash crop, and a raw material the distillation of alcoholic
beverages. Low cassava
prices, scarcity of planting materials, limited market, lack of storage
and transport facilities, lack of capital, lack of encouragement from
the government, poisonous cassava materials, poor farming methods are
all problems encountered by Ugandan cassava producers.
Adding value to the raw cassava by drying and grinding,
penetration of local markets like schools and institutions, creation of
an export market, advanced cassava preservation and storage would all
contribute to improved production. There is therefore a requirement for government encouragement
and intervention to bring cassava to the level of other successful major
cash crops.
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