This week’s story from DRC focuses on potatoes, which are also the topic of our script of the week.
Potatoes are an important cash and subsistence crop in the highlands of southwestern Uganda and in other highland areas of central, eastern and southern Africa. But potatoes are prone to pest and disease problems, so farmers must employ sound farming techniques in order to be successful.
Before 1995, potato production in Uganda was disorganized, with no clear differences in production practices between seed potatoes and potatoes for food. To improve potato production and increase its competitiveness, national and international organizations in Uganda worked together to boost adoption of best production practices, including making quality potato seed available at an affordable price to farmers.
This script focuses on the activities of the Nyabyumba United Farmers, an organization that evolved from seven smaller groups formerly started at Farmer Field Schools.