Areas of Kamuli, Mukono and Wakiso are best known for growing sweet potatoes but a recent report from Harvest Plus, an organisation that researches on nutrition, shows that local varieties don’t have the essential nutrients.
In order to avert the situation the National Crops Resources Research Institute (NaCCRI) has embarked on providing farmers with the improved varieties of the orange flesh sweet potatoes which is rich in vitamin A and carbohydrates.
A 2017 report from the Uganda National Bureau of Statistics indicates that about 30% of children in Uganda suffer from Vitamin A deficiency and 50% of women suffer from the same problem in the districts of Kamuli, Wakiso and Mukono.
According to Richard Miiro, a senior lecturer in the department of Extension and Innovation Studies at Makerere University, this is because most of the types of foods consumed lack adequate amounts of essential micronutrients such as vitamin A which is much required in the body.
"When you look at Kamuli district alone, many of the children there have eye related problems because sweet potatoes is their staple food yet they contain less essential nutrients. Therefore the distribution of the orange fleshed sweet potatoes will reduce on the problem," Miiro said.
Dr Goretti Ssemakula the project investigator at the National Crops Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI) said that as pilot study over 22 million vines have been distributed in the three districts covering a total of 657 hectares.
"We have been able to reach out to over 10,000 homes using the school going children to deliver the vines and good enough, farmers have responded positively," Dr Ssemakula said.
