Outline

• Brief Background on Uganda Christian University

• Afri-Sol network

• The PAEPARD CRFII project

FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY www.ucu.ac.ug

Map of Uganda

Uganda Christian University

Kampala

Democratic Republic of Congo

Kenya

TanzaniaRwanda

Southern Sudan

For more see http://www.ucu.ac.ug

Background

• The Department hosts Afri-SOL (affiliated to SOLGenomics)

• A network of African researchers/ stakeholders with interest in indigenous African Solanaceae species

• For more info: www.afri-sol.org

FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY www.ucu.ac.ug

Research Interests• Afri-SOL is undertaking whole genome sequencing

(WGS) and assembly of Solanum aethiopicum. S. aethiopicum is an important vegetable widely cultivated and utilized in most African countries.

• The African Orphan Crops Consortium (http://www.mars.com/global/african-orphan-crops.aspx)

• The resulting data will be added in the global genomics and later used in molecular breeding programs.

FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY www.ucu.ac.ug

Enhancing nutrition security and incomes through adding value to indigenous

vegetables in East and Central Uganda

A typical vegetable value chain

Gilo groupShum group

S. anguivii

Plate of cooked veges

Typical market scenarios in UgandaSource: http://www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au; database.prota.org/PROTAhtml/Solanum%20aethiopicum_En.htm

Introduction

• In SSA, the amounts of vegetable consummed are a meagre 27- 114kg/ person/year1

• Post harvest losses contribute to over 40% losses in fresh produce

• A reduction in food losses could have an immediate and significant impact on small farmers’ livelihoods.

1. WHO. 2005. Patterns and determinants of fruit and vegetable consumption in sub saharan Africa: a multiple comparison

General objective

To improve post harvest handling and preservation of African indigenous vegetables (especially Solanaceae sp) in order to prolong their shelf life and hence increase their consumption in nutritionally vulnerable populations while increasing revenue of those engaged in their production.

Specific objectives

1. Better knowledge of indigenous vegetable varieties with prolonged shelflife.

2. Increased knowledge about technologies and processes for prolonging shelflife of indigenous vegetables.

3. Better understanding of efficient delivery pathways for value added indigenous vegetables to end-markets.

Research Questions & Methods

Question 1: Are there some indigenous vegetable landraces that have good post-harvest qualities?

Method: Through a farmer participatory method, establish a collection and characterize it for post-harvest deterioration. The collection will be used to develop on-farm varietal line purification systems to enhance farmers' germplasm.

Research Questions & Methods

Question 2: Are there technologies that can prolong shelflife of indigenous vegetables?

Method: Investigate processes and technologies which slow down the deterioration of indigenous African vegetables after harvest.

Research Questions & Methods

Question 3: Who are the potential actors in the value chain and how can their capacities be strengthened to effectively link demand of vegetables to supply?

Method: 1. Conduct a Value chain analysis to identify

potential actors and assess challenges, opportunities and intervention points

2. Pilot linkages between suppliers of value added indigenous vegetables with end markets.

Research Questions & Methods

Question 4: Do communities and vegetable entrepreneurs (farmers, traders, transporters and processors) have the knowledge, skills and capacity to prolong shelflife of indigenous vegetables?Methods:1. Production of information products.2. Awareness campaigns on importance of indigenous vegetables in diets.3. Establishment of a network for information sharing.

Proposed project results

Result 1: Varieties of indigenous vegetables with longer shelflife and processing potential identified and profiled.Result 2: Appropriate post harvest handling mechanisms/technologies and processing for indigenous vegetables adopted.Result 3: Appropriate delivery pathways of value-added indigenous vegetables established. Result 4: Information sharing mechanisms on utilisation of indigenous vegetables established.

Project team & WorkpackagesName Role in the project

1. Dr Elizabeth Kizito (UCU)

Head of the project Leader of collection and characterisation of indigenous

vegetables with desired traits Develop seed purification systems

2. Dr Michael Masanza (UCU)

Deputy head of the project Characterisation, adaptation and adoption of post-harvest

technologies for prolonging shelflife of indigenous vegetables 3. Dr Agnes

Namutebi (UCU)

Lead the process of validation and adaptation of processing technologies and methods for prolonging shelflife of indigenous vegetables

4. Dr John Jagwe (FARMGAIN)

Lead the supply and demand analyses of value added indigenous vegetables from potential suppliers to end markets.

5. Dr Apolo Kasharu (CHAIN)

Lead the participation of farmers in validating technologies and methods for prolonging shelflife of indigenous vegetables

6. Dr Debbie Rees (NRI)

Provide technical support on post-harvest technologies and strategies to extend the shelflife of indigenous vegetables.

Progress

RRAs and germplasm collection

Characterization of collected germplasm

Other progress

• The twenty farmer groups have been identified in the 2 regions (east and central Uganda)

• Baseline studies on livelihoods, production systems, processing and marketing completed

• Benchmarking visit to the European partner, NRI in March 2015

Other partnering stakeholders

• CABI- development of the seed system• RUFORUM-Capacity building of a PhD student• Humidtropics Cluster 4 project

Way forward

• Field & Lab research in characterization, post harvest processes and technologies

• Participatory Selection & testing with farmers-Vegetables with good post harvest qualities- Best technologies and practices

• Capacity building: Farmer & value chain stakeholders trainings

SILENT HUNGER GONE