Fruit farming for income and nutrition

Country

Uganda

Student

Karla Huerta, University of California, Davis

Description

For this Trellis Fund project, URICT seeks to work with a U.S. graduate student with expertise in tropical pests and disease control to extend activities to Busota village, Kamuli District. Fruit and vegetable farming is the main agricultural activity here, but too many harvests fail due to pests and diseases. Women farmers are especially vulnerable because they are mostly illiterate and confined to local markets, where prices are lower. The project aims to help 400 women farmers by: providing training in disease and pest control; increasing productivity, postharvest management, and access to markets; and raising household nutrition levels.