2. Uganda: Pumpkin co-op offers growing tips (New Vision)
Date Posted: August 3rd, 2009
Pumpkins can be found in many fields across Uganda. Farmers often grow a few pumpkins next to their main cash crops. At harvest time, they sell them for extra income.
But pumpkins are big business for 200 members of the Nkokonjeru Women’s Savings and Credit Project in Central Region. The group has learned the best techniques for cultivating pumpkins. Now pumpkins are their main source of income.
Henry Kasozi is chairman of the co-operative. He explains that pumpkins are a hardy crop. They can survive more than eight months of drought. However, they do not grow by themselves. Like other crops, you must carefully tend to pumpkins in order to get good yields.
Mr. Kasozi explains that pumpkin holes should be dug 90 centimetres by 60 centimetres (three feet by two feet). Four pumpkin seeds should be planted in each hole. Growers fill the hole and create a mound with organic manure and top soil.They mulch the lower part of the stem with dry grass.
Mr. Kasozi also has tips for controlling pests. Animal urine can be applied to the plant to keep pests away. Or, mix tobacco leaves, pepper, and water and apply this mixture to the leaves.
Attention to pumpkin growing techniques has paid off for the women’s co-operative. A single plant can yield about 60 pumpkins. Each pumpkin sells for 500 Ugandan shillings (about 0.24 American dollars or 0.17 Euros) in the market.
Growing tips for many crops are offered in Farm Radio International’s script bank on crop production: http://www.farmradio.org/english/radio-scripts/crop.asp.
August 14th, 2009 at 11:31 am
Iam so impressed by what this women group (Nkokonjeru Women’s Savings and Credit Project)have initiated. In fact farmers livelihood can improve just by thinking for a little while. Most households rarely put attention to crops like pumkins, it is normally left to grow by chance on its own. But now this group has proved to us that when given attention, pumkins can be good food security crop as well as household income source. Big thanks to the women group, please continue, and to the rest- farming is really a business, let us embrace it.
April 16th, 2010 at 10:29 am
I am so great full for proving the us with this information. I am a student in kyambogo university offering a bachelors degree in food processing technology, i would like to know the estimate anualpumpkin production in Uganda. and its contribution to the economy.
thank you
April 16th, 2010 at 10:30 am
I am so great full for proving the us with this information. I am a student in kyambogo university offering a bachelors degree in food processing technology, i would like to know the estimate annual pumpkin production in Uganda. and its contribution to the economy.
thank you
July 5th, 2010 at 6:52 am
I AM GREAT FULL FOR SUCH INFORMATION. IWOULD LIKE TO GET A DETAILED ONE ON HOW TO GROW THIS AS A SOURCE OF FAMILY INCOME.
July 19th, 2010 at 5:43 pm
[...] kADDU SAMUEL – I AM GREAT FULL FOR SUCH… [...]
November 15th, 2010 at 6:23 am
This information about pumpkins can be used as a tool to eradicate poverty among rural households in Uganda
November 24th, 2010 at 6:00 am
Thanks for the valuable information. I journalist in Agriculture and Environment, this is really good news.
Regards
Clemence Tashaya
Award winning Journalist in Environmental Affairs, Namibia, SADC region
October 24th, 2011 at 12:16 pm
people are only poor because there to bussy to think!
February 22nd, 2012 at 2:20 pm
thank u for your publication however, here in the north more so Acholi sub-region, it has been a on going say that if a pregnant woman touches,harvest or pluck any of the pumpkin plant leaves or fruits while its flowering or fruiting will lead to flowers droping and eventually poor yield will be realiesed. How true is that?
June 11th, 2012 at 2:08 pm
[...] Uganda: Pumpkins co-op offers growing tips (#76, August 2009) http://weekly.farmradio.org/2009/08/03/2-uganda-pumpkin-co-op-offers-growing-tips-new-vision/ [...]
August 2nd, 2012 at 5:01 pm
You guys have a wonderful website intending the following, KIU!