Sweetpotato farmers from Busoga region in Uganda form a cooperative for sustainable production

Sweetpotato farmers have typically sourced planting materials from their own previous seasons’ gardens, or from neighbors and relatives without regard for seed quality and age. Under the local farming practices, many vines are planted in the same spot resulting in competition for resources and thus lower yields obtained estimated at only 4 ton/ha/year compared to a potential yield of 14 ton/ha/year.

Sweetpotato Genetic Advances and Innovative Seed Systems (SweetGAINs) is an ambitious three-year project aimed at increasing access to improved sweetpotato varieties and enhancing seed delivery systems through streamlined, gender-responsive, and well-managed sweetpotato breeding programs across Africa.