By Nelly Nelsons Otto
POST-HARVEST handling losses remains one of the biggest challenges facing farmers in the Lango sub region that comprises the 10 administrative units that form the traditional Lango.
They are Amolatar, Alebtong, Apac, Dokolo, Kole, and Lira district, Lira City, Oyam, Otuke and Kwania.
The observation was made by Yuventino Obong the Minister of Agriculture of Tekwaro Lango Cultural Institution during their cabinet meeting held at senior Quarters in Lira City.
Obong, who retired as a research officer agronomist from the National Agricultural research Organization (NARO) says so many farmers face losses from poor post-harvest handling of their crops because of insufficient knowledge and skills.
To put it in perspective, Lango is blessed with plenty and a wide variety of food like simsim, beans, groundnuts, cassava, sweet potatoes, pigeon peas, maize, soybeans and sunflower as well as millet and sorghum, among others which is dwindling.
In spite of the abundance of the above, Obong notes that the region alongside others in the entire northern region faces high levels of food loss and waste(FLW) along the critical value chains which perpetuate food insecurity, trade competitiveness and poverty at household level.
According to experts, FLW refers to the decrease in the quantity (weight and volume), quality (nutritional value) of food due to actions of actors in the food value chain.
Obong , who is also a clan chief (awitong) of Pala Otara clan in his Report, says food losses and wastages always come about mainly because of poor post harvest handling practices through the absence of adequate and appropriate food infrastructure in harvest and post harvest systems.
There are complaints among some buyers against shrewd produce dealers who pour water on crops to weigh more kilograms, in the end compromising on the quality and nutritional values of the products.
“…majority of the farmers still use rudimentary methods of drying on uncovered ground, storage in sacks or pouring on the ground, hand shelling and beating which make the produce to become susceptible to discoloration and contamination…” Obong lamented.
As a way forward, Obong told the meeting presided over by the Acecep Adwong (Prime Minister) George Ojwang-Opota that Tekwaro Lango, together with the government extension experts will embark on sensitization of farmers.
He also cautioned farmers against the wrong usage of agro-inputs and wrong inputs including pesticides, herbicides and acaricides, among others during production and storage and poor processing equipment like grain milling machines that leave particles in the processed flour.
Experts list known impacts of food loss and waste to include economic losses through lower tradable volumes, decreased income of small farmers, increased poverty levels and higher incidence of food insecurity.
It is estimated that between 30 to 50% of the annual grain and fresh fruits and vegetables harvested in terms of weight are lost in Uganda.
This loss affects both producers and consumers as it reduces the amount of food available for consumption and amount available for sale to bolster household income.
The Lango Paramount Chief (Won Nyaci) Eng. Dr Michael Moses Odongo-Okune welcomed the Report and asked the people of Lango to revive the growing of millet, which is widely consumed in all parts of Uganda.
Odongo-Okune noted that apart from its rich nutritional value, millet is one of the high-income generating crops which is dwindling because the locals are interested more in cash crops like soybeans and sunflower.
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