Demand for African indigenous vegetables and seed in Uganda

African Indigenous Vegetables (AIVs) have traditionally been a significant contributor to food security, nutrition and incomes for smallholder farmers in many parts of East Africa. However, farmers’ capacity to grow and benefit from AIVs has been limited by lack of good quality seed and technical packages. Efforts aimed at supporting the performance of AIV subsector are limited by a general lack of information about the effective demand for AIVs. This study assessed the demand for AIVs, both vegetables and seed in the context of Uganda. The study covered northern and central regions in Uganda. Study results are based on data from 313 household interviews,18 focus Group Discussions and 239 key informant interviews. Seventeen different types of AIVs were grown and marketed by farmers in the two study locations. Solanum aethiopicum and Vigna unguiculata were the most preferred AIVs in central and northern Uganda, respectively. AIVs were grown by smallholder farmers primarily for home consumption. Marketing of AIVs is still fragmented and characterised by traditional handling mechanisms and limited value addition. The estimated aggregate seed demand for the five most common AIVs in central Uganda was 88 tonnes per year, of which 62% was supplied by farmers themselves. Farmers cited the lack of reliable supply of quality and affordable seed as the major reason for using own seed. Demand for seed was significantly (p<0.1) and positively related to output price. This implies the need to holistically address both seed access and market constraints in the promotion of AIV production. Development of farmer seed entrepreneurship, farmer-trader linkages and market access by farmers are recommended strategies for achieving sustainable AIV production.