Irarak United Savings Group's story

Irarak United Savings Group

“We are thankful to VEDCO and the donors for building our capacity to identify our own agricultural production challenges and establish trial gardens.”

Irarak United Savings Group is a farmer group and producer organisation located in Otaadan Village, Agurur Parish, Kibale Sub-county in Pallisa District, Eastern Uganda. The group has 30 members, including 21 women and 9 men. In 2018, sub-county leaders selected the group to participate in a farmers' research project by VEDCO. At the start of the project, members assessed sorghum and millet production systems and identified challenges including low-yielding local varieties, intercropping millet and sorghum in the same fields, high levels of Striga infestation, and soil infertility. Together, they agreed to establish separate sorghum and millet gardens, use improved seed, plant cowpeas instead of intercropping sorghum with millet, apply farmyard manure, plant in lines, and weed twice to reduce Striga. The harvests improved, and farmers began selecting varieties that yielded better, matured early, and helped manage Striga. Many chose NARO Mill 3 millet for food and local brew, Seso 3 sorghum for its deep red colour and suitability for cassava-millet bread, and Mark 56 sorghum for its high yield, medium height, and brewing quality. Farmers shared seed from the demonstration garden and planted their own gardens. Over the seasons, the group observed that gardens using farmyard manure, cowpeas, line planting, and two weedings greatly suppressed Striga. The group later received UGX 26 million from Private Sector Foundation to add value to millet and apiary businesses. Individual farmers also benefited: Nyende Esther planted one acre of Seso 3, harvested 10 bags, sold seed, earned UGX 1,000,000, and paid school fees for her son. Auruga Jane planted 6 kg of NARO Mill 3, harvested 450 kg, sold seed worth UGX 600,000, and used the money to open a shoe business. The group is thankful to VEDCO and donors for building their capacity to identify agricultural production challenges and test solutions using both new knowledge and indigenous farming experience.