Farmers throughout Uganda are using new disease-resistant groundnut varieties—validated in on-farm trials—to overcome a rosette disease, a problem that was seriously limiting their yields. Previously, their only recourse was chemical control, but this was too expensive for poor farmers. To make the seed of the new varieties widely available, a farmer-led multiplication plan was developed under the supervision of parish development committees. These committees oversee repayment and redistribution of seed to ensure that women and poor households receive priority. Farmer groups also learned improved groundnut production and seed handling techniques, as well as how to process the groundnuts using a manual grinder. Finally, collective marketing associations are building their links to markets.
