Since 2006, HarvestPlus has been working in Uganda to help alleviate vitamin A deficiency and anemia in vulnerable populations, especially women and children, by promoting the production, consumption and marketing of vitamin A orange sweet potatoes and iron beans.
country manager
Sylvia Magezi
HarvestPlus Uganda, Plot 15, East Naguru-Kampala
+256 (0)772 483304
We have worked closely with government, private sector, academia, NGOs and the media to make this happen.
Currently, we are implementing the USAID MENU Project (2016-2021) which aims to reach 420,000 farming households with nutritious staples.
At the end of 2021, more than 965,000 smallholder farming families were growing iron beans and 1,209,000 were growing vitamin A sweet potato.
Biofortified Crops in Uganda*
*Includes varieties shown to meet HarvestPlus standards. Other varieties may be available in the country.
Varieties Released Database
This searchable database provides information on all biofortified crops variety releases by country.
Areas of Expertise
- Crop Development
- Seed Multiplication
- Seed and Grain Distribution
- Consumer Engagement
- Market Development
- Policy Engagement
Crop Development
HarvestPlus supports the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO) to breed, test and release biofortified varieties.
Seed Multiplication
HarvestPlus supports private labs to micro-propagate virus-free orange sweet potato vines and co-invests with the secondary vine multipliers to further multiply the vines. It also supports multiplication of certified iron bean seed by supporting access to foundation seed and building capacity of seed producers.
Seed and Grain Distribution
HarvestPlus supports NGOs to promote biofortified crops through their livelihood programs by disseminating seed to their farmers. HarvestPlus also supports private vine multipliers and agro-input dealers to make seed available to local communities.
Consumer Engagement
HarvestPlus creates awareness on biofortified crops through several channels including media outreach, radio messages and talk shows, radio dramas and field days.
Market Development
HarvestPlus also supports private processing companies mainly SMEs, cottage industries to process products from orange sweet potatoes and iron beans, thus giving an opportunity to non-farming communities to benefit from the nutritional value of the biofortified crops.
Policy Engagement
HarvestPlus engages government at national and district/sub national levels to advocate for biofortified crops. As a result several relevant policy documents have included the promotion of biofortified crops as one of the strategies to address malnutrition in the country including Nutrition policy, Nutrition Action Plans, Agriculture Sector Strategic Plan, and National Development Plan.
Guidelines On Maternal, Infant, Young Child And Adolescent Nutrition in Uganda
Uganda has developed the Maternal, Infant, Young Child, and Adolescent Nutrition guidelines in recognition of the critical role played by optimal nutrition in the health and well-being of women, mothers, adolescents, and children. There is an urgent need to implement interventions to improve the nutritional practices and health of women, infants and young children, and adolescents (girls and boys) for optimal child survival and development outcomes. If implemented with quality and at scale, these programmes have proven to break the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition.
Learn MoreBiofortification news in Uganda
Dinavance Kyomuhendo: A Self-Made Entrepreneur and Biofortification Champion from Uganda
Dinavance Kyomuhendo, 43, from the Nalweyo sub-county in the Kakumiro district, Uganda, is a single parent to five children and a guardian to 10 orphans. Over the last seven years, Dinavance has managed to bring her family out of homelessness by establishing herself as the leading agri-entrepreneur of the Kakumiro district. In 2013, Dinavance and […]
HarvestPlus in Uganda: Innovation to Improve Nutrition and Health
Peter Omondi is a member of the Koro-Bobi Sweet Potato Association in Gulu, Northern Uganda. The members grow biofortified vitamin A orange sweet potato (OSP) for sale in local markets and outside the country. Peter provides OSP vines to the group, and everyone grows sweet potatoes in their own gardens. Peter plays a critical role as […]
Going From “Simple Farmer” To Value Addition Trainer: Meet Annet Draleru
Annet Draleru, a 41-year-old mother of four children, first got to know about orange sweet potatoes in 2013 during the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Activity on Developing and Delivering Biofortified Cops (DDBC), which was being implemented by HarvestPlus and Volunteer Efforts for Development Concern (VEDCO) in Mukono district. Little did she know that this interaction would […]
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Contact Our Uganda TeamHarvestPlus Partners
We have more than 20 partners in the public, private, NGO, and policy engagement sectors who share our mission to improve nutrition and lives of people in Uganda.
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