HELLEN'S 0.25 SUCCESS STORY

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SMALL CASSAVA FARM, BIG HARVEST

Helen Barasa is a cassava agripreneur from Kajoro village, Nambale in Busia County. She started cassava production in the year 2000 and has since diversified to other crops like maize, soya and sweet potato.

Across the years, organizations such as Ministry of Agriculture, ARDAP, SHA and PlantVillage have helped her shift from  Agriculture to Agribusiness.

Helen’s farm has fetched great interest from farmers and organizations interested in holding field days and on-farm trainings.Several field days have been held at her farm by the Ugunja Cassava Resource Center (UCRC). Officers from UCRC have been inviting County officials from the Ministry of Agriculture to attend the trainings. Helen 0.25 acre of cassava plot shows remarkable growth without any cassava disease.

PlantVillage,in the journey to ensure farmers plant and multiply clean cassava seeds,has provided a mobile tool to help with diseases diagnostic. In addition, the organization links farmers to cassava seed entrepreneurs with clean cuttings and has provided clean cuttings to lead farmers to plant in a 0.25 acre plot.

Helen obtained her NASE14 cuttings from PlantVillage cassava seed entrepreneur and is expecting increased yields this harvest. Other farmers have begun booking cuttings from her once she starts harvesting.

Helen is spreading her success by training other farmers in her groups on the importance of planting clean cuttings to increase yields.

‘’Sometimes, I get calls to go and help other farmer select clean cuttings using PlantVillage Nuru application on my phone.’’

Helen urges farmers to text Join to 20307 and be part of PlantVillage SMS community.

‘’Farmers should join PlantVillage SMS to advance knowledge on cassava production.”

 

Written By;Mercyline Tata

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