Clare N
As climate patterns continue to shift across the Tooro Sub-region, agricultural experts are increasingly encouraging farmers to return to indigenous seed varieties, plants that have survived generations and adapted naturally to the deep, fertile soils of Tooro. For one small-scale farmer in Kabarole District, this is not just advice but a lived experience spanning more than forty years.
During a field visit by Jubilee Radio to Mugusu Town Council, Florence Bamuturaki, a small-scale seasoned farmer, revealed the secret behind her thriving plantation over decades of successful harvests, including preserving indigenous seeds and relying on natural fertilizers.
Despite the surge of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides flooding the market, Mrs. Bamuturaki has remained committed to traditional farming methods. She recounts how her crops local yams, beans, Irish potatoes, and maize have thrived on her land without ever depending on chemical inputs.
“The weather may have changed, the rains may be unpredictable, but this Tooro land has never failed my local crops,” she explains, her voice firm with experience. “They have grown here for years without a single pesticide.”
How she maintains
She shares her simple but intentional approach, including timely weeding and using the little animal manure available to nourish her bananas, yams, vegetables, and other crops. In her lush banana plantation, she proudly notes that every plant is indigenous and many have flourished for over four decades.
However, Mrs. Bamuturaki is concerned about the growing scarcity of authentic indigenous seed varieties saying that those who still have them sometimes distort them with sprays. It’s from this background that when others plant them on new soils, they fail she says.
For her, the purity of indigenous crops, proper maintenance, and good harvesting techniques are the pillars of sustainable farming.
Her yams illustrate this perfectly. Now over eight years old, a single harvested plant can fill two full basins a yield she says attracts a ready market because of its superior taste.
Out of curiosity, she once experimented with non-indigenous vegetables on a separate piece of land. The results were disappointing.
“They took so long to wither, and the growth was poor compared to the indigenous ones,” she recalls. “Indigenous vegetables grow fast and adapt quickly.”
Beyond household experience, experts echo her perspective. According to Robert Katemburura of the African Institute for Culture and Ecology in the Rwenzori Region, the increasing presence of multinational seed companies poses a threat to local ecosystems.
He warns that hybrid seeds and synthetic agricultural chemicals often marketed as modern solutions carry hidden dangers.
“These chemicals kill pollinators and disrupt ecosystems,” Katemburura explains. “Once that happens, indigenous seeds struggle to survive. The few elders who still have them keep them dearly because they understand their cultural, medicinal, and nutritional value.”
He believes that community dialogues are essential to rejuvenate indigenous seed use, adding that some elders are still having them and could possibly bring them on board once approached.
Francis Birungi, an agriculturalist working with Caritas HEWASA Fort Portal Diocese, says that many traditional farmers still operate under customary land tenure systems but despite lacking formal registration, they have long supported eco-friendly agricultural practices and are open to adapting to new environmental friendly farming.
Why indegenous seeds
Organizations like ESAFF Uganda strongly support this movement, arguing that returning to indigenous seeds is critical for true food and seed sovereignty, allowing farmers to save, exchange, and replant seeds without dependence on costly commercial seed companies.
Indigenous seeds carry rich genetic diversity developed over generations, making them naturally suited to local soils and more resilient to drought, pests, and climate shocks. However, this diversity is disappearing rapidly as traditional varieties go extinct, threatening national food security.
ESAFF emphasizes that indigenous seeds are central to agroecological farming, which restores soil health, strengthens ecosystems, reduces reliance on chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and preserves culturally important foods.
In essence, ESAFF Uganda notes that protecting indigenous seeds is not simply about preserving crops, it is about defending farmers’ rights, safeguarding cultural identity, restoring degraded soils, and ensuring a sustainable food system for generations to come.