Akili Foundation, Obongi RDC Hasaka, Strike ‘Green Gold’ in 1,000-Tonne Cassava value Addition

Akili Foundation, Obongi  RDC Hasaka Strike ‘Green Gold’ in 1,000-Tonne Cassava Value Addition.

By Patrick Okidi

In a move that promises to turn cassava gardens into “green gold,” the Office of the Obongi Resident District Commissioner (RDC) has inked a strategic partnership with the Kampala-based Akili Foundation to jumpstart value addition and secure a massive market for local farmers.
The breakthrough follows an exhaustive market assessment in West Nile conducted by the Akili Foundation—a research and evaluation powerhouse currently contracted by the German development agency, GIZ.
The foundation’s Executive Director, Ms. Annette Nabuduwa, recently met with Obongi RDC Samuel Mpimbaza Hashaka and his deputy, Robert Obina Komakech, to deliver the good news: a hungry market in Luwero District is ready to snap up over 1,000 tonnes of dried cassava.
The crop, which often rots in gardens or sells for a pittance at local markets, is now destined for an ethanol factory in Luwero, provided farmers shift their focus toward value addition.
“We have identified a reliable market for over 1,000 tonnes of dried cassava specifically for ethanol production,” Ms. Nabuduwa told the district leadership.
For RDC Hashaka, the partnership is a game-changer for the refugee-hosting district. By linking Obongi’s surplus cassava to industrial buyers in Luwero, the initiative aims to move farmers from subsistence digging to commercial agro-processing.
With GIZ’s backing and Akili’s research expertise, the Office of the RDC is now shifting gears to sensitize farmers on the quality standards required to meet this industrial demand, ensuring that Obongi’s “white gold” finally fuels both the ethanol industry and the pockets of the local population.