Context and Project Objective
Pumpkin is one of the high-potential but still untapped vegetables in East Africa, including Uganda. Although it has excellent nutritional value and a long shelf life and is relatively easy to grow, its production for markets remains eclipsed by other vegetables.
In 2019, East-West Seed founder Simon N. Groot was awarded the World Food Prize for his transformative work, which has enabled millions of smallholder farmers to earn higher incomes through enhanced vegetable production and has benefited hundreds of millions of consumers with greater access to nutritious vegetables for healthier diets. Groot dedicated the majority of his prize money to the Pumpkins in Africa project, often called simply the Pumpkin Project.
The objective of the Pumpkin Project was to accelerate the growth of the pumpkin sector in Africa. By centering project activities in Uganda, the goal was to develop a hub of expertise and knowledge that could then drive growth in other East African countries, and even in West Africa if the potential is there.
Outputs & Outcomes
- 14,095 farmers intensively exposed to best practices and trained in pumpkin production (almost double the goal of 7,200 farmers trained)
- 67% increase in pumpkin production in the project areas
- 9,732 people exposed to the benefits of pumpkin production through 53 Facebook posts
- 26 radio talk shows exposing farmers to pumpkin production and raising pumpkin production awareness among stakeholders
- 173 pumpkin nutrition awareness campaigns to improve community nutrition by increasing pumpkin consumption
EWS-KT Partners
Funding partner: East-West Seed founder and World Food Prize laureate Simon N. Groot
Project Period
1 July 2020 – 31 January 2024
Location
Uganda: Eastern Region, Central Region, and Northern Region (especially West Nile, Gulu, and Lira)