The IITA–CGIAR Projet Intégré des Grand Lacs (PICAGL) participated in the agricultural fair organized from 29 to 31 August in Luhwindja, Mwenga territory in South Kivu, by the Agro Pastoral Cooperative for the Self-Promotion of Women at the Base [la Coopérative Agro Pastorale à l’Autopromotion de la Femme à la base (CAPAFB)].

The fair, themed “Promotion and sale of improved products and seeds”, aimed to popularize agricultural activities, technologies, and practices on a large scale.
The improved cassava variety NABANA, provided to farmers within the PICAGL framework, thanks to World Bank’s financing through the DRC government, was the focal showcase of the fair by producer associations of Luhwindja. The exhibition also included value-added products derived from NABANA by the IITA Youth team.
The farmers from Luhwindja, through CAPAFB, have benefited from 30 thousand meters of cassava cuttings that can cover 12 to 15 hectares of field.

NABANA, developed with the National Institute for Agronomic Studies and Research (INERA), has been certified and included in the national catalog of seeds. It is a variety tolerant to diseases such as cassava brown streak and mosaic as well as pests. NABANA also has a high yield potential, with sensory characteristics highly appreciated for its leaves and roots. This variety contributes to the increase of agricultural production for a very fertile soil (25 tons/hectare), better than the old varieties cultivated by agricultural households.
Contributed by Michèle Kimpwene
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