GROUND NUTS (PEANUTS) PRODUCTION

Groundnut, also known as peanut, is the second most important legume after beans in Uganda. It is also the sixth most important oilseed crop in the world.
It is predominantly cultivated by smallholder farmers on average of 0.5-1 acres of land for food security. However, it is slowly becoming a commercial crop.
Although northern and eastern Uganda are traditional growing areas, production has spread to western and central regions as well.
The average yield of groundnuts in Uganda is about 290kg per acre as opposed to the yield potential of 1200kg per acre. Some of the major constraints to enhanced groundnut productivity include;
- Lack of fertilizers
- Low use of quality seed
- Low use of agrochemicals
- Susceptibility to rosette disease
- Poor market linkages for produce
Groundnut is predominantly marketed in for of; unshelled pods, the seed for propagation, groundnut powder, paste, and shelled seeds.