For years sweet potato growing has majorly been practiced on a small and medium scale as a supplement to different staple foods like matooke and cassava. It is for this reason that Uganda was classified by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization as the largest producer of sweet potatoes in Africa and ranked 3rd in the world. Ugandans consume an average of 85 tons of sweet potatoes per year the 3rd highest consumption level of any country in the world. Abdu Karim Tamale Waswa is one of the famous commercial sweet potato growers in Luweero district, for now, five years. He grows sweet potatoes on his 38 acres of land situated on a flat land that is water rich in Zirobwe Sub County earning over 100 million per annum from this project. “The young generation because most of them are thinking that there is completely nothing in agriculture. That’s why you are seeing them moving around the streets of Kampala saying I can’t go back to the village.” Said, Abdu Karim Waswa Tamale – Sweet Potato Farmer.

Tamale tells me that sweet potatoes grow well on fertile soils situated in low lands compared to uplands. He attributed his success to a timely planting of his sweet potatoes during the dry season which makes him hit high market demands when there is food scarcity in the country. “It’s only about timing that when you want to get the good market, you have also to be calculative. For us, we are doing it a dry season because very many people are not doing it.” On his farm, Tamale employs more than 30 people whom he pays at least 10,000 shillings per day depending on one's potential. His employees are equally happy about this project but besides working on Tamale's farm, they have been inspired also to venture into sweet potato growing to sustain their lives. “You may get some money such that you get other ideas or to buy anything.” Said, Abdu Ssekaja – Farm Manager.

Being a crop, sweet potato growers face a problem of pests like caterpillars and rats. This is, however, being managed through pre-planting and dipping of sweet potato stems into herbicides. “Because there are insects which are disturbing it. They can take this tuber from down to this end if it is not treated. But if it is treated, it is going to yield well.” Tamale prides in the ready market for his produce. He testified that ever since he started growing sweet potatoes on a large scale, he has never struggled. Tamale advised the youth to turn to commercial potato growing since it requires less capital. “I came to realize this because of the experience I have. I started sweet potato growing some five years back but now, due to the experience I have; this is the best crop.”

However, traders involved in sweet potato business in urban areas like Wobulenzi and Kasana Town Councils decry of the poor road networks linking them to markets. “We use boda-bodas to get the potatoes from the farm, this makes it expensive and hence fewer profits.” However, the district’s production Minister Ssozi Abbey Bakislwa calls on residents to embrace commercial sweet potato growing to earn quickly as a supplement to other produce. “I want to urge our farmers throughout the district and throughout the whole Uganda to take potato plantation as a business because when you go to the market a sack is at 80,000 and above that is in Luweero so when you go to Kampala, it might go up to 150,000 and above. So which means it is a real business.” He also promised that the district was laboring to improve the road network across the premises to facilitate easy transportation of all agricultural produce. “We have had some complaints from the traders about the roads and the state of the roads in the district but I want to encourage them and inform them that we have already got the funds to repair all the roads that had been swept away by the rains.” Sweet potato growing is also practiced in most regions across the country more especially Teso region that produces yellow or orange potatoes.