Uganda is endowed with agroclimatic conditions suitable for the cultivation of a wide range of African indigenous vegetables. However, few of these plants are domesticated, the majority being wild or volunteer plants. They are abundant in the rainy seasons but scarce during the dry season, except a few grown mainly for selling in trading centres and urban markets.
The most important traditional vegetables in Uganda are Amaranthus spp., Phaseolus vulgaris, Phaseolus lunatus, Vigna unguiculata, Sesamum indicum, Manihot esculenta, Corchorus spp., Cucurbita spp. and Solarium aethiopicum. They contain protein, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, iron and vitamins A, B and C in important quantities and are either curative or preventive of a number of diseases. The list of traditional vegetables used as folk medicine is long, and includes Bidens pilosa, Cassia obtusifolia, Celosia argentea, Commelina benghalensis, Corchorus spp., Guizontia abyssinica, Hibiscus spp., Lagenaria siceraria, Luffa cylindrica, S. indicum, Solanum indicum subsp. distichum, Tamarindus indica and Tribulus spp.
Traditional vegetables are also used to obtain various other products. Efforts are being made to increase awareness of the importance of traditional vegetables among rural women, and to encourage the general population to cultivate and consume these species.
The horticulture program in collaboration with the world vegetable centre (regional based in Arusha Tanzania) initiated a project to promote the neglected indigenous vegetable (NVP) and also a vegetable breeding system (vBSS). Through these projects, indigenous vegetables from different locations have been evaluated and field day organized to promote quality vegetable seeds for health and income generation.
The program continues to promote vegetable production and consumption through trainings. Below are production manuals of some tradition vegetables
Production of Amaranth
Production of Cowpeas
Production of Nightshade
Production of spider plant
