We went to Helio (near Torit) where I saw one of Norwegian Church Aid's (NCA's) agricultural people. There was also a young woman there from Yambio Agricultural Institute. She was with NCA for some sort of practical training. NCA is working with oxenization and with improved seeds such as the sorghum variety Serena which Josiah planted. NCA works primarily with improved simsim (sesame), sorghum, groundnuts and cassava. They do not do the breeding, but test seeds in connection with government research and multiply planting stock. They have a very good looking variety of cassava which seems quite resistant to cassava mosaic. I was not able to evaluate the groundnuts or sorghum I saw as they were still in an early growth stage. NCA inter-planted cassava and groundnuts in one of their plots. I would like to try the improved cassava in Lohutok and perhaps encourage its being planted just before fallowing on the appropriate soils. That might extend the cropping life of a given field, complement seasonal bottlenecks, provide a famine relief store and encourage the rapid regrowth of woody vegetation.
Photo: Sesame Plants in NCA Test Plot
Photo: Cassava and Groundnuts Inter-Planted in NCA Test Plot
NCA also has nurseries for trees (e.g. mango, orange, guava) which they want people to plant in the villages. They have Rhode Island Red chickens (better egg layers) for crossing with local types (better brooders). They have some ducks around their station. They have cotton spinning, weaving and sesame oil processing as part of an appropriate technology program.
Photo: Spinning Cotton - NCA Appropriate Technology Project
Photo: Seedlings in NCA Nursery
We may have the Lohutok cooperative set up so we can get grain tomorrow. The man we needed to see was out, but Josiah is staying over to see him in the morning. A lorry will be bringing grain this way in the morning. Josiah hopes to be able to come on that truck. Hopefully we will be able to get that grain at cooperative price.
Torit has a market section which I did not get to look at closely. Torit also has an area with quite a few "modern" buildings (government offices, hospital, aid agencies, etc.) The residential section consists of typical Lotuho mud huts with grass roofs.
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