Ugandan farmers turn to cultivation of artemisia

Farmers in the Kabale area of Uganda have taken to growing artemisia, the plant from which new anti-malaria drug of choice artemisinin is extracted.

Christopher Katungi started growing the plant in 2006, and has so far planted three acres of land with it. He said artemisia takes between four to five months to mature. He said he earned one million shillings ($ ) from his first harvest season in March 2007. Katungi said he received free seedlings from a pharmaceutical company, Afro Alpine Pharma Limited.

Henry Beine began growing the plant in January 2007 and expects his first harvest in April. "I expect to earn between sh700,000 and sh1,000,000 ( $400 to $575) this season and I plan to increase the acreage," he said.

Joshua Katukiza, another farmer, said many farmers have embarked on growing the plant because they are given free seedlings. "It takes a short time to mature and it does not require a lot of start-up capital, which makes it very profitable. More so, there is ready market for the produce and payment is prompt," he said. He added that before the introduction of artemisia, many farmers grew sorghum. He said artemisia is more profitable because it is harvested twice a year.

Afro Alpine Pharma has established nursery beds in six sub-counties in the district, from where farmers can access free seedlings. The firm also established a factory in the area to extract artemisinin from the leaves of artemisia. The company buys a kilo of artemisia at sh1,000 (60 cents ).

Charles Mbire, chairman of Afro Alpine Pharma, said the plant does well in cool places. He said over 5,000 farmers in Kabale district are directly benefiting from the introduction of artemisia.

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