Increased food demand in Uganda, justifies efforts aimed at increasing productivity per unit area and/or expanding acreage under staple crop production. Cassava being one of the staple crops, we desired to introduce and consequently contribute towards adoption of new cassava varieties in highlands. This aspiration required that we breed and disseminate varieties that meet realities of men and women end-users resident in the highlands. It’s for these reasons that NaCRRI partnered with NextGen project to deliver this aspiration.   

Accordingly, we undertook a survey in Zombo, an area located in north-western Uganda. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were employed to get insights into end-user preferences. Thus, eight focus group discussions (FGDs) and 128 questionnaires were deployed to collect data. Purposive sampling ensured that respondents aged between 18-65 years. In addition, 20 elite clones and 16 landraces locally grown in Zombo were evaluated for processing and physicochemical properties.  

Results showed that cassava is commonly processed into flour by heap fermentation, and that Kwon is the primary food product processed from fermented flour. A higher proportion of women than men preferred most quality attributes of cassava flour namely:  white flour, fine texture, ease of mixing, good water holding capacity and sticky Kwon. Ease of peeling and stickiness of Kwon were key processing attributes. Heap fermented flour had higher pasting temperatures, but lower viscosities than sun-dried flour, and had lower amylose content. Pasting properties exhibited strong association with Kwon texture, a key end-user quality attribute.

Results presented in this study demonstrated how end-user quality attributes can be mainstreamed and/or integrated into variety development process.