In Nigeria the most common vegetable eaten in most homes is the fluted pumpkin, porpularly known as ugu (ugwu) as pronounced in Ibo language.
I planted ugu because the cost in the market sometimes can be crazy when not in season. So to have it available all year round, had to plant a commercial quantity covering just a little portion of my farm.
Some of the ugu in the markets are contaminated as I found out some farmers use certain chemicals in the planting which is detrimental to health. All because they want to make profits. It is sad what people do for money. Killing their fellow man slowly.
Fluted pumpkin grows better during the rainy season, and as at when I planted the rains were not much. But now it has started flourishing and I made my first cutting or prunning.
This cutring will enable it sprout more branchs and increase its growth and productivity. The first set of organic manure was added and hopefully next month I will have my second cutting which I am hoping will be bigger than the first.
The good news is that I got 1 bag full of ugu, sold some to friends and neighbours around my compound. It looked so fresh and green that it took only 4 ladies to purchase it all. So exciting!
I will have to inform them when next we are making the next cutting as the demand increased because some persons didn't get to buy.
This is another source of income for me and my family. This cutting was done by a paid labourer.
I'm glad I went into it.
My dream to feed my nation has started, One crop at a time.