Finger millet blast disease management: a key entry point for fighting malnutrition and poverty in East Africa

Finger millet is a staple, high-quality food, important to the livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers in East Africa. It has been neglected by major donors to agricultural research. This paper reports recent investment by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) in several projects on blast disease that has not only led to successful promotion of sound blast management strategies to farmers, but has also fostered partnerships in an evolving finger millet innovation system in East Africa. A key entry point has been created to address other constraints to finger millet production and utilization, such as ineffective weed management, poor grain quality, inefficient seed systems and production-supply chain problems, notably through 'spill-in' and adaptation of relevant technologies developed elsewhere. Further donor investment in the finger millet sector is likely to make a significant contribution to fighting malnutrition and poverty in East Africa.