ABSTRACT
The two staple food crops cultivated by the Gisu are millet2 and plantains.3 Of the former there are two main varieties, one which is used mainly for food and the other for making beer and as a store of food against famine. It appears that millet was the original staple4 and it has frequently been said that the cultivation of plantains was actively encouraged by the early Ganda chiefs who ruled the country in the first decade of this century. Other crops which supplement the two major crops are : several varieties of beans,5 yams and cucurbits. Since the beginning of the century other crops, such as chick peas, pumpkins, tomatoes, onions, groundnuts and maize, have been introduced. The cultivation of maize6 for sale was encouraged during the war, particularly in those areas near the Kenya border, and it is now well-established as a food and cash crop in all parts of Gisu country where it can be grown. A little rice7 is grown on the plains and consumed locally.
