Mr Alex Ogwang, a farmer in Alito Sub-county, Kole District, shows his soybean garden that was scorched by the dry spell on August 6.
Thousands of farmers in northern Uganda have witnessed low yields during the first planting season because of a prolonged dry spell that has hit the region this year.
A mini-survey conducted by Daily Monitor reveals that majority of the farmers that planted groundnuts, beans, maize and soybean made huge losses, with a few able to get excess produce for sale.
The survey indicates that most crops planted in the first planting season withered in the gardens due to the dry spell that lasted almost three months from April.
In Kole, for instance, farmers under their umbrella body – Alito Joint Christian Farmers’ Cooperative Society (AJCFCS) – made a loss of Shs4.8 billion due to low yields.
AJCFCS has 14,815 members scattered across nine districts that make up the Lango Sub-region. Other members are in Omoro, Nwoya, Amuru, Pader and Agago districts in Acholi Sub-region, as well as Abim District in Karamoja Sub-region.
The group specialises in growing quality declared seed varieties of soybean from Makerere University Agricultural Research Institute, Kabanyolo. The varieties of the soya range from Mak Soy 1N – 5N.
However, unaware of the looming weather changes, the group procured 50 tonnes of soybean seeds and distributed them to their members.
The beneficiary members received the 50 tonnes on loan and they were expected to pay back after harvest.
The seeds were planted on an estimated 200,000 acres of land, and each acre was expected to raise at least 1,200kgs or 12 bags of soybean,
But due to the prolonged dry spell experienced across the region between May and July, there was total crop failure.
Mr John Christopher Okwang, the AJCFCS chairperson, said: “Most crops dried up in the gardens and only a few fortunate farmers who have their gardens near wetlands were able to get about 400 – 600kgs per acre.”
Going by the current soybean rice of Shs3,000 per kilo, Mr Okwang said of the 200,000 acres of soya beans planted, they were expecting to harvest 24,000 tonnes, which would earn them Shs7.2 billion.
“But because of the drought, we suffered a big loss of up to Shs4.8 billion this farming season and we are expecting to get only Shs2.4 billion instead of the Shs7.2 billion we had projected at the time when we were distributing seeds to our members,” Mr Okwang said. He said because of the crop failure, many group members are unable to pay back the seeds they obtained on loan.
Mr Lino Obaro, a member of AJCFCS, said he got soybean seeds worth Shs250,000 on loan. He planted the seeds in his two-acre garden but harvested nothing as the crop withered away.
“I got another loan of Shs500,000 from a Sacco group for growing soybean, beans and maize but they have all failed and I don’t know how I am going to pay back the loan,” Mr Obaro said.
The 70-year-old, who has been a smallholder farmer for 50 years, said he had never witnessed a total crop failure like the one which happened this year because of the prolonged dry spell.
Mr Raphael Odyeny, another member of Alito farmers group, said he planted soybean in his two-acre garden twice this year. But when it was about to start flowering, the dry spell set in.
Mr Odyeny also said he got the seeds worth Shs250,000 on loan.
“I planted the first crop at the beginning of April, but in May when it was flowering and about to start producing the pods, the crops dried up and I dug them down and started planting them afresh. Again, in June when it was about to start flowering the same thing, happened and now I have given up,” Mr Odyeny said.
The Covid-19 pandemic with the associated lockdown has also exacerbated the food insecurity problem in northern Uganda.
In 2019, Lira-based Ngetta Zonal Agricultural Research Development Institute estimated that four million people in the north lived under threat of hunger mainly brought about by the effects of climate change.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) warns that Uganda could lose Shs260 billion to rising temperatures by 2050 due to climate change.
What farmers say
Bonny Ocen, farmer from Lira: “This is a very hard moment for us farmers. I planted soybean, maize and simsim in April, but the prolonged dry spell came and destroyed everything.”
Tonny Ocen, farmer from Lira: “I invested about Shs400,000 in farming during the first planting season while expecting a big harvest. Unfortunately, all crops were scorched by the sun.”
Ronald Otung, farmer: “I planted soybean in a big garden expecting to get a minimum of 10 bags but I ended up with only four basins, yet I spent Shs370,000 on buying seeds, hiring the garden, and labour.
Original Source: Daily monitor.co.ug
