Light rains bring sigh of relief to farmers in Acholi

Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The current light rains being experienced in parts of Acholi sub region have excited some farmers. The region experienced a month-long drought that left many farmers hopeless.

Several hectares of crops planted in the first season had begun withering, owing to the scorching heat sparking fears of a looming food shortage. But with light and isolated rains that have been falling in some parts of the region for the past one week, many farmers are reassured of reaping from their agricultural ventures.

Benson Mwaka, a resident of Kitgum municipality with a farm in Lakalabong village in Laguti sub county, Pader district is among some of the farmers already celebrating the return of rainfall. Mwaka says he planted groundnuts on two hectares of land at the beginning of the farming season but their leaves turned yellow some weeks ago before maturing due to the absence of rainfall.

He notes that the few days the region received rainfall is a sigh of relief for him since his groundnuts are now “resurrecting” with their leaves now transforming from yellow to normal green.

Mwaka is however skeptical that if the rain doesn’t continue pouring, the little hope he has may be crushed.

Charles Acellam, a farmer in Pobar parish, Agoro sub-county in Lamwo district equally shares joy over the return of the second season rainfall. Acellam says he planted sorghum for beer, maize, simsim, and finger millet in the first planting season but the month-long dry spell has affected their growth significantly.

He notes that the return of the rain gives him hope as a farmer adding that he anticipates making a good harvest only if the rainfall continues.

Acellam says an irrigation scheme set up in the sub-county to help farmers during dry spell hasn’t been helpful alleging that the water from the irrigation scheme is poisonous and responsible for withering of many crops.

The gravity-fed scheme with intake from river Agoro was established by the government to boost crop farming targeting over 90,000 farmers in the parishes of Pobar and Rudi in Agoro sub-county. But some farmers are now doubtful that the rainfalls currently being experienced will last and improve crop productivity.

George William Kilama, a farmer and chairperson of Lai-Mutto town council in Agago district says several hectares of crops planted in the first season have been destroyed due to lack of rainfall. He says the affected crops are cereals like millet, sorghum, maize, and groundnuts which withered away in the parishes of Mutto, Ngora, Taa, and Pacabol leaving many farmers in losses.

Kilama says farmers have now been advised to concentrate on growing tuber crops such as cassava and sweet potatoes accompanied with beans as they brave for a period of limited food in the coming months. “As a leader, I am advising farmers to grow beans, cassava, and sweet potatoes in the meantime because most other crops were affected by the dry spell and their planting seasons have now passed” he said.

Tom Kayira Acire, a commercial farmer in Tegot-Kwera village in Pobar Parish, Agoro sub-county says the return of the rain won’t change anything at the moment citing that most farmers lost their valuable crops in the first season. Acire says he hasn’t opened his land for farming because of the unpredictable climate and anticipates that there is a looming hunger in Agoro sub-county and other neighbouring districts in Acholi sub-region.

Kitgum District Production officer Alfred Omony however advised farmers not to rush into planting seeds in their gardens adding that the second season planting rains haven’t started falling. He says farmers can prepare their gardens but wait for planting by July 10 for steady rainfall.

Uganda National Meteorological Authority seasonal rainfall outlook report for June to August this year indicates districts in Central Northern Uganda like Gulu, Nwoya, Amuru are expected to continue experiencing isolated rainfall conditions up to late June.

According to the weather reports, these rains are likely to relax around mid to late July and thereafter, steady rains are expected to set in and continue up to the end of the season. In the Eastern Northern Parts of Kitgum, Lamwo, Agago, and Pader, occasional showers are expected to continue up to late June with steady rains punctuated by some dry spells expected to get established until the end of the forecast season.

*****

URN