Parts of the Acholi Sub-region have been experiencing scattered rainfall for the past three days, raising hopes among farmers eager to begin the first planting season after months of harsh dry spells.
Agricultural experts have advised farmers in parts of the Acholi Sub-region not to rush to plant crops despite the return of light rainfalls. Parts of the Acholi Sub-region have been experiencing scattered rainfall for the past three days, raising hopes among farmers eager to begin the first planting season after months of harsh dry spells.
However, agronomists have called
for patience, citing the unpredictability of the weather pattern. Godfrey Jomo Oyet, the Omoro
District Production officer, told Uganda Radio Network on Monday that the light rains received in the region haven’t yet saturated the soil properly, making it risky for farmers to start planting seeds.
Oyet, however, encouraged farmers to start the preparation of their gardens in anticipation of receiving stable rainfall
by mid or late March. He also noted that farmers should start seeking quality seeds from registered stockists to avoid fake seeds that don’t germinate.
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Oyet advised small-scale farmers
to utilize the first rainy season for planting fast-growing food crops such as
vegetables, potatoes, and beans, among others, for food safety wing to the prolonged
dry spell that has seen scarcity of food in the markets.
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He, however, warned locals who have
left their livestock, especially goats and cows roaming the community, to start
tethering them to avoid damaging crops as farmers embark on the new planting season. Jackson Lakor, the Gulu District
Production Officer, explained that the onset of the first rainfall is always erratic
and can’t be relied upon by farmers to put their seeds into the soil.
Lakor said while some farmers in
this part of the region carry out dry planting, the current high temperatures make
it a risky move to plant crops. “We encourage farmers to wait for
the rain to get consistent before they can start planting. In the meantime,
let them continue with preparing their gardens, sourcing for good seeds and learning
best agricultural practices from our extension workers,” Lakor told Uganda
Radio Network in an interview Monday.
George William Omony, the
Principal Meteorologist in the Department of Meteorology at the Ministry of
Water and Environment, said the onset of rainfall should have started by early
March but got disrupted by the tropical cyclone in the Southern part of Africa.
Omon, however, noted that the
Tropical cyclone is currently getting weaker, which has left most parts of the
country to start registering on and off rainfalls with more build-up being seen
in the Southwestern and Central regions. He said the light rainfall being
experienced in Northern Uganda signals the gradual return of the rainy season, adding that it is expected to be stable by mid-month or the end of the month.
By the middle of this month, we
expect a wider coverage of this rainfall, covering most parts of the country. And
I think that is the time which will be now good enough for farmers to start
putting in their crops,” said Omony.
