At least 26 farmers in
Agago district have not been feeling the effect of the scorching sun for the
past year.
For many years,
farmers like Rose Lanyero, a vegetable farmer, had battled unpredictable rains,
watching helplessly how her crops withered and died under the fangs of climate
change.
Lanyero explained that
for many years, the effects of climate change have disrupted weather patterns,
with drought starting as early as September, making farming a gamble.
However, since the
initiation of the Micro Scale Irrigation Program in 2023/2024, her household's
food security and income have improved.
//Cue in: “Machine me
acel…
Cue out: …pii eni
matyeni.”//
Micro-Scale Irrigation
Program, part of the government of Uganda Investment in Agriculture (UgIFT)
initiative under the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries
(MAAIF), was launched in July 2020.
The project supports
smallholder farmers through Local Governments in purchasing and using
micro-scale irrigation equipment through a co-payment mode.
Lanyero, one of the
beneficiaries who joined the project in the financial year 2023/2024, explained
that through her vegetable business, she has acquired a small maize-milling
machine, which helps to supplement her income, and made it easy for her to
raise school fees for her children.
Lanyero, a resident of
Pampara Village in Agago Town Council, explained that after the first three
months of joining the project, she earned 6.9 million shillings from her
tomatoes, and 3 million shilling from other crops such as onions, and garden
eggs (tula).
With the money earned from
these produce, she has hired two men who help her in garden work. Lanyero has
also ventured into passion fruit and watermelon growing and hopes to earn more
once the crops are ready.
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ka…
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konyone.”//
Francis Ogwal, another
beneficiary of the project, has chosen the cowpea plant as a viable enterprise
because he harvests every month. Through the proceeds
from the business, he has bought four goats and dug a fishpond which has
already been stocked.
Ogwal explained that
micro-scale irrigation is a game changer because the district suffers from
shortage of vegetables during the dry season.
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boyo…
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acula.”//
Joel Arua, the
chairperson of Kotomor Sub-county, advised the farmers who have chosen
vegetable growing as their enterprise to make use of the agriculture extension
workers available in all sub-counties so that they get the best of their
investments.
Arua said the
sub-county is opening a community access road, to ease the movement of
extension workers, and the produce of the farmers to markets.
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kunu.”//
David Oceng, the focal
point person of Micro-Scale Irrigation project in Agago District revealed that
in the financial year 2023/2024, Agago District received 618 million, out of
which 464.3 million shillings was used development. While 135
million shillings was used for operations, office administration, extension
workers, demonstration, farmers' field schools, support to farmers, and
monitoring.
The money supported
farmers in Adilang, Kotomor, Agago Toen council, Lirapalwo, Lokole, Paimol,
Lamiyo, and Parabongo sub-counties.
Oceng revealed that
for the financial year 2024/2025, the district received 410 million shillings,
to support an additional 22 farmers and procurement is already ongoing.
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i…
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acel.”//
Leonard Ojok the Agago
district chairperson explained that the unpredictable weather had confused
farmers on when to open their land, because the first heavy rain which was a
sign of the rainy season years back, no longer falls.
Before climate change
set in, heavy rain would fall in December or February which signaled the onset
of the first rain. The rain was so heavy that the running water could collect
all the rubbish and any obstacle along its way, and flood streams. The Acholi
named it ogwa cet (collector of feaces) to signify its strength.
However, that symbolic rain no longer falls.
Ojok said that rain
was a cue to farmers to start opening their gardens. But in its absence,
farmers are clueless about when to start preparing for the first rainy season.
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it would…
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confused.”//
Ojok commended the
government for taking steps to address the adverse effects of climate change,
which he said is greatly affecting farmers, food security, interpersonal
relationships as well as the economy.
He argued that climate
change is a matter of death because it has come with strange diseases, people
are dying because of scarcity of food, and the project is restoring hope in the
people and propelling them to plan.
//Cue in: “People do
not…
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planning.”//
The government of
Uganda initiated the micro-scale irrigation project to mitigate the effects of
climate change, which has become a major risk to farmers.
Under the project, an
individual farmer and the government each co-pay for the irrigation equipment,
which is then owned by the farmer. The amount of the respective co-payment
depends on the farm area, the farm situation, and the irrigation technology
chosen by the farmer.
The program targets
male and female farmers interested in introducing irrigation on up to 2.5
acres. To be eligible for the Program, the farmer needs to have access to water
nearby, and access to land (either rented or owned) for at least one year.
