Maize farmers in Kasese district are counting losses after several acres of maize gardens have been destroyed by prolonged drought.
Statistics at the district production department show that 70 percent of the farmers in the district are engaged in maize production, as a source of income.
The most affected sub counties are Mubuku, Rukoki, Rugendabara and Karusandara, where more than 300 acres of maize gardens have been destroyed. The maize fields have dried up and the leaves have all turned brown.
Betty Biira, a farmer in Rukoki Sub County, says that since the harvest season started last month, she hasn’t harvested anything. Biira says that she spent more than 300,000 shillings to hire a tractor to work on her maize farm hoping to get good yields, but she is disappointed.
She states that she can’t even raise two sacks of maize to sell and get food for her family. Biira wants the district local government to provide gravity water flow schemes so that water is pumped into the maize farms.
//Cue in: “The drought started in April…
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Peter Mwesige, a farmer in Karusandara planted two acres of maize, but the garden is all dried up. Mwesige says that he had hoped to sell his produce and pay school fees for his children and also complete construction of his house, but all that will not be a reality.
Mwesige says that despite the presence of River Nyamwamba that passes close to the farms, the farmers lack the techniques of irrigating their maize crops. He says that the government should support the farmers so that they irrigate their farms during the dry season.
//Cue in: “It is very ironical…
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The maize gardens at Mubuku government prison have also dried up, causing a shortage of food for the prisoners.
The deputy Officer in-charge Mubuku Prisons, David Asiimwe, says that the prison is spending huge sums of money on purchasing food for the inmates.
At Nyakatonzi Cooperative and Savings Society, which stores maize for the farmers, there has been a reduction of maize produce that is deposited at the warehouse.
Francis Mugisha, the manager, says that as a result of the dry spell, the maize produce stored has reduced from 17,000 tonnes to 10,000 tonnes.
Teddy Munyanzikwiye, the Kasese district agricultural officer, says that his office has nothing to do to help the farmers, apart from encouraging them to plant drought resistant crops.
