The farmers say that they are facing starvation after investing all their resources to plant the sorghum that is taking too long to get ready for harvest. They added that all their colleagues who plated the local variety are already harvesting and experiencing better yields.
Some of the sorghum gardens have yet to start flowering after seven months since it was planted. The region advancing into the drying season and crops are seen off causing fears among farmers.
A section of farmers in Lotisan sub-county, Moroto
district have expressed concern about the sorghum seeds supplied by the
Welthunger Hilfe organization.
The farmers claim that they were given seeds in March to
plant during the rainy season and it took three months to get ready for
harvest. This prompted them to abandon the local variety of seeds. However,
since it was planted in March, it's now seven months and the dry season is approaching
yet sorghum has not started flowering.
The farmers say that they are facing starvation after
investing all their resources to plant the sorghum. They added that all their colleagues who plated the
local variety are already harvesting and experiencing better yields.
Jennifer Munyez, a farmer from Atedeoi village said that she
received the seeds from the Welthunger organization in March and immediately
plated on her five acres of land.
Munyez said that she has so far waited for over six months
and the sorghum is still growing instead of flowering contrary to the three which
were told to them.
Munyez also noted, that all her neighbours who planted local
seeds are already harvesting while she is still waiting to see flowers from the
sorghum garden. She said that her family is in a food crisis since all the
resources were injected into farming that has yielded.
Peter Aguma, another farmer from Amunyodoi village said
that he was very excited while planting the new variety of sorghum seeds which
they said would take a short time to mature. Aguma said that he received 10
kilograms of sorghum seeds and he decided to abandon the local variety seeds.
Aguma said that he spent about a million shillings to open up
his five acres of land for planting and weeding the crops. He alleges
that the people who supplied them the seeds claimed that it could be planted
twice in a year since it was a quick maturing crop.
Aguma said he is already counting losses because the dry
season is approaching and it is more likely to affect the crops.
He appealed to the government to consider supporting them
with quick maturing crops that can enable them to beat the unpredictable
weather patterns in the region.
//Cue in: "I planted them...
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John Robert Adupa, the LCIII Chairperson of Lotisan sub-county
said that his office is overwhelmed by complaints from farmers who are
frustrated over poor seeds.
Adupa said that the situation is being made worse by the
section of farmers who planted local seeds and now registering plentiful harvests.
He said that farmers had abandoned the local seeds after
receiving the improved ones after they were convinced by partners that it takes
a short period to mature.
Adupa wondered why the partners would take the seeds to
farmers without engaging the district agricultural technical staff to guide
them.
//Cue in: "Now other people......
Cue out:..........to be planted ". //
Ceaser Akol, the Moroto District speaker said that they
are disappointed with the partners who are carrying out activities in
uncoordinated manners.
Akol also noted that several organizations distributed seeds
of sorghum to the communities and none of them yielded. He said that their
stand for the region is to promote quick maturing crops to catch up with the
rains.
Akol said that it is unfair to give farmers seeds that take a
long to mature amidst unreliable rainfall and biting huger in the families.
//Cue in: "As a district we......
Cue out:........you know plants ". //
Mark Lolem, the Moroto District Agricultural Officer
said that the partners supplied seeds to the farmers without engaging his office.
He noted that the practice of partners dealing directly with farmers has become
common despite several calls for cooperation.
Lolem said that the sorghum that the partner supplied is
locally known as Abir sorghum and takes about nine months from planting to
maturity. He said that the Abir sorghum variety is resistant to drought, and
weevils.
He cautioned all the partners dealing in agriculture to
always work with his department for guidance and to avoid messing up. He said
that this would enable them to do seeds test for quality assurance and also
write reports which they submit to their ministry.
//Cue in: "Some partners I......
Cue out :..........and give report ".//
However, the management of Welthunger Hilfe organization
denied supplying seeds to the farmers in Lotisan Sub County. They claimed that although
they supplied to a specific group of farmers, several other partners also gave
out seeds to farmers and it is hard for them to confirm if the seeds were
from their organization.
