Posted on November, 7, 2022 at 09:51 am
Extreme weather conditions characterised by heavy winds, hailstones and low rainfall, have left several farmers in Busia District worried about having poor harvest.
Last month, crops in Mawero East ‘B’ and Sofia villages in Eastern Division, Busia Municipality were destroyed, while hailstones hit Akipeneti and Alupe villages in Buteba Sub-county and later Kubo in Masafu Sub-county, leaving farmers’ crops destroyed.
In an interview at the weekend, Ms Faith Siketa, a resident of Mawero East ‘B’ village, said: “Last season, the majority of the farmers in the village had extremely poor harvests due to low, unreliable rainfall. We had expected some good harvest this second season, but all crops have been destroyed by the hailstones.”
Mr Hassan Wesonga, the Mawero East ‘B’ village chairperson, described the hailstones as “the worst disaster he has seen in 40 years”, adding that the hailstones destroyed all the crops the farmers had planted.
“Our farmers had planted maize, beans, cassava and soybeans, but all have been destroyed; we anticipate a serious food shortage in the coming months,” he said.
Mr David Ojambo, a resident of Kubo, said he lost two acres of rice in which he had invested close to Shs1m and was due for harvest next week.
Mr James Okello, a banana farmer in Mudaya Village, Sikuda Sub-county, said he has lost 400 banana plants that were due for harvest around Christmas time at “not less than Shs5m”.
Mr Abubaker Issa, the Sikuda Sub-county chairperson, said his area has been hit twice by hailstones and strong winds within a period of one month, adding that close to 25 families have been displaced and had their crops destroyed.
“At least 200 acres of maize, soybeans, cassava, beans and bananas, which farmers had planted, were destroyed,” he added.
He said Syonga, Sireka, Hekaka, Siwunihere and Hadadira villages in Sikuda Parish were the worst-hit.
Mr John Barasa, the Hekaka Village chairperson, said at least six families had slept in the open after the roofs of their houses were blown off by the storm, adding that the little food the farmers had in their houses was destroyed.
Mr Ifulayimu Okumu, a teacher who had a huge branch of a tree lodged in his house, said apart from his house being destroyed, he lost all the crops, and trees he had planted.
Mr Charles Wandera, a resident of Hekaka Village, said the roof of his house was blown off.
But as farmers in Sikuda, Dabani and Buteba complain of the devastation caused by bad rains, in the sub-counties of Busime, Busitema, Lunyo, Buhehe, and Majanji, the crops are withering due to prolonged drought.
Mr George Okamari, the Busitema Sub-county chairperson, said farmers in the 26 villages across the four parishes of Habuleke, Chawo, Syanyonja and Busitema received extremely low rainfall and several crops are drying up.
Mr John Sikenyi, a farmer in Busime Sub-county, said despite the area being at the shores of Lake Victoria, the rain is unreliable, adding that they have not recorded any serious harvest for the past two years.
“We had hoped that this season would be different but nothing has changed because we have no rain,” he said.
Mr Aggrey Mirembe, the Busia District Senior Agriculture Officer, attributed the low rainfall to degradation of the environment around the lake areas, and encroachment on Nasyagombe wetland.
“Buhehe, Busime, Majanji are experiencing increasing (high) heat and no rainfall because all the trees and wetlands have been encroached on; that is why the rainfall level is deteriorating,” he said, suggesting tree planting as the only remedy.
Source: Monitor