As districts across Teso Sub Region to continue to tackling the threat of drought and food shortage, farmers in Katakwi are asking for government regulations to ensure only high-quality seeds with healthy yields are planted in the ground.
The farmers who spoke to our reporter are concerned that poor seeds in the market are causing low productivity.
Yasin Ogwang 49, a resident of Apolin Parish noted that during planting season they always plant seeds with the aim of selling while some remain for food consumption but due to poor seeds in the markets they have always been hit by poor yields.
“We farmers always plant with a believe that we shall have some sell and have something to eat. But because of poor yields we cannot get money and we do not get enough food, so we are affected by poor seeds,” said Ogwang farmer.
Ogwang noted that delayed delivery of government seeds through Operation Wealth Creation and NAADS programs has left hundreds of Katakwi farmers procure low quality seeds that he says stringent measures need to be put in place to regulate the vice.
Some parts of Katakwi district have been ravaged by severe hunger due to the prolonged drought that devastated crop gardens last year, leaving most farmers with very little or nothing to harvest.
According to records released by Katakwi district disaster department close to half the population are in the verge of being hit by famine.
Pius Obore another Farmer from Ngariam Sub County asked government to procure and distribute seeds to the farmers as a measure to avert famine as rain season starts.
He noted that, last year farmers planted quality seeds and expected to get something but the harvests were poor while calling on government to provided seeds at the moment.
Obore said the long dry spell has left farmers without seeds, despite the rainy season that has set in.
“This month of March is the right time that we receive rain and people really want to plant. Government should urgently distribute fast maturing seedlings like maize and beans,” he said
Bosco Opio from Akoboi Sub County said that the majority of farmers are using seeds from their previous harvests noting they could not afford the improved planting materials on the open market.
Opio has expressed fear that the area may face a serious food crisis due to the failure of the farmers to access the required quality and quantities of agricultural inputs that would guarantee them reasonable harvests.
Hellen Beatrice Acom a farmer at Katakwi town council urged government to expedite the possibility of agricultural insurance which she said can be a long-term solution for farmers.
Meanwhile, Dan Mulalu the private secretary to Uganda’s President in charge of Political Mobilization and Affairs asked technocrats to come up with a new strategy to address the current famine Uganda.
Mulalu made the remarks while handing over cowpeas seeds worth Uganda shillings 10 million to farmers in Katakwi through his Ngariam County KaziNiKazi foundation.
Vincent Aporu Agro economist says recycling seeds is not a viable option, especially for the ordinary smallholder farmers because it comes with challenges that many farmers can hardly avoid.
Research by the Food and Agricultural Organization indicates that there is usually a progressive yield decrease of recycled seed varieties, and the practice is described as backward.