By Steven Enatu
SOROTI CITY
As farmers in Teso sub region are decrying a long dry spell that has seen crops wither in gardens, experts have advised them to prepare gardens for the second season rains.
Farmers in various parts of Teso districts are counting heavy losses following the dry spell that has devastated their crop gardens.
The dry spell has mostly affected maize gardens, sorghum, millet, beans, groundnuts and others in Soroti District and across Teso with some farmers saying that they anticipate food shortage in the near future.
A situation leaving many worried amidst the covid19 pandemic that has seen the country go for a lock down.
The prolonged dry spell hit their gardens of crops hard with some areas not receiving rains since April this year.
Now the Senior Productions officer Soroti District Michael Enyaku, has said due to the unpredictable weather pattern, the situation is likely to turn into food shortages.
Enyaku however stressed that all is not lost as second rains are expected soon.
He now advises farmers to get ready and cultivate fast and high yielding crops to solve this problem of food shortage that is likely to loom.
“As a district we anticipate hunger and food shortages in a near future but to restore hope among the farming community, we expect the onset of the second rains soon and I advise the farmers to utilize it well if it comes and also go ahead and plant fast yielding crops and disease and pest free seeds” he said
Asked what plans the government has to assist farmers to overcome this, the Soroti district Communications Officer, Abraham Ekwaru said the district may not be in position to assist each and every farmer because there is no contingency fund to cater for such emergencies.
Ekwaru meanwhile says on a routine basis, the district has small fund allocation every year, which is planned to cater for farmers.
