In Amuru, crops are drying up.
Several acres of crops are drying in Amuru district due to the persistent dry spell. Hundreds of farmers in Amuru district opened up their gardens and planted seeds at the start of March when received light rain.
However, there has been a resurgence in the dry spell characterized by too much sunshine and heat throughout the day. Farmers who had planted their gardens say most of their crops that had already sprouted have now dried up due to the lack of rain and the heat currently being experienced in the district.
Judith Aryemo from Apaa says that her five acres of millet and four acres of maize have all dried up, something she attributes to the heavy sunshine.
She is uncertain if the crops can sprout again when rain resumes or even give her good yields. Richard Atube, who had already planted crops including soybeans, millet, beans, groundnuts and maize is equally puzzled by the persistent dryness, which has adversely affected the growth of his crops.
Atube says the seeds had germinated but dried up drastically leaving him with no options.
Grace Lalweny from Pabbo Sub County says that since they last experienced rain in early March, the area has remained dry causing her 1 acre of Millet, 2 acres of maize and 3 acres of Soybeans not to germinate.
Concy Akwero disclosed that she has lost acres of beans and rice, which she planted at the onset of the rain in late February.
Richard Watmon, a farmer in Lajalula Sub County, says that the area last experienced rain in late February. Doreen Ajok Lanyero, the Amuru district Environment Officer attributed the long dry spell to weather variability and climate change.
–URN
