The Luwero District Senior Agriculture officer has warned farmers against early planting after experiencing sporadic rains for a week.
Since May this year, Luwero district has been experiencing a dry spell which has left crops dry and destroyed, plunging many farms into losses. The most affected crops are maize which dried before and after forming tassels. Others are beans and coffee which have also dried leaving farmers in tears.
However, as farmers begin to sigh with relief, there are fears that some may rush to start planting as some sporadic rains start as is happening in sub counties of Luwero, Butuntumula, Nyimbwa and Makulubita.
Wilberforce Ssemigga the Luwero District Senior Agriculture Officer says that he has received information of some excited farmers rushing to plant, but this is risky because the rains occurring now are just indicating the onset of normal rains for the second season.
Ssemigga says that according to weather forecasts by Uganda National Meteorological Authority, normal rains are expected in the second week of August.
Ssemigga warns that crops that are planted now may dry before germination because current rains are irregular and may not provide enough moisture for seeds.
He has advised farmers to use the sporadic rain time for clearing the gardens until they experience normal rains starting the second week of August.
But Edward Ssimbwa the LC 3 Chairperson of Luwero sub county advised farmers to plant now because weather forecasts are sometimes inaccurate and have disappointed them before. He says that farmers who planted late due to weather forecasts suffered losses in the first season.
Brasio Musisi a farmer at Nalongo village in Butuntumula sub county says that he is already clearing the garden for early planting because last season he suffered losses after planting late.
Musisi also expressed disappointment in weather forecasts which sometimes are misleading and less accurate.
Isaac Wampamba the District Councilor for Butuntumula sub county says that a large section of farmers is still disappointed over huge losses made in the first season after they were hit by dry spell.
“Some farmers have not even harvested as sporadic rains start,” Wampamba said. “Some have vowed not to plant again after the losses, which may leave the area food insecure.”
–URN
