Several Cotton Farmers in Nebbi district are struggling to contain an invasion of Cotton Bollworm, a major pest that damages cotton bolls and squares.
The affected cotton farmers mainly from the areas of Parombo Sub-county, Ndhew Sub-county, Parombo Town council and Nebbi district fear the invention of their farm garden by the pest risk affecting the quality and quantity of cotton this season.
Alex Openjinimungu, a cotton farmer in Parombo Sub-county says that the Bollworms have destroyed several acres of cotton plantation which has forced some farmers to abandon cotton growing for other food crops like cassava.
Samuel Oyirwoth, another cotton farmer, notes that he bought three bottles of pesticides and attempted to spray the pests but with no success. He appealed to the government to donate free pesticides to enable them to kill the pesticides since most farmers in the area cannot afford to purchase pesticides.
Meanwhile Dickson Openji, a farmer in Parombo Town council says he cultivated five acres of cotton and was expecting at least 7 Million Shillings but this has not been possible due to the invasion by the pest. She wants the government to regulate the pesticides on the market.
“We have warms that are always disturbing us here and yet there is no serious help from concerned authorities. Pesticides are very expensive to buy and sometimes it’s very difficult to buy,” said Opengi.
But Adrian Katwetegyeke, a field officer attached to the Cotton Development Organization in the area attributed the emergence of pests to the current rainy weather pattern that is being experienced in the region. He instead advised farmers to seek guidance from extension workers before they could resort to using any pesticide .
“Most of our cotton farmers apply pesticides without seeking technical guidance from our trained extension workers,” he noted.
Cotton bollworm larvae chew holes into the base of bolls and may also hollow out locks. It may also chew shallow gouges in the boll surface, which can become infected with rot organisms.
Cotton is Uganda’s third largest export crop after coffee and tea. Cotton production remains a mandate of Cotton Development Organisation, under the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industries and Fisheries.
It is the main source of income for some 250,000 households, who cultivate cotton under rain-fed conditions and with minimal use of inputs, such as fertilisers and chemicals according to the Cotton Development Organisation.
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