Coffee farmer drying beans.
The uncertainty in the weather patterns within Bugisu region has triggered fear among farmers in the region. The rains have been on and off across many parts of the country since this year began. Many other areas have not received a single drop of rainfall.
In the past, Bugisu Sub Region used to receive rains as early as February. Farmers would start opening their farmlands in late January in preparation for the first planting season in March. This year has had minimal rains, which are on and off.
Some farmers started planting their gardens in February when the region received some rains. However, they suffered a setback when severe sunshine hit the region towards March, which persisted into April.
Musa Mandu, a farmer in Manafwa Town council, says that in the past by this time they would be weeding beans and readying their gardens for planting other crops like maize. He, however, says that this is no longer the case because of the changing weather patterns.
Harriet Mutuwa from Namisindwa district says that because of the changing climate, the crops that they planted when they received rains have now dried up because of the scorching sun. She attributes the changing weather patterns in the region to the rampant tree cutting, especially in the mountainous areas.
Fredrick Masaba another farmer from Bumbo town council in Namisindwa district, says that in the past two months, the rains have been on and off, which has affected their planting season.
Dr. Denis Okello, the Manafwa District Production Officer, says that rains in the region are not reliable. He says that they received some rains in March, which prompted farmers to plant crops, which have since dried up following the disappearance of rains.
Jimmy Ocen, the Manager of Agriculture lending at Post Bank Uganda has asked the farmers to embrace irrigation as one way of mitigating the impacts of climate change. He says that the bank is ready to finance them to acquire irrigation equipment.
Dr. Rajab Muyingo, a lecturer on Environmental Journalism at Islamic University in Uganda-IUIU says farmers need information on climate change to guide them in their daily farming activities.
He notes that the only way to minimize losses is to engage farmers in activities that help to restore the environment such as re-forestation and inter-cropping with perennial crops.
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