By Diana N. Kintu
Masaka City, Uganda
For nearly four months, the sky over Masaka has offered farmers almost nothing. Coffee trees stand dry, matooke plantations have withered, and the harvest many families depend on is disappearing before it reaches the market.
The losses have prompted the State Minister for Local Government, Hon. Justine Nameere Nsubuga, to visit affected farmers in Kanabukulilo Village, Bisanje Ward, Kimanya-Kabonera Division, where she pledged to pursue support for households affected by the prolonged dry spell while pushing for longer-term irrigation solutions.
Farmers told the Minister that the drought has caused heavy losses, particularly in coffee, matooke and other food crops, leaving many households facing reduced food supplies and lost income.
The drought was not their only concern. Several farmers also reported losing money on fake fertilisers that failed to deliver the expected results, adding another financial burden to households already struggling with crop failure.
Hon. Nameere pointed to irrigation as one of the longer-term solutions
Hon. Nameere expressed concern over the scale of the damage and criticised the performance of agricultural extension workers and production officers in the affected area.
She said farmers needed timely guidance on how to prepare for and respond to prolonged dry spells, noting that stronger extension support could have helped reduce some of the losses.
“We need our extension workers and production officers to guide farmers properly, especially when we experience prolonged dry spells. Some of these losses could have been reduced if farmers had received the right advice in time,” she said.
The Minister pointed to irrigation as one of the longer-term solutions. She said Government has recently signed a new irrigation project that includes Masaka City among its beneficiaries, an intervention expected to help farmers maintain production during future dry spells.
She also pledged to engage the Office of the Prime Minister to explore possible support for farmers who have suffered losses during the current season.
At the same time, Nameere called for stronger action against fake agricultural inputs, saying farmers should not have to suffer losses from both drought and ineffective products.
She was accompanied during the visit by the Masaka Resident City Commissioner, Mr. Washaki Ahmed.
For farmers in Kanabukulilo, the immediate question is whether support will reach households that have already lost a season’s harvest. The longer-term test will be whether the promised irrigation investment can prevent the next dry spell from destroying another season.
Source: Office of the State Minister for Local Government, Uganda.