Climate change worries smallscale farmers- report

Mzee James Bwete, 70, stood in the doorway of his house at dawn wondering why his village was experiencing a dry spell in August, a month previously characterised by fine rains that are interspersed by sunshine.“We used to have competition between the sun and rain in this month, a reason why it (month) was named Muwakanya (competition) on Buganda calendar,” Mr Bwete, a resident of Mazzi in Wakiso District, recalls. “However, these days one of the two, sunshine or rain, is dominant. Sunshine and rain occurrences are no longer well balanced as used to be,” he adds.

Bwete, is not the only aged person seeing seasonal changes in recent years. People who have lived for over 50 years testify that there is a shift in the weather pattern, making it difficult to predict when the rainy season starts and ends. A new report, Towards Enhancing Small-Scale Farmers’ Livelihood and Food Security through Indigenous Climate Change adoption, launced at Imperial Royale Hotel last week by Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) Uganda, predict that climate change and variability is likely to worsen in the near future, causing short rainy seasons and food insecurity.

Basing on the current situation, the report says there will likely be more erratic rainfall in the March to June rainy season, bringing drought and reductions in crop yields as well as plant varieties. And rainfall, especially that rains late towards the end of the year (October to December), will be coming in more intense and destructive, resulting in floods, landslides and soil erosion. Currently, rainfall is already becoming more intense in the eastern region causing yield failure as crops rot in fields. They have also caused waterborne diseases. Mr Ben Twinomugisha, the report lead canvasser, says impacts of climate change are greater on small scale farmers, especially women, frustrating their efforts to overcome poverty.

“Imagine the impacts of climate change we are experiencing today are happening when global average temperatures have not even exceeded a one degree centigrade rise above pre-industrial levels. As temperatures rise further, risks will be magnified,” Mr Twinomugisha says. He adds, “For example, a two per cent centigrade temperature rise would probably wipe out most of Uganda’s coffee production, upon which five million people rely directly or indirectly and which earns the country several hundred million dollars a year.” Ms Grace Lutalo, PELUM Country Coordinator, says though weather variability is frustrating small-scale farmers, policies linked to adaptation are likely to be ineffective because they were not designed to address climate change issues. She says in many ways, climate change impacts are down played and are only thought of in the face of disaster.

“The government must refocus on improving mitigation and adaptation technologies and farmers knowledge of climate change science, economics and responses,” Ms Lutalo says. Christine Nakibuule, a farmer from Nakasongola who attended the report launch said, “We no longer wait for the seasons because the climate has changed - we just prepare our gardens and plant when it rains.”The study, however, comes months after the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) released a report that placed Uganda among African counties vulnerable to climate change. According to WMO, the historical climate record for Africa shows warming of approximately 0.7°C over most of the continent during the 20th century, with a decrease in rainfall over large portions of the Sahel, and an increase in rainfall in east central Africa.

The frequency and magnitude of natural hazards, including droughts and floods, are increasing and affecting millions across the globe. The PELUM study, carried out in Mubende and Nakasongola districts, also mentions limited affordability of inputs and technologies for production among barriers to small scale farmers’ efforts to ensure food security. The report says farmers cannot afford introduced technologies and varieties since they find them expensive. “This hinders farmers’ efforts to up scale their production to a level that can ensure food security and income improvement amidst climate change impacts,” it reads in parts.

Agnes Kirabo, PELUM Country Board Chairperson said farmers’ lack of access to information is deterring farmers to increase their productions. Inadequate knowledge and skills in post harvest handling makes farmers incur heavy post harvest losses, she says. The report also cited land tenure problems and limited access to credit facilities among key challenges to small farmers. Like Patrick Kimanya, another farmer in attendance pleaded - “We want the government to take care of three things,” he said, “Give us dams insteads of boreholes, redistribute land and create a seed bank in every district where farmers can find reliable seeds.”

Study respondents in both Mubende and Nakasongola repeatedly mentioned that land fragmentation has led to small pieces of land of less than an acre which is not economically viable. It says for instance to produce commercial maize and cotton, to generate income and agriculture profitability one needs at least an acre of land yet there are many farmers with less than an acre. In Mubende, it was reported that there is a population influx and the average family size is about seven people per household living on a piece of land measuring less than an acre, which is used as a source of livelihood. Mr Twinomugisha, however, recommended that government increases the funds it allocates to the department of meteorology to accelerate its functioning.