Weed destroys acres of rice in Iganga

Mr Dominic Kirunda shows off the weeds that recently attacked rice plantations in parts of Buyanga Sub-county in Iganga District. PHOTO by YAZID YOLISIGIRA.

What you need to know:

The weed quickly multiplies and can spread within days, destroying acres of rice

IGANGA

A weed has destroyed more than 50 acres of rice fields in Buyanga Sub-county, Iganga District, leaving farmers to count loses.

The fast-spreading weed, striga, commonly known as the witch weed, quickly multiplies and can destroy acres within days. The weed, according to Mr Joseph Dhikusooka, the Iganga District production officer, has mostly ravaged six villages, including Kalalu, Buyanga, Namunyumya, Bumoozi, Butyabule and Lubira.

Mr Dominic Kirunda, whose rice has been affected told Daily Monitor at the weekend that his farm which he planted in March was entirely destroyed. He had expected to at least harvest 50 bags of rice later this year.

“The weed invaded my garden two weeks after the rice had started sprouting. It grows very fast and will out-pace the rice plant. I tried to weed it out but failed. I even thought of destroying parts of the garden where it was still little but before I knew it the whole plantation had been covered,” he said.

Farmers, including Mr Kirunda have called on the district authorities to intervene before the weed spreads to other parts.

However, Mr Dhikusooka said whereas the weed could be fought by spraying, the district lacked resources to finance the spraying.“We will go to the ground and establish the magnitude of the problem before reporting to the Ministry of Agriculture. It is only the ministry which has the capacity and resources to deal with this problem,” he said.

Buyanga Sub-sounty is one of the biggest rice growing areas in Busoga sub-region due to the presence of several swamps including Naigombwa, which stretches from Iganga to Namutumba District.

Challenges to farmers

In the late 2000s rice became a major cash crop in Uganda and much of the country especially in eastern Uganda has relied on it as a source of livelihood. However, its growth has been affected by weather changes, lack of government support and diseases.