Distress as Ankole battles persistent drought

Cattle keepers tend their animals in Kiruhura. Water for livestock is increasingly getting scarce in most parts of western Uganda. Photo by Alfred Tumushabe

What you need to know:

Uganda’s food basket, as western region is variously referred to, is under attack. Persistent drought has led to poor performance of crop and livestock output causing distress among farmers and leaders.

For the second year running, there has been poor food and cash crop yields, and a drop in the quantity of livestock products in western Uganda.

A reduction in rainfall, prolonged drought and diseases attacking both livestock and crops have conspired to lead to the adversity.

Less rainfall and the resultant severe drought have, however, been the most devastating. As farmers prayed and hoped that the situation would end soon, their wish was shattered by the rude reality of yet another round of extremely poor crop yield, this ending harvest season in most of the places.

“Crops especially beans, millet and maize have performed poorly because climate has been harsh and the conditions becoming more unpredictable,” says Mr John Mugaiga, the chairperson Mbarara Farmers Forum.

Mr Mugaiga proposes that government intervenes with programmes like irrigation and facilitation rain water harvesting among poor communities.

Mr Cuthbert Tumusiime, a farmer from Rwekitoma, Nyamuyanja Sub-county in Isingiro District says investing in crop farming is increasingly becoming very risky.

“I planted four acres of beans in March well knowing rains will come in April but we received very little rain. By the time the beans began flowering the rains had ceased. I have harvested almost nothing,” says Mr Tumusiime.

Mr Asaph Mugizi, the former Mbarara District Farmers Association chairman, says lack of rain has affected the quantity and quality of bananas produced. Ankole region is one of the leading producers of bananas in the country.

He reminisced the past when the two rain seasons; August to December and March to May were predictable. “Whenever rains came in this pattern, crops would do well and plantations would flourish. It was a very good trend of rains,” he says.

Mr Mugizi who comes from Rwanyamahembe Kashari adds: “The trend has now changed, a year elapses without serious rains, and whenever they come they are stormy and disastrous. Hailstones and the accompanying storm raze down banana plantations especially.”

Last year, he recalls, was the worst as several people’s plantations were razed by windy rains. This was experienced in sub-counties of Bubaare, Rwanyamahembe, Bucuro and Kagongi in Kashari County Mbarara District.

Four years ago, Mr Mugizi would harvest 150 bunches of bananas monthly. However, today he reaps only half of that.

Today, banana plants are weak and are producing small bunches. Families that used to depend on sales of bananas and beans or maize grain are gnashing in poverty.

The rampant and disastrous banana wilt bacterial has not helped matters. Today, almost all the 26 districts in the region are battling the wilt that first struck in 2006.

“Banana wilt bacteria is proving disastrous too, it is killing tender plants as well as bananas that are almost ready for harvesting. Such is the dilemma facing crop farmers,” Mr Mugizi says.

Poor harvests
Mr Edwin Akoragye, a farmer and councillor for Biharwe Sub-county echoes the same cry of poor harvests. “I don’t believe there are people in Biharwe who have harvested good yields of maize, millet and beans because rains have been poor.

Even perennial crops like coffee, banana and fruits are withering. Not even where people opened new lands have crops done well,” says Mr Akoragye.

Some residents of Katamba cell in Biharwe are shifting from this hilly area because of lack of food and water for domestic use. They have migrated to Kabale District and will only return when rains come.

Mr Robert Kinwa, a farmer in Rubaya Sub-county, Kashari County, says in the next two weeks, they will be buying water for livestock.

“Dams are drying up and in a few weeks we shall have no water at all, we have no option but to buy from Mbarara or to leave cows to die because they cannot move long distances,” says Mr Kinwa.

The situation is so bad that farmers hire water tank trucks, which fetch water from River Rwizi and fill their wells. In Rubaya, farmers like Mr Kinwa have opted for this expensive way of survival while many in places such as Sanga and Kazo sub-counties in Kiruhura District have been at it for some months now.

“Most people are beginning to sell off their cows because there is no water and pasture has dried up. It’s only those who have the capacity to fetch water from Mbarara in trucks that are assured of seeing their animals survive ,” says Mr Safari Mugyenyi, a dairy farmer and the chairperson of Sanga Sub-county.

He adds; “Getting water from Mbarara is expensive and unmanageable by the majority of the residents.” To fetch 10,000 litres one has to part with Shs200,000 and this water only serves for a single day for a person who has a herd of 100 head of cattle.

A-20-litre jerrican of water in Sanga Town Council goes for Shs1,000. “This is so because those who vend water move over 10kms to access it in places like Kanyaryeru and Nyakagando, the few areas remaining with surface water,” Mr Mugyenyi says.

As valley tanks dry up, Lake Mburo seems to be the only source of hope. However, the lake is not a free zone to graze cattle, as it is located in a national game park and wild animals roam.

“What do you expect out of this? Of course poverty, starvation, death of animals, and above all, insecurity. People will be forced to find risky ways of survival,” says Mr Mugyenyi.

The Kiruhura District chairperson, Mr Sam Katugunda, says in most areas especially in Kazo County, the hardship is widespread.

Areas of Nkungu, Kazo and Burunga Sub-counties never received rains that were expected last August. Most dams are now dry and some farmers started fetching water using vehicles in April.

“Last year I lost 10 cows due to lack of pasture, I had water but pasture dried up completely. Right now people don’t have water they are hiring vehicles to carry water to their wells but this is too expensive,” says Mr Katugunda.

The cost of hiring a vehicle (water tanker) in the area ranges between Shs300,000 and Shs500,000 depending on the distance where water is drawn and delivered.

This water can last only a week. “But you have to ensure that you guard that water, people end up fighting for it,” he says.

Mr Katugunda says the district leadership is planning to ask Lake Mburo National Park management to allow farmers access the lake to save their cattle.

The National Environment Management Authority’s western regional focal person, Mr Jeconious Musingwire, says the country should be prepared for the worst if the measure of conserving the vital fragile ecosystem like water bodies, wetlands and forest cover continue to be ignored.

“Encroachment and degradation of resources like wetlands, water bodies and forest reserves that would help in regulating the harsh climate conditions beyond our control is posing a big challenge in taming climate to suit our needs. This continues to make climatic conditions unpredictable,” says Mr Musingwire.

He says harsh climatic conditions is a manifestation that man has continued to abuse the vital ecosystem. Mr Musingwire says in the past Kabale would be foggy almost half a day but this is no more because of human activities.

Beyond human control
While it is true that other factors are beyond people’s control like the phenomenon changes in the atmosphere, especially the wind breeze, people can still mitigate these climatic conditions to suit his needs through conserving the fragile ecosystem.

However, if the predictions by meteorologists are anything to go by, western region will not experience another prolonged drought as it’s is being envisaged.

Uganda National Meteorological Authority officials said last week western Uganda, which usually experiences dry spells from June to August will receive rains during that period like eastern and northern regions. If this happens, it will be a great relief to the farmers especially those who need a lot of water daily for livestock.