Hailstorm destroys 30 acres of crops, livestock in Agago
Ravaged. A garden destroyed by hailstorms in Omiya-pacwa Sub-county, Agago District at the weekend. Inset are banana stems hit by the hailstorm. At least 30 acres of crops were destroyed. PHOTO BY TOBBIAS JOLLY OWINY
What you need to know:
- In December last year, hailstorms ravaged more than 10 villages in Magola Sub-county in Tororo District leaving two people injured, property and crops destroyed. The rain that lasted for three hours destroyed more than 20 houses.
A heavy storm that poured down in Omiya-pacwa Sub-county in Agago District at the weekend destroyed at least 30 acres of crops and several cows, goats and poultry.
The hailstorm that started at about 8pm, destroyed the properties in Lakwa and Lojim parishes.
Mr Raymond Otim, the LC3 chairperson of Omiya-pacwa, confirmed the incident on Monday, saying more than 13 villages had been affected.
“In the parish of Lojim, villages of Kilak, Anywangai, Lojim A, Kaciciro Central, and Kaciciro North were affected while in Lakwa Parish, villages of Kaciciro West, Wi-gweng, Kakela, Kaciciro East, Lakwa B, Lakwa A, and Lakwa C were also hit,” Mr Otim said.
Mr Jimmy Odora, a resident of Aywangai Village in Lujim Parish, lost 15 acres of soybean crops.
“It was not the soybeans alone, three of my goats also died,” Mr Odora said.
Mr Quinto Obita Okot, a farmer at Kaciciro West, said he could not save his two bulls. “The storm was strong. It poured and when I came out, the animals were dead,” Mr Obita said.
On Monday, Prof Morris Ogenga Latigo, the Agago North MP, visited the area and gave the affected villages relief food.
Prof Ogenga said: “Unfortunately, these locals are already hit by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. This disaster means they could face famine in some months to come because crops were destroyed,” he said.
“I and my team did a rapid assessment and concluded to quickly distribute seeds to these communities including maize, sorghum and beans that can mature quickly,” he added.
Mr Linos Ngompek, the Agago Resident District Commissioner, said a team of officers from the agricultural and production department of the district had been dispatched to the area to conduct an assessment of the damages.
“We are waiting for their report before we can figure how to support the victims of the disaster,” Mr Ngomek said.
Past hailstorms
In December last year, hailstorms ravaged more than 10 villages in Magola Sub-county in Tororo District leaving two people injured, property and crops destroyed. The rain that lasted for three hours destroyed more than 20 houses.
In April last year, at least 18 people were killed and more than 100 injured as hailstorms hit Buyende and Kamuli districts.
