Teso families under threat of starvation
In Teso region, like other places in Uganda, months of the year are named according to seasons. For example, the month of March, is known for its rains, and hence planting. It now sounds foolish to name the month of March “bringer of rains” because this has not been the case at least in the last three years. Since October last year, Teso region has not had adequate and regular rains.
According to Ms Janet Florence Atai of Omulala Women’s Group in Asuret, south of Soroti town, the months of June and July are known for harvesting. Now, there is nothing to harvest.
“November, December and January are known to be dry but this went on beyond January. We have not had steady rains since the year began. If the heavens do not open up sooner, we are staring at starvation,” Atai says.
Ms Hellen Kongai, an Agricultural Officer at Send a Cow Uganda, says that January is usually dry in Teso, February comes with scanty rains to soften the ground to open the land. March is time for planting because rains are regular. The month of April is time to heap potato mounds and there are usually plenty of mangoes.
May is the month for weeding and June/July is harvest time. This is when Iteso harvest sorghum, millet, cassava, maize, groundnuts and green peas, among others. But this is no more. The seasons have changed.
The rains usually resume in August where again the Iteso plant second season crops like simsim (sesame), sorghum and cowpeas. In September, they weed and October is harvest time.
Usually, November, December and January are dry but the Iteso have never found that inconveniencing because they usually have root food and a lot of harvested grain to take them through the three months of dry spell.
According to Ms Dinah Akiror of Ongino sub-county, they are experiencing the worst harvest since 1996 when Teso region was hit by a serious food crisis never witnessed before.
“All our crops have given us poor yields. The rains started in April and they were scanty. We are staring at the jaws of hunger and starvation. Most of the crops have been affected by Striga weed and the maize has stunted, other crops have been attacked by diseases. We are worried for our children,” Akiror says.
Ms Kongai adds that the Iteso have been producing much of the grain and sweet potatoes available in the markets across the eastern region and parts of Kampala city.
“Families are having one meal a day which is even not sufficient and devoid of nutrients. Groundnuts have been the greatest source of protein in Teso. Now, the nuts have been scorched by the sun,” she says.
According to Margaret Akoromit, 55, some homes have married off young girls to reduce the food burden. Awoja swamp/river from Lake Bisina to Lake Kioga on the Mbale-Soroti road is drying up and much of the area that was covered with water has been set on fire and now skinny animals are grazing on the once water-filled banks.
Farmers are appealing to government to avail irrigation technology or at least drill more boreholes. In Omulala parish, there is only one borehole serving a community of about 800 people. Now, to get a 20 litre jerry can of water takes close to 10 hours of waiting and more than 10 minutes of pumping.
The farmers also appeal to government to avail them with planting materials and better post harvest handling facilities including packaging to preserve their grain so that they can be able to go through the dry period.
But more so, since their harvest has been poor, the farmers ask government to send them food relief to take them through the food crisis period until the rains improve.
