Farmers in Kitegomba village in Wakiso district are calling for urgent government support after months of extreme heat left their crops scorched and farmlands barren.
Steven Katabira, a farmer in Kitegomba, said the dry spell that began in August has wiped out almost all the crops on his 50 by 100 foot plot. Speaking to Bbeg Media on Tuesday, he said the prolonged heat had left him with heavy losses and no means to recover without government assistance.
“We call for government support to provide irrigation services because all crops including maize, tomatoes, onions, bananas and cassava have dried up,” he said.
Katabira, who grows maize, cassava, onions, tomatoes and eggplants, said this season had been his worst since he started farming. The farmer leases the land for Shs 500,000 per season and now faces the burden of paying rent despite having no harvest.
He said eggplants planted in July, maize and cassava planted in September, and onions and tomatoes planted in November had all failed to grow because of the heat. “If it was not for the prolonged heat, these crops would have shown progress by now, but everything is lost,” he said.
Katabira added that he must still pay his four workers, who depend on the wages, even though the harvest has failed. He said most of the income from his farm helps him care for his family by covering school fees and food.
The prolonged heat has also affected bricklayers in the area. Kato Assimwe and Julius Atwiire said the lack of water had slowed down their work and reduced their income. Brickmaking requires large amounts of water to mix soil and prepare bricks for drying.
Kato, who moved to Kitegomba from western Uganda, urged the government to stabilise the price of bricks at Shs 400 or Shs 500 to protect their trade. He said young people could invest between Shs 1.5 million and Shs 2 million to produce up to 20,000 bricks, which can fetch about Shs 6 million.
He said brickmaking had helped them pay school fees and meet basic needs but the ongoing water shortage had made their work difficult. He encouraged other young people to join the trade instead of lamenting about unemployment.
Dr Ronald Masengere, an obstetrician and gynaecologist at St Anthony and Josephine Medical Centre in Kitegomba, warned residents to stay hydrated as cases of dehydration and heat-related illnesses tend to rise during long dry spells. He said some people also develop allergic reactions during periods of extreme heat and should take extra precautions.
