A Japan-funded rice growing project is showing successes in the West Nile Districts of Yumbe and Madi-Okollo, with higher yields than before, according to the beneficiaries.
The “Project for the Implementation of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Refugee Settlements and Host Communities” is responsible for the introduction and promotion of NERICA 4, more disease and drought resistant rice variety in the region.
Refugees and their host communities in the two districts admit that previously, their yields were low, not only because of the type of seed they were using, but also their farming practices.
The project implemented by UN Women in conjunction with the National Agriculture Research Organisation (NARO) and Peace Winds Japan, also targets improved coexistence between the refugees and the host communities, which in turn promotes collaboration on farming practices and improves yields.
NARO is implementing the livelihood component by building participants’ technical capacity in improved rice production and distributing quality rice seed, particularly the NERICA 4 variety. The project seeks to strengthen women’s agency, resilience and leadership in communities affected by displacement and humanitarian challenges.
During a joint monitoring mission to project sites in the the region, officials conducted assessment of rice demonstration gardens for progress, implementation quality, results and emerging challenges, including prolonged drought.
Natasha Butorac, the Women, Peace and Security Specialist at UN Women, said the initiative addresses the link between climate change, competition for natural resources and conflict in refugee-hosting communities. “Part of the aim of this intervention is to bring in drought-resilient and disease-resilient varieties of rice,” she said.
Butorac explained that improving agricultural productivity provides communities with opportunities to generate income, strengthen household food security and reduce economic pressures that can fuel conflict.
The project builds on lessons from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-supported Eco-PRiDe Rice project, which demonstrated the potential of improved rice production but needed greater participation by women.
“But by this project, I’m really happy to say that the vast majority of the farmers who are taking part are women,” Butorac said, adding that their involvement is challenging stereotypes that women cannot effectively participate in farming.
Taban Rashid, a farmer from Pitia village in Kululu sub-county in Yumber district, said the training has transformed his approach to rice production, reducing labour requirements and increasing earnings.
Rashid, who has received training under the MUSHO project since 2025, said he previously relied on broadcasting, a method of scattering seed across a field, which made weeding labour-intensive and increased his seed requirements.
“I would usually use 50 kilogrammes of seed to plant an acre, and weeding one acre would take me 15 days,” he said. Poor post-harvest handling and storage also affected the quality of the farmers’ rice, resulting in low returns after milling.
He says from eight bags an acre and 800,000 shillings in sales before, he now harvests 25 bags from the same acreage and earnings about 2.5 million shillings.
“I used to blame the milling machine for breaking my rice. But with the knowledge I got from JICA, I came to learn that the quality is made in the garden, protected in the store, and the machinery only reveals the work you did from planting to storage,” says Rashid who now also trains others.
Dr Emmanuel Odama, a senior research officer at NARO, said the project uses the ‘Musomesa’ field school approach, which combines group demonstrations with individual farmer practice.
Under the model, farmers establish a “mother garden”, where demonstrations are conducted, and “baby gardens”, where individual members replicate the recommended practices.
“While we are planting in the mother garden, individual farmers should be planting in their baby gardens concurrently. When we are planting in line, you should be planting in line,” Odama said. The approach enables farmers to put into practice the skills acquired during training rather than relying solely on demonstrations conducted at group level.
Wualifying farmers must have at least half an acre. He added that collaboration between refugees and host communities has helped participating refugees access land beyond what would traditionally be available to them through the Office of the Prime Minister.
Despite prolonged drought in the area, demonstration gardens planted with NERICA 4 rice have shown encouraging results, according to project participants.
Odama said the variety is known for its disease tolerance and, to some extent, drought tolerance. “If we had local varieties of rice, we would not be able to see anything here,” he said, referring to the impact of the extended dry spell on the demonstration gardens.
Amaku Shaban, chairperson of the Dongoloto Farmers Group in Kululu sub-county, said the introduction of NERICA 4 and training in line planting had helped farmers sustain production despite the unfavourable weather.
“We were doing broadcasting; now we sow in line, and they also brought us a new seed variety called NERICA 4. It is disease- and drought-resistant. If it was our ordinary variety, we wouldn’t have any crop to see,” Shaban said.
Dr Moses Biruma, the director of research at NARO Abi Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute in Arua, said a needs assessment conducted before implementation established that rice growing was the preferred agricultural enterprise among the target farmers.
The project has subsequently focused on addressing the farmers’ needs through improved seed, practical training and the promotion of better production and post-harvest handling practices.
For women in Bidi Bidi and the surrounding host communities, the intervention offers more than improved harvests. It also created opportunities for cooperation between refugees and host communities, it is also advancing the broader goal of using women’s economic empowerment to build resilience and promote peace-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
