After watching months of hard work wither under an unforgiving dry spell, many farmers across Bugisu and Sebei are reluctant to return to their fields for the second planting season without clear assurances that the rains will hold. For many, the first season ended in heavy losses as crops dried up before maturity, leaving families with little to harvest and uncertainty over whether it is worth risking scarce resources on another planting season.
The farmers are now appealing to government extension workers and meteorological authorities to provide timely, easy-to-understand weather forecasts before they commit to buying seeds and preparing their gardens. Brian Mande, a farmer from Kaptanya Parish in Kapchorwa District, says many rural farmers were caught off guard by the prolonged dry spell because they had no access to reliable weather information.
“We were not adequately informed about the weather forecast. Many farmers in rural areas do not know how to access or interpret weather information, yet our livelihoods depend on it. Government should use local radio stations and extension workers to explain these forecasts in languages that farmers understand,” Mande said. He said many farmers still rely on traditional methods such as observing cloud formations to predict rainfall, but those indicators failed them this year.
In neighbouring Kween District, Isaac Mwanga says the painful memories of the first season are making many farmers hesitant to plant again, even though rain has started falling in some areas. “Farmers are still afraid because many of us lost crops during the first season. While some areas are receiving rain again, others are only getting drizzles. We need assurance that the rains will be consistent before investing in another planting season,” Mwanga said.
According to Mwanga, rainfall remains uneven across Sebei, with communities on the upper slopes of Mount Elgon receiving more reliable rainfall than those in lower areas. Beyond the uncertainty over the weather, farmers are also worried about counterfeit agricultural inputs flooding the market as demand for seeds and agrochemicals rises ahead of the second planting season.
Jacob Sakajja, a farmer from Kapnandi Sub-county in Bukwo District, says many farmers fear spending their limited savings on fake seeds and chemicals. “As soon as the rains begin, many agro-input dealers open their shops. Farmers are worried that some of the seeds and chemicals being sold could be counterfeit. We need extension workers and the Ministry of Agriculture to verify these products before we spend our money,” Sakajja said.
He warned that poor-quality inputs could compound the losses farmers have already suffered because of the prolonged dry spell. The uncertainty has also forced some farmers to scale back production. Grace Nakenyze, a tomato farmer in Bulambuli Town Council, says many households are reducing the size of their gardens to minimise the risk of losing everything if the rains fail again.
“Most farmers are no longer planting as much land as they used to. If someone previously planted one acre, they have now reduced it to half an acre or even a quarter because of the fear of losing everything to unpredictable weather,” she said. The concerns follow below-normal rainfall recorded across several districts in eastern Uganda during the first planting season, which resulted in widespread crop failures and poor harvests.
Justin Yeko, the Commercial Officer for Kapchorwa District, acknowledged that farmers experienced significant losses due to prolonged dry conditions and shifting weather patterns. “Many farmers experienced substantial losses during the first season because the rains were not reliable. We encourage farmers to follow weather updates, work closely with extension officers, and adopt climate-smart agricultural practices that can help them cope with changing weather conditions,” Yeko said.
He said district authorities are encouraging farmers to diversify crops, use improved seed varieties and seek technical guidance before planting. Agricultural experts warn that climate change is making rainfall increasingly erratic across eastern Uganda, underscoring the need for accurate weather forecasts and climate-smart farming practices to help communities that depend almost entirely on rain-fed agriculture-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
