Uganda faces food shortage

Jul 25, 2011

RESEARCH carried out by the Ministry of Disaster Preparedness which is yet to be announced has established that several parts of the country will experience severe food shortage between August and January when the next harvesting period will be.

By Moses Mulondo

RESEARCH carried out by the Ministry of Disaster Preparedness which is yet to be announced has established that several parts of the country will experience severe food shortage between August and January when the next harvesting period will be.

The ministry experts have advised the Government to set aside a reasonable amount of money not less than sh10b to embark on a drive of stocking food for emergency relief.

The Ministry of Disaster Preparedness is already undertaking measures to ensure that the Ministry of Fnance, Planning, and Economic Development allocates funds for feeding Ugandans.

Already, the Karamoja region is experiencing food shortage with over 1,200,000 people facing starvation.

Households in the pastoral and agro-pastoral areas of Amudat, Kaabong, Kotido, Moroto, Nakapiripirit and Napak are likely to continue facing food shortages for the remaining months of the year requiring relief food support from the Government.

The ministry had red-zoned 15 districts which are likely to experience food shortage that might lead to starvation and deaths of people if there are no relief interventions.

These vulnerable districts include Moroto, Napak, Kotido, Amudat, Kaabong, Nakapiripirit, Abim, Amuria, Katakwi, Adjumani, Arua, Koboko, Moyo, Yumbe and Bulambuli.

The disaster preparedness ministry has established that over 35 districts are likely to experience acute food shortages and these include Nebbi, Kyenjonjo, Amuru, Gulu, Pader, Kitgum, Dokolo, Apac, Lira, Amolatar, Sironko, Kapchorwa, Isingiro, Tororo, Busia, Budaka , Butaleja, Palisa, Sembabule, Lyantonde, Nakaseke, Mubende, Kooki, Kabula, Luwero, Rakai, Nakasongola, Bugiri, Namutumba, Iganga, Kaliro, and Kamuli.

Districts that are likely to experience moderate food shortages include Kamwenge, Bushenyi, Hoima, Bulisa, Ibanda and Kiruhura. Food shortage in these areas is likely to be result of sudden shocks such as excessive sell of household stocks.

The areas that will experience severe food shortage had seasons of poor rainfall, crop failure, and poor agricultural performance. There are also areas that have not recovered from the impact of last season’s drought and areas that experienced crop destruction by hail and windstorms. A prolonged dry spell is the the other factor many areas of the country, especially those around the cattle corridor experienced.

If more focus is put on the northern Uganda region which unlike other parts of the country has been currently experiencing a rain season since May, more food can be produced to feed other parts of the country.

According to the meteorology department’s forecast for the period between June and August, the northern region is expected to continue receiving rainfall.

“The northern region has a rain season which is different from other parts of the country. That region is right now having a rainfall season which is expected to go up until the end of the year. If measures are undertaken to ensure that there is increased food production in that area, the country will have enough food,” said Deus Bamanya, the assistant commissioner for meteorology in-charge of data processing and analysis.

Bamanya said at the peak of the harvesting period in August, food supply will increase and the food prices are expected to go down.

“The Ministry of Agriculture people should come out and sensitise Ugandans on food security. Let them use our weather forecast to advise Ugandans on what to grow where and the need for stocking food in other parts that will experience food shortage. The sensitisation should be done early enough before it is too late,” Bamanya advised.

Meanwhile, experts have also warned that the long dry spell that has been experienced in the neighboring countries of Somalia, Kenya, Ethopia, and Sudan has created famine in those areas and they will all be running to Uganda to buy off the country’s food that will be realised from the August harvest.

As part of the preventive measures, the Uganda government might have to emulate Kenya by stopping traders from taking food out of the country.

The spokesperson for the Uganda Food and Agriculture Organisation of United Nations, Rachael Nanderenga, said the situation is likely to be bad.

“We have not yet done any survey except that we have done with government jointly on the Karamoja region. Since most parts of the country got adequate rainfall, there are high prospects for a good harvest in most parts of the country. But rains are not enough to guarantee food security. The high fuel prices are likely to lead to higher food prices than it would have been,” Nanderenga argued.

The head of the Ministry of Agriculture’s early warning department, Anunciata Hakuza, said they would carry out a thorough countrywide survey and produce report to guide the farmers.

“We had not yet received funds from government to embark on research for our early warning reports. Probably in two weeks time we shall embark on that because the releases have started coming,” said Hakuza.

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