When farmers choose to sell food crops and starve
Mar 18, 2007
IT is still dark in Nampologoma village in eastern Uganda. The cocks crow heralds the start of a new day. For hundreds of farmers still under the warmth of their blankets, it is time to wake up and head to their shambas. This has been the routine for as long as they can remember. <br>
By Joe Nam
IT is still dark in Nampologoma village in eastern Uganda. The cocks crow heralds the start of a new day. For hundreds of farmers still under the warmth of their blankets, it is time to wake up and head to their shambas. This has been the routine for as long as they can remember.
Fifty years ago when Uganda was still a farmers’ paradise, soils would yield a bountiful harvest. Not anymore. A set of events have conspired to rob farmers of the big harvests from their sweat. Cotton growing is no longer profitable and farmers have to sell food crops like maize, groundnuts, millet and cassava to survive.
Poor farming methods and the growing population have taken a toll on the soil. Changes in the global economy have also ushered in a new order, where any kind of food can be sold. In a few other places in Africa, the impact of the new economy is also felt, as in Bubaali and Nampologoma villages in eastern Uganda.
During colonial and post-colonial times, Bubaali was a thriving cotton-producing area, says Jennifer Wasswa, 42.
“I have lived here all my life. The yields are no longer good. We have resorted to selling groundnuts and maize to survive.â€
This is what Wasswa’s neighbour, Damalie Mugudi, does. And her reason — to pay fees for her children.
“When I harvest 50 sacks of groundnuts, I sell 25 of them. I do not labour transporting them because buyers find us here,†she says.
The bulk of these food crops find their way to neighbouring Kenya and Kampala. This is the phenomenon of trading in food crops that some experts have blamed for the food insecurity in Sub-Saharan Africa. Some farmers sell the bulk of their food, leaving little or none for home consumption.
Dr John Mudusu, the chairman of Doho Rice Scheme, says growing food for sale is not a bad idea.
This view is shared by Richard Mugwiri, the agricultural extension worker of Bubaal. “We are moving away from subsistence farming. We now look at farming to earn money. This is the only way to fight poverty,†Mugwiri says.
Under the British colonial administration, 1900-1962, there was a bye-law that required every house to keep food in a granary. The farmers mainly grew cotton, coffee and tea for sale.
“The issue is not whether people should sell food or not,†Says Henry Kizito, the director of Volunteer Efforts for Development Concerns, a non-governmental organisation promoting agro-business. “The issue is increased food production, good post-harvest handling to minimise loss and value addition. We encourage farmers to produce surplus for sale because they need money. We also help them find good markets.†The country director of Sasakawa Africa Association, Dr Michael Sakara, however, says it is simplistic to peg Africa’s food security on underproduction.
“The problem has global and national dimensions. It must, therefore, be solved in a holistic manner. We must address access to international markets, quality production and sustainable supply. Agriculture must be made to be profitable for farmers in Africa to ensure food security.â€
For Nampologoma rice farmers, Jamada Kehengere and Nyanga Rehema, it’s all about how much they will harvest and sell. Jamada earned sh6m from selling his rice harvest last year and Rehema sh2m.
IT is still dark in Nampologoma village in eastern Uganda. The cocks crow heralds the start of a new day. For hundreds of farmers still under the warmth of their blankets, it is time to wake up and head to their shambas. This has been the routine for as long as they can remember.
Fifty years ago when Uganda was still a farmers’ paradise, soils would yield a bountiful harvest. Not anymore. A set of events have conspired to rob farmers of the big harvests from their sweat. Cotton growing is no longer profitable and farmers have to sell food crops like maize, groundnuts, millet and cassava to survive.
Poor farming methods and the growing population have taken a toll on the soil. Changes in the global economy have also ushered in a new order, where any kind of food can be sold. In a few other places in Africa, the impact of the new economy is also felt, as in Bubaali and Nampologoma villages in eastern Uganda.
During colonial and post-colonial times, Bubaali was a thriving cotton-producing area, says Jennifer Wasswa, 42.
“I have lived here all my life. The yields are no longer good. We have resorted to selling groundnuts and maize to survive.â€
This is what Wasswa’s neighbour, Damalie Mugudi, does. And her reason — to pay fees for her children.
“When I harvest 50 sacks of groundnuts, I sell 25 of them. I do not labour transporting them because buyers find us here,†she says.
The bulk of these food crops find their way to neighbouring Kenya and Kampala. This is the phenomenon of trading in food crops that some experts have blamed for the food insecurity in Sub-Saharan Africa. Some farmers sell the bulk of their food, leaving little or none for home consumption.
Dr John Mudusu, the chairman of Doho Rice Scheme, says growing food for sale is not a bad idea.
This view is shared by Richard Mugwiri, the agricultural extension worker of Bubaal. “We are moving away from subsistence farming. We now look at farming to earn money. This is the only way to fight poverty,†Mugwiri says.
Under the British colonial administration, 1900-1962, there was a bye-law that required every house to keep food in a granary. The farmers mainly grew cotton, coffee and tea for sale.
“The issue is not whether people should sell food or not,†Says Henry Kizito, the director of Volunteer Efforts for Development Concerns, a non-governmental organisation promoting agro-business. “The issue is increased food production, good post-harvest handling to minimise loss and value addition. We encourage farmers to produce surplus for sale because they need money. We also help them find good markets.†The country director of Sasakawa Africa Association, Dr Michael Sakara, however, says it is simplistic to peg Africa’s food security on underproduction.
“The problem has global and national dimensions. It must, therefore, be solved in a holistic manner. We must address access to international markets, quality production and sustainable supply. Agriculture must be made to be profitable for farmers in Africa to ensure food security.â€
For Nampologoma rice farmers, Jamada Kehengere and Nyanga Rehema, it’s all about how much they will harvest and sell. Jamada earned sh6m from selling his rice harvest last year and Rehema sh2m.