Karimojong farmers get drought-resistant seeds

Karimojong farmers in Napak district have embraced new farming methods in order to fight food insecurity.

Some farmers in Karamoja believe that crops are always planted before May of every year and the seeds are broadcast, instead of being planted in rows.

It is against this background that the National Semi-Arid Resources Research Institute Serere (NaSARRI) came in to demonstrate to the farmers that improved seeds, which are tolerant to drought, can be planted after May and that crops give more yield when planted in rows.

The programme, being implemented by NaSARRI, with a grant from USAID, is handling sorghum, millet and green grams.

The demonstration farm, located at Ward A in Lorengecora town council in Napak district, has six new improved varieties of sorghum, millet and green grams, all released by NaSARRI in 2019.

Of the six crop varieties in the farm, the excited Karimojong farmers, after touring the demo farm, chose to continue planting Narosog 2 sorghum variety, Naromill 5 millet variety and Narogram 1 green gram variety, because they are suitable for them.

John Peter Obuo, the agronomic research officer at NaSARRI, said the new varieties are resistant to drought, striga and are quick-maturing and most high-yielding.

Dr Michael Ugen, the director of NaSARRI, said their aim is to bring new improved high yielding crops to Karamoja so as to reduce food insecurity in the area.

Ugen promised to ensure that more trials of their new technologies are done in different places in the sub-region.

Dr Scovia Adikini, the project investigator at NaSARRI, said their institute is moving beyond production of new crop varieties to the level of processing millet and sorghum technologies.

She said they want farmers to stop thinking that sorghum and millet are used for bread alone, but that it can also be processed to make cakes and doughnuts.

"What we are seeing today is a startup of the technologies that have been generated, but had never been transferred to the communities in Karamoja. If we appreciate this technology, our next step will be to move to other places, so that more farmers can benefit," she said.

Teresa Mudong, lauded NaSARRI and asked the Government and the institute to support them with more improved crops and farming tools, such as hoes, axes, pangas and oxen.

"If this project expands, we shall also need stores for our produce here," Mudong said.