Needy farmers have received 4,000 kilograms of improved seeds for their crops in order to help them harvest better crops.
The seeds, which include cowpeas, green gram, and tapioca, are being kept in the district stores pending distribution to the farmers after the germination tests.
Dr. Francis Inangolet Olaki, the production officer of Moroto district, says they have received cowpeas and green grams of 4,000 kilograms each. He also says that green gram was put through a germination test, and the results showed that it could grow in the climate of Karamoja.
Loki says they are still examining cowpeas as well, and once completed, the seeds will be distributed to farmers for the next year’s cultivation.
According to Olaki, the seeds are part of the government’s intervention to address the crisis of hunger in households. Olaki says when the seeds are planted and managed well, a better harvest will be expected and hunger will be history.
About 11,386 kilograms of cowpeas and green gram seeds have been sent to Napak District so that they can be given to farmers.
But John Paul Kodet, who is in charge of the LCV in the Napak district, said that by the time they asked for the seeds in early July, farmers would already be harvesting.
Kodet says the seeds will only benefit 9,000 farmers and more seeds are needed. According to Kodet, they have opted to keep the seeds until next year’s cultivation season so that farmers can use them for the intended purpose.
Kodet blamed the government for delivering seeds late at a time when the region is experiencing another wave of dry spells.
However, Michael Onyang Kidon, the Chairperson of Model Farmers in Moroto district, says that he has lost trust in seeds from the government because they are not fit for the region and sometimes destroy the soil fertility.
“These seeds given by the government are not reliable. Personally, as a farmer, I have suffered. “The so-called improved seeds are adding to our problems,’’ he lamented.
Onyang also noticed that the fall armyworm usually eats the seeds that have been changed, but leaves the seeds from the area alone.
As part of its efforts to fight food insecurity, the government sent 90 metric tons ($800 million) of fast-growing seeds to the nine districts of the Karamoja sub-region in September.