Moroto, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | In the dry plains of Karamoja, a arrangement customarily deemed imperfect for agriculture, Justine Samuel Tuko, the Deputy Resident District Commissioner (D/RDC) of Moroto, is proving in some other case. Tuko has reworked his farmland in Lobulio village, Iriiri Sub County, Napak district, into a thriving agricultural mannequin amidst the arrangement’s harsh climatic instances.
He has cultivated two and a half of acres of onions, one acre of cabbage, 40 acres of maize, 10 acres of groundnuts, six acres of beans, and 14 acres of sunflowers. As many farmers in Karamoja proceed to battle with boring planting and weed support watch over, Tuko is already reaping a a success harvest of maize, onions, and beans. His early-planting strategy, he says, is well-known to beating the unpredictable climate that has persevered to frustrate farmers within the arrangement.
Tuko defined that he started land preparation as early as January and proceeded with harrowing in boring February. He conducted dry planting in early March, looking ahead to the onset of rains—and his gamble paid off. “By the point the rains resumed, the seeds were already within the bottom, prepared to germinate,” he acknowledged.
Tuko acknowledged his vegetation were already at weeding stage when completely different farmers were tranquil opening up their fields. This head commence has enabled him to face up to the intense warmth that has dried up many gardens planted boring. His efforts possess no longer long past unnoticed. Tuko’s success is involving surrounding communities to adopt early-planting ways.
Some farmers possess already started enforcing the mannequin, whereas others are making prepared to enact so within the next planting season. Tuko has known as on agricultural extension workers to magnify their presence at the grassroots, the build many farmers battle with restricted files on seed need, spacing, and figuring out high quality, improved seed forms.
He decried the persevered utilize of miserable-quality hybrid seeds sold from delivery markets, which customarily fail to yield, extra worsening meals insecurity. No topic the promising harvests, Tuko is never any longer with out challenges. He cited high labour prices, pest infestations, water scarcity, and erratic climate patterns as significant hurdles. He particularly mentioned the armyworm, which has broken parts of his maize garden despite repeated spraying.
He additionally raised concerns about birds, insects, and animals that eat seeds from the soil or uproot seedlings, compounding farmers’ difficulties. Tuko entreated the district production place of work to give successfully timed climate forecast updates to help farmers belief successfully. He extra known as upon native leaders to manual by example within the battle against starvation by partaking in farming actions themselves.
“Farming should be embraced as the one sustainable system of combating starvation in Karamoja as a substitute of counting on relief handouts from construction partners,” Tuko acknowledged. He appealed to the government to give extra tractors to help farmers delivery elevated acreage, noting that tractors should be made available as early as December, no longer sooner or later of the moist season when quiz surges.
He customarily known as on the government to give a steal to mannequin farmers with irrigation programs and revive seed distribution below the Operation Wealth Introduction program to toughen win entry to to quality seeds all over the arrangement.
Tuko’s initiative stands as a beacon of hope and a in point of fact finest arrangement to continual meals insecurity in Karamoja, showcasing how successfully timed planning, innovation, and government give a steal to can turn the tide.
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