Moroto district local government has received 4,000 kilograms of improved seeds for needy farmers in order to help them harvest better crops.
The seeds that include Cowpeas, Green gram, and Tapary beans 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 gram of 4,000 kilograms each. He adds that green gram was subjected to a germination test which the results confirmed to be viable for the Karamoja climate.
Loki says they are still examining cowpeas as well and once completed, the seeds shall 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.
In Napak District, about 11,386 kilograms of cowpeas and green gram seeds have been delivered to the district pending to be distributed to farmers.
But, John Paul Kodet the LCV Chairperson for Napak district noted that by the time they requested the seeds in early July, by now farmers would 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 the seeds 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 us problems’’ he lamented.
Onyang also noted that the improved seeds are the ones usually attacked by the fall armyworm leaving out the local seeds.
In September, the government dispatched 90 metric tons of quick-maturing seeds worth 800 Million Shillings to the nine districts of the Karamoja sub-region as one of the interventions to fight food insecurity.URN
