ZOMBO, August 13, 2025 — Torrential rains accompanied by hailstones have devastated crops in Zombo district, plunging local farmers into despair.
According to district leaders, the most severely affected areas include the sub-counties of Abanga, Warr, Atyak, and Padea, as well as Zombo Town Council.
The District Production Department confirmed that both seasonal and perennial crops, such as beans, maize, cassava, coffee, and avocados, were heavily damaged, raising fears of impending food insecurity in these predominantly agricultural communities.
Zombo District LCV Chairperson, James Uruna Uyullu, told this reporter days ago that relevant officials are currently gathering data to submit to the Ministry of Disaster Preparedness and Refugees for possible intervention.
“The rain was destructive,” Uyullu said. “I urge our people to report such incidents to their respective town councils and sub-county authorities so we can liaise with the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and the Ministry of Disaster Preparedness and Refugees for support.”
Warr Sub-county LCIII Chairperson, James Cekecan Apoi, and his Abanga counterpart, Richard Awekunimungu, expressed deep concern over the scale of the destruction in their areas and called on the government for immediate assistance.
“We experienced rainfall accompanied by hailstones, which severely affected farmers in the villages of Achiru, Orwang, Ayida Nyamola, Dindu, and Azi,” said Apoi. “We appeal to the government to respond to our distress.”
Apoi added that the destruction of major food crops could lead to serious food shortages in the affected areas.
Awekunimungu echoed these concerns: “The hailstorm severely affected parishes such as Serr, Asina, and Pamitu, where crops like coffee and cabbages were destroyed. Farmers in these areas are in urgent need of government support.”
This latest hailstorm comes as a major setback for farmers in parts of Zombo District who were still recovering from similar weather-related destruction in August 2024.
Previous government relief efforts
In January 2025, the Office of the Prime Minister distributed food relief to 1,359 households affected by the 2024 hailstorm in Abanga Sub-county, particularly in the parishes of Serr and Pakadha.
Roselyn Uchida, a resident of Upanu village, said she lost income worth Shs 3 million and food supplies for over five months after the recent hailstorm destroyed her coffee plantation, cassava fields, and bean gardens.
https://thecooperator.news/kwania-coop-farmers-count-losses-as-heavy-rains-devastates-gardens/
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