Hoima farmers worried as strange disease ravages cassava farms

HOIMA-Farmers in Kigorobya Sub-county, Hoima district are counting losses following the outbreak of a strange disease that is ravaging cassava gardens.

The disease affects the plant as it matures, causing the tubers to rot in the soil. When uprooted, the tubers taste bitter with a foul smell.

Yeyeri Kwekyandya, a farmer from Karungu village, said they are likely to face famine because of the disease that has attacked their cassava gardens.

She noted that she has lost half an acre of cassava to the strange disease she said was discovered in September after the cassava leaves started changing their green colour to yellowish, with a mottled appearance.

Pascal Tinkamanyire, another farmer in Mariga village in the same sub-county, said they are also faced with the challenge of another strange disease that fails the plant to develop cassava tubers.

He noted that his one acre of cassava had no tubers in the soil after reaching the mature stage. He noted the Kigorobya Sub-county is likely to face hunger because of the disease and appealed to government to give farmers cassava varieties that are resistant to such diseases.

He said some of the farmers in the area have no access to extension services, something he said should be addressed by government.

James Mugisa, another farmer explained that apart from the cassava disease, the area is also facing the challenge of banana wilt, which he said has destroyed several acres of plantations.

He noted when the banana wilt attacks plants, their leaves change from green to yellow, and eventually, the plant dries up.

The farmers expressed their worry during a joint plant and animal clinic that was conducted in the area by the Hoima district production department last week to empower farmers with farming skills and new technology.

During the clinic, farmers brought in their domestic animals for diagnosis and vaccination. The farmers also brought diseased plants to seek advice from the experts.

Steven Kibego, the Kigorobya Sub-county extension worker who facilitated the joint plant and animals’ clinic confirmed that the area has been battling with cassava disease for the last two years.

He described the disease as cassava brown streak disease and cassava soft root, which are ravaging the cassava plantations in the area.

He added: “Cassava soft root is characterised by a foul smell and the darkening of the affected tissues with liquid exudation, while cassava brown streak disease affects the Cassava tuber which makes it difficult to be eaten. Such cassava cannot be eaten even by the pigs.”

He also confirmed that the area is facing a challenge of banana bacterial wilt, adding it has attacked several banana plantations in the area.

According to Dr. Patrick Ndorwa, the Hoima district veterinary officer, the joint plant and animal clinic will equip the farmers with technology, which will help them to fight against plant and animal diseases and practice modern farming.

He noted the campaign was initiated after they realised that farmers were not accessing extension services due to inadequate extension workers.

Ndowra noted that Hoima district has 12 sub-counties where each is supposed to have four extension workers.   However, the district has only 12 veterinary extension workers and 10 crop extension workers. He said these cannot manage to reach all the farmers in the district.

The Hoima district LCV chairman Kirungi Kadiri has commended the production department for the initiative and challenged the farmers to implement the advice acquired for the extension workers to improve production and productivity.

However, he expressed concern over the low turn-up of the farmers at the clinic yet attending was free for every farmer.

https://thecooperator.news/naro-develops-new-cassava-varieties/

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