Kasese cotton growers attribute poor yields to bad weather

KASESE -Cotton farmers and cooperators in Kasese district have blamed poor yields on bad weather, which they say has also resulted in low incomes.

Farmers say heavy rains which went up to December last year affected crop yields and gave room to pests and diseases.

Enock Bwambale a cotton farmer said cotton needs a moderate amount of water for optimal growth.

“Last year, we experienced a lot of rain which affected the crop yields. A good plant is supposed to produce 20 or more bolls per season but this season, each plant has only between 10 -15 bolls,” Bwambale said.

He said the unpredictable weather conditions have led to poor yields which will give them less profit.

Bwambale said the heavy rains have not only affected production but have also created room for pests and diseases.

“Due to excessive rains in the area, cotton plantations have been attacked by multiple pests and diseases like cotton strainers, boll warms and Jessie disease which affect the cotton bolls,” Bwambale said.

Christine Kabugho also a farmer said they invest a lot of money in cotton but when the yields are affected, they make a lot of losses.

“The heavy rains affected germination and flowering and as a result, we will get poor yields and hence very low prices,” Kabugho said.

She however noted that cotton farmers should be introduced to premium insurance packages such that they reduce losses.

Farmers said although Cotton Development Organisation [CDO] announced the price of a kilogram of cotton of Shs 2,300, middlemen are insisting on buying between Shs 1,800-2,000 which farmers say is too low because they incur a lot of money in the crop.

The CDO Western Region coordinator, Adrian Katwetegek,e said because of the poor quality of cotton this year due to heavy rains, farmers will earn little money than expected.

He however put blame on farmers who rushed to plant before there was enough moisture in the soil to enable seed germination.

In October 2022, CDO announced the indicative price of a kilogramme of cotton at Shs 2,300, but the price is currently lower in most cotton-growing districts.

https://thecooperator.news/bishop-olwa-roots-for-cotton-growing-in-lango/

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