Kotido pushes farmer-led irrigation to boost food security
KOTIDO, September 18, 2026 — Kotido district is promoting greater adoption of farmer-led irrigation and climate-smart agriculture as part of efforts to strengthen food production and build resilience to climate change.
Through its Department of Production and Marketing, the district is preparing a farmers’ learning event that will bring together farmers, government agencies, development partners, private-sector actors and other agricultural stakeholders to share knowledge, showcase innovations and identify practical solutions for improving agricultural productivity and livelihoods.
The initiative seeks to strengthen smallholder farmers’ capacity to adopt practices that can help them cope with climate-related challenges while increasing production.
Farmer-led irrigation is at the centre of the initiative, with stakeholders saying it could help communities reduce their dependence on increasingly unreliable rainfall and maintain production during dry periods.
The proposed learning event will be held under the theme: “How Participatory Action Programming Can Build Resilience in the Face of Climate Crisis: Using Farmer-Led Irrigation Interventions as a Key Strategy Worth Popularising Across the Region and the Country at Large.”
Stakeholders want the event to go beyond conventional agricultural training by giving farmers an opportunity to share practical experiences, identify challenges, test solutions and generate evidence that can be replicated across Kotido, Karamoja and the country.
They also want farmers to be treated not merely as beneficiaries of agricultural programmes, but as active participants in identifying challenges and developing solutions suited to their communities.
Water infrastructure remains a challenge
Water for production emerged as one of the major concerns during the preparatory discussions.
Kotido has 568 boreholes, 48 valley tanks and four dams, but only six of the 48 valley tanks are currently functional, according to the meeting.
Stakeholders called for the rehabilitation and desilting of non-functional water facilities, but cautioned that the problem goes beyond siltation, with the design of some valley tanks also identified as a concern.
They want future investments to take into account the design, functionality, maintenance and suitability of water facilities for agricultural production.
Concerns were also raised about water quality and alkalinity, with stakeholders noting that not every borehole is suitable for agricultural production.
They called for systematic water testing and profiling of boreholes before farmers or development partners invest in irrigation systems, while also emphasising water recharge and sustainable management of water sources.
Small-scale irrigation solutions
Stakeholders proposed several practical interventions to expand small-scale irrigation.
Ochen Paul Ernest of CARFAD proposed motorising boreholes, desilting water ponds and supporting vegetable production.
He also called for farmer learning and exchange visits to expose communities to successful irrigation and agricultural practices.
Gabriel Oriokot of Sasakawa Africa Association Uganda [SSA] highlighted water harvesting as another approach to strengthening resilience.
He said plans include installing water-harvesting facilities with a capacity of 1,200 litres and placing eight motorised pumps across three districts.
SSA is also supporting small-scale irrigation approaches in schools, including the installation of small water-storage drums, with Kotido Secondary School cited as an example.
The organisation is also supporting primary schools to produce their own food as part of efforts to strengthen food security.
Oriokot called for wider dissemination of information on affordable agricultural technologies so farmers can adopt solutions within their means.
“We need to make information on affordable agricultural technologies available to farmers so that they can adopt solutions that are within their means,” Oriokot said.
He also encouraged farmers to consider cassava, drawing lessons from production experiences in Nigeria and Teso.
Participants, however, said farmers need better information on cassava varieties and production timelines, noting that some varieties can take up to two years to mature.
Climate-smart crops and quality seed
The discussions also placed emphasis on crops that can withstand changing climatic conditions.
Bernard Obin, the senior agricultural officer, encouraged the promotion of pearl millet as part of climate-smart agriculture.
“We should promote pearl millet as part of climate-smart agriculture,” Obin said.
Sorghum and cassava were also identified as crops that could contribute to food security and resilience.
Participants proposed practical experiments to determine which crops and farming practices perform best under changing climatic conditions, including testing whether sorghum can successfully be grown during the second planting season.
They also called for greater attention to indigenous crops and further consideration of the potential uses and management of bullrush.
The meeting further called for the multiplication of original and quality seed, with extension workers expected to play a critical role in helping farmers access information on seed selection, crop management, climate adaptation and post-harvest handling.
Existing farmer groups to be strengthened
Rather than creating new groups, stakeholders want agricultural interventions to build on existing farmer organisations.
Kotido has approximately 440 farmer groups, according to the meeting.
Stakeholders called for groups selected for support to be properly registered and able to demonstrate that they are active.
They also urged development partners to distribute inputs strategically, taking into account the scale of production, available land and water, crop suitability and potential output.
Farmer cooperatives were encouraged to develop systems that support members beyond production, including access to quality seed, irrigation, extension services, safe agricultural inputs, post-harvest handling, storage and markets.
Food safety raises concern
Food safety was another major issue raised during the meeting.
Participants called for stronger sensitisation of farmers, traders and communities on the safe use of agricultural chemicals and the proper handling of food from production to consumption.
They said the Government has banned certain agricultural chemicals and called for intensified inspections to ensure prohibited products are not being sold or used.
The Kotido District Agricultural Officer, Kennedy Robert Okuda, raised concerns about chemical contamination in vegetables and the need for stronger monitoring and evidence-based food-safety measures.
“We need stronger monitoring to address chemical contamination in vegetables and ensure that food safety measures are based on evidence,” Okuda said.
The meeting also discussed Dipane N25 in relation to chemical use and food safety, with participants stressing the importance of following approved chemical-use requirements.
Concerns were raised over the use of chemicals to preserve tomatoes and the potential health risks associated with unsafe chemical use.
Consumers were also urged to become more active in protecting their food rights and demanding safer food.
Reducing tomato losses
Post-harvest losses, particularly in tomatoes, also featured in the discussions.
Participants said farmers and traders need better information on why tomatoes deteriorate quickly after harvesting, including the effects of field heat.
They called for greater awareness of proper harvesting, cooling, handling, storage and transportation to reduce losses and keep produce marketable for longer.
Co-funding remains a challenge
Despite the proposed interventions, stakeholders identified co-funding as a major challenge to expanding climate-smart agriculture and farmer-led irrigation.
They called for stronger collaboration between government, development partners, private-sector actors, farmer organisations and other stakeholders working to address food insecurity.
The potential role of Noor Muhammad of Agro Max was discussed, with participants stressing the need to clearly define the contribution of each partner.
They said partnerships should go beyond agricultural inputs to include water infrastructure, technical support, quality seed, research, farmer learning, markets and communication.
Media urged to promote practical solutions
Stakeholders also identified the media as an important partner in communicating affordable agricultural technologies, climate-smart practices, farmer innovations and food-safety information.
They said media platforms can help farmers learn from one another by highlighting successful irrigation initiatives and practical solutions that communities can adopt.
The proposed farmers’ learning event is expected to bring these issues together under a participatory approach, with farmer-led irrigation positioned as a key strategy for building resilience to climate change.
Stakeholders said the ultimate goal should be a stronger food system in which farmers have access to water, quality seed, extension services, appropriate technologies and markets, while traders and consumers are better equipped to keep food safe from production to consumption.
Before the main learning event, stakeholders have been invited to a final planning and preparatory meeting to agree on the approach, objectives, thematic areas, demonstrations, exhibitions, resource requirements and areas of collaboration.
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