Prolonged dry spell bothers Nwoya livestock farmers

NWOYA– Livestock farmers in Nwoya district are worried as the hot sun continues to dry up water points and grazing land.

The farmers in the district say they are finding it difficult to get enough water and grass, adding that their animals could soon face starvation since they don’t have valley dams for water or stored feed/fodder.

The cooperators under  Nwoya- Pamin-Owot Livestock Cooperative Society Limited said farmers are forced to move their animals for several kilometers in search of grass and water as the nearby areas have dried up.

According to the Chairperson of the cooperative, Michael Owiny, many herdsmen now fear they will put low-quality animals for beef on the market, since the animals are not getting enough feed and water to build muscles or fatten.

“Fears have already erupted among the farmers whose livelihood is entirely dependent on keeping livestock. If the weather fails to change, there is no doubt that the animals produced for the market will be of poor quality,” he said.

Bosco Odoki, one of the farmers noted that at the moment, there is already low milk production since the animals have inadequate food and water.

“Some water points as we talk now have dried up while the scarcity of the grass has also hit the district, forcing some animals to storm the game park [Murchison Falls Game Park]  in search of water and fresh grass,’’ he said.

To Odoki, there is need for the district to build valley dams so that when the dry spell hits, livestock farmers are able to provide their animals with water.

The district veterinary officer Dr. Isacca Mayende, said farmers should make use of river streams that take some time to dry, saying it is the only alternative for now.

“Well, the water in these streams might not be clean enough for the animals to consume as compared during the rainy season but it’s the only alternative at the moment. Let us use that for now as the district technical team plans to find a better solution,’’ he said

Dr. Mayende said the problem of the prolonged dry spell has cut across the entire district.

In April 2022, the Uganda National Meteorological Authority [UNMA] in its monthly climate outlook, urged the population to preserve pasture and harvest water, predicting that the country would face a dry period in the months of June-August, 2022, would be dry.

Nwoya- Pamin-Owot Livestock Cooperative Society Limited in 1968, but due to the Lord Resistance [LRA] insurgency, most of its activities were affected.

To date it has 260, active members with 2,360 livestock with only 336, sheep.

https://thecooperator.news/300-nwoya-farmers-targeted-for-irrigation-project/

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