Namutumba Cotton Farmers Grapple with Bacterial Blight and Mystery Pests

Cotton farmers in Namutumba district are suffering significant losses due to a suspected bacterial blight disease and an infestation of tiny black flies. These pests have attacked crops over the past two weeks, turning leaves yellow and causing them to dry up, with the worst impact on plants in the flowering stage.

Emmanuel Byansi, a local farmer, expressed frustration over the unknown pests, noting that no effective insecticides are available to combat them. Veteran farmer Harriet Naigaga, with over 40 years of experience, described the challenges as unprecedented, highlighting a strange disease ravaging their fields.

Around 500 farmers across 30 acres have been hit hard. Cotton remains a vital cash crop in the district, supporting household needs like school fees and home construction, though many are shifting to groundnuts and rice due to persistent issues, including low prices.

Bernard Balikowa urged the government to improve cotton prices to encourage farmers to return to the crop. Agricultural extension worker Abdu Nyombi identified the disease as bacterial, stemming from untreated and fake seeds flooding the market after privatization of seed sales.

Nyombi advised using treated seeds and maintaining garden hygiene to prevent and treat the issue. However, extension services are hampered by fuel shortages, limiting outreach to farmers who visit their offices.

While cotton has long been a key income source in the Busoga sub-region, it is increasingly giving way to sugarcane amid these mounting challenges.

Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)