agriculture 28 October 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)

Kagadi Farmers Count Hefty Losses as Delayed Rains Ruin Harvests

A prolonged dry spell in Kagadi District has devastated crops and disrupted livelihoods, leaving farmers uncertain about the upcoming season and struggling to repay debts. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/how-dry-spell-left-kagadi-farmers-counting-losses-as-rains-return-5648234

Farmers across Kagadi District in the Bunyoro Sub-region are currently counting heavy financial losses following a severe dry spell that lasted for over three months. The harsh weather condition destroyed staple crops, severely disrupted household incomes, and left numerous families struggling to provide basic necessities such as food, medical care, and school fees.

Although the rainy season has finally begun, offering a glimmer of hope for a fresh planting cycle, it provides little immediate relief for those whose crops withered before maturity. Many farmers had planted their fields around July, anticipating rains in August that ultimately failed to materialize through September, leaving gardens entirely exposed to scorching sunshine.

Mr. Gideon Bizimana, a resident of Mpeefu Sub-county, shared that he lost a substantial investment of about Shs720,000 on two acres of beans after the prolonged drought wiped out his yield. He was forced to replant maize to catch up with the returning rains. Compounding his woes, the income from his coffee enterprise has also dwindled due to declining market prices, making it difficult to repay funds borrowed through the Parish Development Model.

Other farmers faced similar devastation. Ms. Chance Asiimwe Tusingwire noted that the failed bean harvest has jeopardized her plans to fund her university education. Meanwhile, local leader Mr. Peter Nzabonimpa reported that the drought severely impacted his diversified ventures, causing water levels in his fish ponds to drop and killing his stock, while also crippling his bee-keeping activities due to a lack of nectar.

Mr. Desire Mpalana, the principal agricultural officer in Kagadi District, advised farmers to adopt small-scale irrigation systems to minimize total reliance on seasonal rainfall. He also pointed out that environmental degradation, driven by forest destruction for charcoal burning and farming, continues to worsen unpredictable weather patterns in the area.