Adjumani residents urged to maximise the rainy season with modern farming practices

Residents of Adjumani district have been urged to take full advantage of the ongoing rainy season following a prolonged dry spell that negatively affected agricultural production in the area.

With the return of the rains, leaders and agricultural experts are calling on farmers to adopt improved farming methods to ensure better yields and a boost in household incomes.

Alezo Mary, a sales assistant and agronomist at Omia Agrobusiness Limited, emphasised the importance of proper planting techniques, especially for maize farmers.

“Rain season has started,” she said. “I would advise farmers not to plant maize the other old way, but to follow up instructions like planting in lines; following spacing for the farmer to get maximum yield.”

She further cautioned farmers on the safe use of agricultural chemicals, stressing the need to prioritise their health.

“When using chemicals, the farmers should follow Personal Protective Gears (PPGs) because without our health, we cannot do this. We need to protect our health by putting on PPGs and following instructions that are on the chemicals.”

Mawadri Justine, the CEO of Farm Wise Agrobusiness Limited, highlighted the urgency of timely planting, noting that the rainy season in the region is often and unpredictable.

“We all know it’s now the beginning of the rainy season. This is the right time for planting. As we know, the season here is very short especially “season A” is mostly two months of reliable rain. So, we expect farmers to plant timely so that they can harvest before the dry spell comes.”

Meanwhile, the Deputy Resident District Commissioner of Adjumani, Emmanuel Okwere, called on residents to make the most of the rains to improve food security and fight poverty.

“The weather has been very unfriendly, very unfavourable for many things including agricultural production. So, now that the rains have come, we should be very happy and should to maximize uh utilization of these rains.

“We want to encourage you to now heighten your activities, take advantage of these rains as fast as possible, and put something on the ground so that you increase consumption or increase productivity.”

Leaders remain optimistic that if farmers embrace timely planting, proper spacing, and safe farming practices, the district will record improved harvests despite the challenges posed by changing weather patterns.