Masaka, Uganda | URN | Farmers in the Greater Masaka region are raising concerns over the rising cost of agricultural inputs as they prepare their gardens for the expected rains, warning that high prices could undermine food production in the coming season.
Some farmers say they have been forced to rely on home-saved seeds because they cannot afford improved seed varieties, fertilisers and other essential inputs.
The farmers are currently preparing their gardens after rains returned to the region, ending a prolonged dry spell that severely affected crop gardens. However, they say the high cost of inputs could further weaken their ability to recover from the losses suffered during the dry spell.
They are calling on the government to provide direct support, particularly to smallholder farmers, to help them access critical inputs and avert potential food shortages. Francis Lukwago, the secretary of Kabonera Farmers’ Society in Kimanya-Kabonera Division, says the cost of key agricultural inputs has risen sharply, making it difficult for farmers to purchase the quantities they need.
Lukwago says the price increases are particularly burdensome for smallholder and mid-sized farmers who are still recovering financially from crop losses caused by the prolonged dry spell. A two-kilogramme packet of treated hybrid maize seed now costs about 20,000 Shillings, up from less than half that price last year.
Similarly, two kilogrammes of bean seed cost about 13,000 Shillings, compared with 5,000 Shillings last year, while the price of a kilogramme of phosphate fertiliser has risen to 5,200 Shillings from 2,200 Shillings. Lukwago says the high prices are forcing farmers to recycle seeds from previous harvests instead of purchasing improved varieties.
Others, he says, are borrowing seeds from neighbours without considering their quality or suitability in an attempt to take advantage of the current rains. He warns that without government intervention to provide critical farm inputs to smallholder farmers, communities could soon face acute food shortages.
Mark Tamale, a member of Kingo Farmers’ Cooperative Society in Lwengo District, says many farmers have not yet secured seeds for the new planting season because the prolonged drought left them financially constrained.
Tamale says farmers suffered heavy losses in both seasonal and perennial crops, leaving many without sufficient income to purchase inputs or adequately prepare their gardens. He has appealed to the government to support affected farmers with critical agricultural inputs to help them recover from the effects of the prolonged drought.
Masaka District Chairperson John Kakande says his office is already overwhelmed by requests from farmers seeking agricultural inputs following poor harvests. Kakande says the situation requires direct government intervention to provide farmers with essential inputs, warning that failure to support them could worsen food insecurity and eventually force the government to procure food for affected communities.
He says the district technical team has already compiled a situation report, which he plans to submit to the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries to support the district’s request for assistance.
Last month, Maj. Gen. (Rtd) David Kasura-Kyomukama, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, flagged off consignments of fertilisers for distribution to districts severely affected by drought.
However, Kakande says the intervention remains inadequate compared with the scale of the needs on the ground, with many farmers still struggling to access essential agricultural inputs.
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