Farmers from Amagoro location Teso North Sub County are counting losses as a hailstorm wreaked havoc on Wednesday evening, leaving them with little hope of any harvest.
After a bumper harvest in the first season of long rains, farmers had anticipated a bumper harvest in the short rain season following government intervention with a timely supply of subsided fertilizers.
Maize and beans which flourished in most farms were worst hit with beans flowers and pods being destroyed, leaving farmers salvaging whatever was left on the farm.
One of the victims Ms. Doris Amojong Orupto from Angololo village said she had planted maize on one-acre piece of land and similar acreage under beans, but her dreams of reaping big from sound harvests have been nipped in the bud.
Amojong, recounted how the rains pounded, and within minutes, their entire field of potatoes had been totally destroyed.
“I am appealing to both national and county government to come to aid of the affected farmers, it’s still planting time, farmers only need seeds to plant fresh for future food security in the area,” she said.
Another farmer, Ms. Ann Kiteke said with the second season looking bright until the devastating hailstones, they are anticipating the price of a 2-kilogram of maize flour to hit Ksh300 if no action is taken to avert this impending catastrophe.
“I was in the house with my children when the storm started and a little while after, I saw hailstones,” said Kiteke.
Another farmer Mr. Alfred Juma Osundwa of Kimasat village said the incident has ruined his prospects of better harvests, noting that as a person living with a disability, the future looks bleak for him.
” It’s not only maize and beans that were affected, heavy rains, also brought down bananas and trees; hailstones destroyed bricks which were under curing,” he said.
The residents said the destruction was one of the worst in recent history, since they were coming from the drought that had also seen them start depending on relief food.
At the same time, while some farmers reported heavy losses on crops on farms, others also reported death of their livestock.
By Absalom Namwalo
