Farmer Jennifer Muhoza, says the problem intensifies when there are increased water volumes in River Nyamwamba and says the scheme with an alternative water source.
Farmers in Mubuku II Irrigation Scheme, Kasese District are facing an uncertain future as a result of their crops
drying up due to contaminated water from River
Nyamwamba.
The Mubuku II irrigation scheme taps water from the Nyamwamba River which due to flooding carries along copper tilting
from Kilembe. Some farmers are worried that mineral components carried by waters from the River including copper and zinc will be harmful to their crops.
Muke Modesto, one of the farmers says
they have recently seen crops drying up after irrigating their crops notably when
the river floods upstream. He notes that some farmers thought it
was a disease outbreak in their gardens and opted to spray using pesticides but
their gardens continued to dry.
//Cue in: “Ekya amaizi ga Nyamwaba…..
Cue out: …muli ki, muli copper.”//
Jennifer Muhoza, another farmer says the problem intensifies when there are increased water volumes in River Nyamwamba. She appeals to the government to provide the scheme with an alternative source of water.
Jessica Kabasinguzi, an agriculture extension worker in Karusandara Sub County, says silting also remains a huge concern to farmers in the low lands with acres of crops getting destroyed since 2020.
Julius Baluku, the Kasese district production officer during a recent meeting with farmers in Mubuku, said the concern will be presented to the Ministry of Agriculture so that testing can be done to establish the impact of the water on the crops.
