Poor rains threaten crop production in Karamoja

The lack of sufficient rainfall in Uganda’s northeastern Karamoja region this month is threatening crop production, a famine early warning agency has advised.

While rainfall in May ended a prolonged drought, allowing people to plant crops and pasture to regenerate, the USAID-funded Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS Net) has said that the shortage of rain may prevent crops from maturing.

In its June update on food security in Uganda, the agency reported that milk and livestock supplies had improved, but that the pastoral and agro-pastoral households in the eastern and central belts of Karamoja had depleted cereal stocks and were experiencing food shortages.

The Karimojong community is heavily dependent on favourable climate conditions. Much of their livelihood comes from the land: agricultural labour (in return for food or cash); firewood; hunting; farming; honey production; and the gathering of natural resources including wild berries and fruits.

The recent rains and improved availability of pasture and water has meant that pastoralists are less inclined to sell their livestock. The reduced supply of animals in the market had caused prices to rise by as much as 30 percent in some areas. "[The] pastoralists' terms of trade have improved, and for those that are selling livestock, purchasing power and access to staple foods have improved," according to FEWS Net.