Heavy rain with thunderstorms have destroyed more than six acres of banana plantations in Logiri Sub-county, Arua District, leaving farmers counting losses.
The rain also de-roofed and razed a two-classroom block to the ground at Ciaba Primary School.
The farmers, among them a model farmer whose plantation has been used as a point of reference by leaders, was worst hit.
Mr Kefa Ondoma of Tinaku village in Ciaba parish, Logiri Sub-county, who is also the chairman of banana farmers in the district, said they had registered 30 farmers whose plantations have been destroyed by the rain.
“I am still compiling the extent of damage but I estimate it to be in millions of shillings in my plantation,” Mr Ondoma said.
Both the district chairman, Mr Sam Wadri Nyakua, and the Resident District Commissioner of Arua District, Mr Peter Debele, pledged to lobby for support to compensate farmers who had been badly affected.
“I will talk to the technocrats in the district to come and see how they can assist you but what I have seen here is that there are no trees here which would have acted as windbreakers. I would advise that you plant fast growing trees which can do this,” Mr Debele said.
The advice
According to Mr Debele, the adverse effects of deforestation are beginning to bite because many people are cutting trees for wood and burning charcoal.
Ms Gertrude Badaru, the district agricultural officer, said such disasters could be a result of climate change, advising farmers to plant trees around their farm to act as windbreakers.
Mr Wadri believes model farmers in the area should be protected and supported because they play an exemplary role in society.
Millions of shillings were lost in the rainstorm that hit more than 30 farms.
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