Refugees practicing farming in the settlements within West Nilaree hoping to register improved yields from their farms after gaining knowledge of different irrigation systems that can be used to address challenges faced during the dry season.
The farmers expressed disappointment over losses incurred every season, as the areas are mostly dry and do not support farming well, especially after the rainy seasons.
Alfred Lubari, a small-scale farmer in Yoyo Zone Three of Bidibidi Refugee Settlement, now plans to invest in an irrigation system that will allow him to expand his farm.
They raised these concerns after a training session on affordable irrigation options at the second edition of the West Nile Agribusiness Expo, organized by Omia Agribusiness Development Group in Arua City.
Another farmer, Francis Bua, is optimistic that acquiring an irrigation system will support him since there is a nearby source of water to use the machines.
Agricultural experts advise on cost- and environmentally-friendly irrigation systems for farmers. These include sprinkler and drip irrigation systems that can cost about UGX 1.2 million to source water from a water source about 50 meters away.
An Irrigation Engineer at Davis and Shirtliff, Briton Kananura, says that systems like sprinklers are easy to use and cost-effective for small-scale farmers.
The training was aimed at introducing farmers to different options of irrigation systems to enable them to make decisions based on cost, type of crops, and area of farming.
By: Sabir Musa
