Coffee farmers in Nyabushozi embrace indigenous irrigation to tackle drought

22 May 2025, 23:22

By Uziah Tusaasire

Coffee farmers in Nyabushozi County are turning to indigenous irrigation technologies to ensure year-round coffee cultivation without relying on rainfall.

This shift comes in response to the prolonged droughts that have heavily affected traditional cattle farming, prompting residents to diversify into crop agriculture for additional income.

Kiruhura District, widely known for its cattle corridor, is now becoming a hub for innovative climate-smart agriculture.

Farmers from all twelve local governments in Nyabushozi gathered at the farm of Enock Kabiriisa, located in Kyakategyere Cell, Rwamuhuku Parish, Sanga Sub-county, to learn how traditional water harvesting and gravity-fed irrigation can sustain coffee farming during dry spells.

Kabiriisa demonstrated how a large gravity-fed irrigation system sourced from a hillside well has allowed him to keep his coffee farm productive throughout the year, regardless of seasonal changes.

Speaking at the event, Hon. Wilson Kajwengye, the Member of Parliament for Nyabushozi County, applauded the initiative highlighting that prolonged droughts have significantly affected both milk production and crop farming in the region, and technologies like these offer a practical solution to the water crisis.

The MP called for more support towards scaling such irrigation solutions across the entire cattle corridor to boost food security and household incomes.