More government seed needed as farmers recover from dry spell in Pader

26 August 2026, 20:35

By Ekel Bonny Daniel

Farmers in Pader District are calling for increased government support with agricultural seed after a prolonged dry spell destroyed crops during the first planting season, leaving many households struggling to recover.

The appeal was raised by farmers and local leaders in Pajule Town Council, where about 300 bags of maize seed, each weighing 10 kilogrammes, were distributed to selected farmers on Wednesday.

Pajule Town Council Vice-Chairperson Otto Paul Komakech said the seed distribution followed a recent registration exercise conducted in line with government guidelines.

He said about 12 beneficiaries were selected from each village, with each 10-kilogramme bag expected to cover approximately one acre.

Komakech said the available seed was insufficient to support all households affected by the dry spell and appealed to the Government to provide additional seed for farmers who were left out.

Wokorach Simon, an agricultural officer at Pajule Town Council supervising the distribution, said the beneficiaries were selected using government criteria.

He said the current allocation of maize seed could support only about 300 farmers, despite the large number of farmers in need.

Wokorach said the council was expecting additional seed varieties, including soybeans, sunflower and groundnuts, which could benefit farmers who did not receive maize seed.

The Pader District Production Officer, Mr Opoka Saydu Adolatona, said the Government has allocated 3,000 kilogrammes of maize seed across the district’s 23 sub-counties to help farmers recover from the poor first season caused by the dry spell.

Opoka said commercial farmers cultivating 10 acres or more were also being supported, with farmers cultivating 10 acres receiving up to 100 kilogrammes of seed.

He encouraged farmers who could afford to purchase additional seed to supplement the Government allocation, saying this would help increase production and strengthen household food security.

Opoka also urged beneficiaries to plant the seed immediately after receiving it. He said extension workers were registering farmers with prepared gardens, while GPS coordinates were being taken to enable agricultural officials to monitor the gardens.

He said officials would revisit the gardens after about one month to confirm that the seed had been planted and the maize was growing.

Odoch Apolo, LC II Chairperson of Awalmon Parish, said authorities had conducted verification to identify farmers who had prepared their gardens and were ready for planting.

Odoch said the parish has six cells, with 12 beneficiaries selected from each cell, and no complaints were reported. He added that the distributed seed would help farmers replant and recover from the effects of the dry spell.

Meanwhile, Lalam Doreen, a beneficiary from Ojile Cell in Oyoro, said the dry spell destroyed her first-season crops. She received 10 kilogrammes of maize seed but said it was not enough for her three acres.

Lalam said she previously harvested more than 25 sacks of maize from the three acres but managed to get only one sack during the last season because of the dry spell. She said the single sack had already been consumed by her family.

She appealed for reliable rainfall during the second season, saying good rains would give farmers an opportunity to recover their losses and produce enough food for their households.

The seed distribution is part of the Government’s Operation Wealth Creation programme, aimed at helping farmers across the Acholi Sub-region recover from crop losses caused by the dry spell, boost food production and improve household food security.