Farmers in Maracha District are Counting Loses After Hailstorm Destroyed Their Crops, Cows & Houses.

📸: Hon Atiku Moses, another victim of the disaster takes our reporter through his destroyed maize plantations. Photo by Information is Power.

Click on this link to watch the hailstorm effects.

Food crop farmers in Paranga Sub-county, Maracha east constituency in Maracha district have incurred lots of losses after a heavy rainfall and hailstorm which started at 1pm and ended at 6pm on Thursday 8-June-2023 left their crops, animals and houses destroyed.

Hon Atiku Moses area councilor for Retriko parish who is one of the victims, decried the hailstorm that destroyed his one acre of maize plantation at Ogua village in Retriko parish.

After spending over 500,000 Shs in the one acre of maize plantation and was expecting to get approximately five million shs upon harvesting, the Hon Councilor has asked government of Uganda to come to their rescue through supply of seedlings or any other form of assistance that can help them recover from the losses.

In Ogua village, the hailstorm destroyed over 2 acres of food crops and it swept away four cows.

Mr Ecima Milton a farmer in Nigokoro village has been left almost homeless after his two iron sheet-roofed houses, one grass thatched house and a pit latrine were destroyed off by the disaster.

He expressed anxiety over the damages and the costs that may be incurred to repair the houses since he is still struggling to pay the school fees of his children.

In Robu village, Retriko parish, around four acres of maize and ground nuts belonging to Ekodri Farmers group, an association that is also a beneficiary of Parish Development Module (PDM) were destroyed by the hailstorm.

Mr Atabua Alex the parish chief for Retriko parish termed the hailstorm as total destruction to the people of Paranga Sub-county, and expressed fears that, hunger may hit the Sub-county in the coming months as a result of the disaster.

He advised the farmers not to give up with farming.

Mr Adrabo Stanley the Agricultural extension staff officer acknowledged the level of destruction done by the heavy rainfall and hailstorm.

Mr Stanley who has anticipated that, there will be possible increase in hunger and poverty in the affected areas, urged the farmers to embrace modern ways of farming, like developing Windbrakes around the gardens and using teracing methods to minimize such natural calamities.

The LC III Chairperson for Paranga Sub-county Hon Osutre Godfrey alluded that, since Paranga Sub-county is along the boardline with DRC Congo, they used to enjoy the balanced weather pattern from both sides (Ug & DRC) but unfortunately thursday's downpour which started from Congo side and crossed over to them at Paranga sub-county ended up as a disaster.

Since i was born, i have never seen a disaster like this, the LC III Chairperson lamented as he pointed at the issue of constant sensitisation of the community about weather and preservation of the environment which he has been undertaking regularly.

Hon Osutre, just like other victims of the hailstorm, has appealed to the government or None Governmental Organization (NGOs) to rush to their rescue in terms of providing seedlings or other forms of support that can help them recover from the losses.

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