Kampala — Hunger-stricken districts in Teso have purchased planting materials, which will be distributed to farmers for the upcoming planting season.

The districts include Soroti, Kumi, Katakwi, Amuria, Kaberamaido and Bukedea.

"The contract process has been finalised and supplies will depend on the improvement in the weather," said John Olupot, the Kumi National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) coordinator.

Handing over the planting materials to the beneficiaries last Tuesday at Katakwi district headquarters, the agriculture minister, Hope Mwesigye, said the funds used to purchase the materials had been sent to the districts through the supplementary budget in June.

In Katakwi, 6,627kg bags of cowpeas were purchased to be planted on 740 acres, 3,401 bags of cassava cuttings to be planted on 741 acres and 5,300 bags of sorghum to be planted on 700 acres.

Mwesigye said in June, the finance ministry released sh13.9b as supplementary budget to cater for NAADS activities in the districts. Each sub-county received sh12.5m.

"In order to avert the looming famine, because of the drought, the agriculture ministry committed sh12m towards the procurement of food planting inputs," said Mwesigye.

"Relief food can never be enough and sustainable. The hunger situation came at a time when we had allocated the funds to cater for other activities."

State minister for disaster preparedness, Musa Ecweru, said they had received trucks from the army to enable them deliver food stuffs in the affected districts.

About 51 districts are affected by food shortage nation wide.