There is an increased uptake of irrigation and fish farming in the eastern region due to its high productivity compared to traditional farming.
Farmers have testified that of late they are getting higher returns on less land and with less labour following the establishment of 42 irrigation and fish farming projects by the Ministry of Water and Environment in the eastern region as part of the environmental restoration initiative.
After testing the fruits of modern farming farmers, horticulture farmers in Namayingo district are now agitating for more irrigation support.
Julius Bwayo a farmer on Mulwanda, a small-scale irrigation scheme in Namayingo district says he has earned over shs15 million from his horticulture project this year where he grew tomatoes, onions, cabbages, and green paper in four subsequent seasons.
He says this is far better than what he previously earned in five acres under rain-fed production.
"I used to earn between shs2 million to shs5 million from five acres of maize but here I earn shs6 million from one acre," Bwayo said .
Bwayo told Nile Post that he used the proceeds from his horticulture enterprise to buy an acre of land, buy 40 iron sheets for his new house, pay tuition for his children, and plough back to his project.
The shs800 million solar powered project draws water from Lake Victoria to the water tanks before it is distributed to the 10 acre farm.
Tende Samuel , a former rice grower, now a member of Limoto's small-scale irrigating scheme shared similar testimony.
Tende says horticulture pays better than rice growing in terms of labour and gestation period, adding that he earned shs500,000 from two acres of rice with intense labour and over a longer period of time compared to horticulture.
"However, here I cultivate a small portion and earn millions," he added.
He says he previously grew rice in Limoto wetland in Paliisa district that the president ordered to vacate from .
The irrigation projects are part of wetland restoration interventions by the Ministry of Water aimed at providing alternative livelihood to the affected households.
The ministry invests in the infrastructure on farmer-owned land in addition to the provision of agro inputs, extension services and mindset change among other support.
The projects are also aimed at popularizing irrigation farming which is not common to many Ugandans.
The regional manager of water for production Okotel Patrick says farmers are gradually embracing modern farming.
"The farmers are appreciating the concept of preserving the wetlands and come and get more money from the upland but using the upland," Okotel says.
The government has also established fish farming on the periphery of wetlands to avert wetland degradation through rice growing.
For example, the Limoto wetland ecosystem had been undergoing rapid degradation arising from competing land uses, particularly paddy rice growing.
Sirag Gashodo the chairperson of Limoto Okume Obutonde Fish Farmers Association says they are able to earn more from a small area and with less labour compared to rice growing.
"We earning shs66 million on one acre in one harvest compared to shs400,000 from two acres of rice."
The farmers are now appealing to the government to expand the projects to benefit more farmers.
Namayingo District chairperson Ronald Sanya says the scheme covers only 10 acres and only 21 farmers advocating for the need to cascade it to more farmers.
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"It is the first but our people are so yearning for this kind of initiative to come closer to them and he advantage we have is that we have a better water source called Lake Victoria to serve this purpose."
Sanya revealed that the district faces severe drought which is followed by destructive rains.
"This has been caused by the cutting of trees. we are moving towards a directive of having an intentional programme where every household plants a reasonable number of trees," Sanya added.
The regional manager of water for production said, "In the pipeline, we have Nexus Green where the ministry intends to implement 83 projects with funding from the British government".
He noted that Bumalege parish on the lake shores and Buguma parish in Namayingo district are among those earmarked for the project.
