Farmers in Ntungamo District are racing against worsening drought conditions as crops wither, water sources diminish and pasturelands dry up across several rural communities.
The situation is particularly severe in the sub-counties of Ngoma and Rweikiniro, where livestock farmers are grappling with water shortages, declining milk production and the continued impact of an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD).
Across many villages, dusty roads now stretch through parched landscapes while gardens that were once green have turned brown under prolonged sunshine. Farmers say the dry spell is rapidly developing into a major crisis.
"The sun scorches hard and in a water crisis, all this dries up," said Wilson Ntabukirano, a farmer.
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In Kashenyi Parish, livestock keepers say natural water sources are shrinking rapidly, forcing animals to travel longer distances in search of drinking water.
"We suffer much with livestock. This River Rufuha dries up," said Patrick Nyamarebe, the LCII Chairperson of Kashenyi Parish.
Other farmers say they are attempting to save their crops through manual irrigation, although they acknowledge that the effort is unsustainable if the drought persists.
Anthony Bamwesigye, a resident, said the condition of gardens across the area shows that "drought is here."
In Ngoma and Rweikiniro, cattle keepers are closely monitoring the Rufuha wetland extension, where water levels are reportedly falling each day.
Farmers fear the remaining water could disappear completely during July, placing thousands of cattle at risk.
Some residents said earlier efforts to establish pasture for the dry season failed because of inadequate water supply infrastructure.
"Some people tried growing pastures to feed cattle in the dry spell, but due to the gap in water supply system, the whole system failed," said Daniel Baguma, a resident.
Farmers are now appealing to the government to construct community dams and improve water storage infrastructure to reduce livestock losses during prolonged dry spells.
"If only they supported us with community dams for our livestock to drink from here," Nyamarebe said.
Residents also expressed concern that during severe droughts, cattle are often driven long distances towards the Rwanda border in search of water, increasing the risk of disease transmission and livestock deaths.
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The concerns come as Ntungamo District continues to battle an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease.
Ntungamo Resident District Commissioner Miriam Kagaiga Mugisha said vaccination campaigns are progressing well across the affected areas.
"The vaccination has been working and the DVOs of Ntungamo and Rukiga have been working day and night. All cows are being vaccinated, remaining with a small percentage," she said.
Ntungamo District Veterinary Officer Dr Yakke Basulila urged farmers to adopt long-term climate adaptation measures, including irrigation, cultivation of drought-resistant pasture varieties and improved grazing practices.
"Sometimes it's hard to reserve enough water to sustain you through that season. That's why you must select breeds that can have some resistance to drought and use drought-resistant varieties, both for animals and pasture," Dr Basulila said.
As the dry season intensifies, farmers warn that unless urgent interventions are implemented to improve water access and strengthen livestock resilience, rural communities across Ntungamo District could face deeper economic hardship in the months ahead.
