Back to the Roots:

Farmers Get to Tradition Farming to Manage Weather Patterns

Written by: Jackie Ekanya Junior

According to Kawerwegi Anthony, in his research “Agribusiness incentives and youth employment in northern Uganda”, 90% of the region relies on agriculture.

With this agricultural reliance, climate change has continued to suffocate the traditional agricultural systems in the region.

Signs of climate change are no longer distant they are seen in the drying soils, shrinking water sources, and unpredictable rains that farmers now face every season.

Communities that once relied on steady rainfall and fertile land are now struggling to cope with prolonged droughts, flash floods, and scorching heat.

 According to Uganda Climate Change portal under World Bank, statistics show that rainfall in the northern region has become more erratic, while average temperatures have steadily risen by about 1.3°C over the past three decades, making droughts more frequent and intense.

In districts such as Amuru, Gulu, Kitgum, and Omoro, farmers report shorter rainy seasons that make it difficult to plan for planting and harvesting.

Soil fertility has declined due to continuous cultivation, deforestation, and erosion, while livestock farmers face shrinking pastures and water shortages which threatens food security.

Climate-Smart Agriculture has become one of the main approaches that helps farmers grow food in ways that are friendly to the environment, resilient to climate change, and supportive of better livelihoods.

It focuses on farming practices that increase productivity while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and strengthening the ability to adapt to changing weather conditions.

In Uganda, CSA involves practical methods such as using drought-resistant seeds, mulching to retain soil moisture, constructing water-harvesting systems, and applying organic manure instead of chemical fertilizers.

It also encourages livestock farmers to manage animal waste properly, plant trees, and embrace renewable energy sources like biogas and solar power.

Rather than relying solely on traditional methods or imported technologies, CSA builds on indigenous knowledge and blends it with modern techniques.

This combination helps smallholder farmers to improve yields, safeguard the environment, and remain productive even during harsh climatic conditions.

In this way, CSA has promoted resilience, self-reliance, and sustainable food production across Ugandan communities.

Climate Smart Jobs (CSJ) is a programme that focuses on creating sustainable, climate-resilient job opportunities both on and off the farm.

CSJ promotes different models such as Farmer Group Enterprises, Commercial Agent Models, and Pfumvudza farming, to help smallholder farmers move from subsistence farming to market-oriented agribusiness. Through training, mentorship, and access to technology, CSJ works to empower youth, women, and even refugees to participate in climate-smart ventures. In this way, it promotes Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI), ensuring that everyone has a role to play in building a greener, stronger economy.

In practice, CSJ has supported farmers and entrepreneurs through hands-on training in climate-smart agriculture, agribusiness management, financial literacy, and digital record keeping.

The programme also mentor’s youth and women’s groups in areas such as value addition, marketing, and sustainable enterprise development. By providing access to irrigation kits, solar dryers, energy-saving stoves, and digital platforms for market access, CSJ helps communities to reduce post-harvest losses, cut production costs, and earn more income. These initiatives not only create decent green jobs but also strengthen resilience to climate shocks across Northern Uganda.

During our fieldwork in Lukulia Village, Atiak Sub-county, Amuru District, we met a determined group of farmers under BENAAP Business Solutions Company, a community- based enterprise officially registered earlier this year.

The group, led by Mr. Oyella Charles (Director) and Ms. Alal Beatrice (Secretary and Acting Assistant Director), focuses on goat rearing as a climate-smart enterprise. Their story is a clear example of how CSJ-supported initiatives are helping smallholder farmers adapt and thrive amid the climate crisis.

During our fieldwork, we visited a group of farmers operating under BENAAP Business Solutions Company, a community-based enterprise that was officially registered earlier this year.

According to Ms Alal Beatrice, the idea of goat rearing was introduced to the community by Panadian Company, which offered training in modern goat-keeping practices.

Although many villagers attended the training sessions, only nine members took the initiative to form a group and put the acquired knowledge into practice.

The group mobilised UGX 11 million as start-up capital. Out of this amount, UGX 5.5 million was used for company registration, UGX 1 million for transport, while the balance was spent on purchasing goats and other related inputs.

The company director, Mr Oyella Charles, was away during our visit, but his assistant, Ms Beatrice, warmly received us and shared detailed insights into their progress, achievements, and ongoing challenges.

The group started the enterprise with 52 goats, comprising 50 females and 2 males of both the Savannah and local breeds.

This combination was purposely chosen to support crossbreeding for improved productivity and resilience.

However, the members have since realised that the changing climate poses serious risks to animal health, feeding patterns, and overall production, especially during prolonged dry spells when pasture and water become scarce.

According to Ms. Beatrice, one of the toughest challenges has been the extreme heat that strikes between May and July.

In June, the village experienced unusually high temperatures that caused 11 goats to miscarry, while four others died two from dehydration and two from eating harmful plants due to limited grazing.

Such losses hit smallholder farmers hard, both emotionally and financially. Yet, despite these hardships, the group remains hopeful, drawing strength and guidance from Climate Smart Job’s support.

During our interview with Ms Atoo Modellena, she explained that Climate Smart Jobs (CSJ) is helping farmers gain practical skills to cope with the changing climate.

She said the organisation regularly trains farmers in feed conservation, water management, and animal housing improvements to reduce heat stress and improve animal health.

CSJ has also guided the group to acquire a hammer mill, which will enable them to grind crop residues and leaves into goat feed, helping to ensure feed availability during dry seasons.

The machine, expected to arrive by November 2025, marks an important step towards more sustainable livestock production.

BENAAP is now planning to venture into poultry farming and bio-cereal feed production, a sign that climate-smart practices are gradually taking root among rural farming.

To strengthen sustainability, CSJ connected the group with Engineer Komakech Andrew Sunday, who is constructing a bio-digester for the project. This system will convert goat waste into biogas for cooking and organic fertiliser for farming.

According to the engineer, the bio-digester has three main components the mixing chamber, digested slurry chamber, and expansion chamber each designed to ensure efficient waste management. Once complete, this innovation will reduce the group’s reliance on firewood, protecting nearby forests while promoting clean energy and organic farming.

We also spoke to Mr. Olinga Noris, one of the group’s workers responsible for managing the goats. He described the daily challenges he faces, such as goats wandering into neighbours’ gardens, especially during dry seasons when grass is scarce. This sometimes leads to community conflicts.

Access to clean water also remains a major concern. During the dry months, farmers travel long distances in search of water for the animals, increasing labour costs and stress. These issues show that while progress is being made, farmers still need more infrastructure support to make CSA fully effective.

The story of BENAAP Business Solutions demonstrates the resilience and innovation of farmers. To build on this progress,

Farmers should continue to receive regular climate information, including timely weather forecasts and early warning alerts to help them plan better for droughts and floods.

Financial support, particularly through access to low-interest loans and small grants that can enable investment in quality feed, medicine, and modern farming equipment.

Training and education on improved livestock management, feed preservation, and waste utilisation should be continuous to strengthen farmers’ resilience to climate change.

Improving market access for goat meat and manure, as reliable and fair markets will motivate farmers to increase production and sustain their enterprises.

Our visit to Lukulia Village revealed that climate change is real and already affecting the daily lives of farmers.

But it also showed that hope is alive through innovation, teamwork, and resilience.

Through Climate Smart Agriculture and the Climate Smart Jobs initiative, groups like BENAAP Business Solutions are proving that adaptation is possible.

Their journey from building a bio-digester to using hammer mills and diversifying into poultry demonstrates the power of local action in solving global problems.

As Northern Uganda continues to face the harsh effects of climate change, such community- led initiatives remind us that the future of agriculture lies not in fear, but in innovation, unity, and smart solutions.