Due to lack of extension services farmers have failed to control the pests and diseases that have invaded their vegetable gardens which are one of the sources of income.
One of the pests has been identified is the glow worm which eats up all the leaves, leaving the plants without leaves. And the disease that affects tomatoes has been nicknamed “bola bola” copied from the Ebola disease which they say kills the plant as soon as it attacks.
Cidolo Okello one of the affected farmers explains that a plant that has been attacked by the bola bola disease wilts and eventually drops off.
He revealed this to a team of farming journalists who visited farmers growing African Indigenous vegetables like Malakwang, Jute mallow, Alayu (crotralia), Spide plant (Akeyo), pumpkin, vegetable cowpea (boo), Okra among others in Kole district.
The journalists were in the northern districts to find out the potential in vegetable growing, challenges and the nutritional values of eating vegetables as part for CABI’s good seed initiative.
Apart from pests and diseases, farmers lack storage facilities, have no skill in adding value as a result vegetables that are not sold that very day are thrown away in addition to bad roads from Kole to Lira town market where they sell their vegetables from.
