Residents of Kiruuli Sub-county are at the verge of being stricken by famine after a cloudburst hit the area destroying several acres of their crop gardens in Masindi District.
The affected villages include Nyakarongo, Kitengule, Kiruuli and Kitanyaata among others where farmers have lost hundreds of acres of their food crops in a disaster that took place over the weekend.
Mr Paul Mugabi, one of the affected residents of Nyakarongo village told our reporter that he lost 10 acres of food crop gardens including maize, cassava and beans inter alia.
“My source of food and income has been shattered by the hailstorm. I don’t know what to put on table before my family members neither where to get money to fend for them since my source of livelihood is destroyed.
Ms Margaret Nyangoma, another affected farmer says she has lost all her financial hope since she relied on her crops for a livelihood.
“I rely on crop growing for my source of livelihood but now hailstorm has destroyed my crops. All my beans and cassava crop has been severely affected. I am counting losses.” Says Ms Nyangoma.
The Kiruuli Sub-county Chairman, Mr Edward Baguma, says he is still assessing the gravity of the destruction.
The catastrophe happened at the time when the area had suffered a prolonged drought severely affecting crop yields in the first season.
