In northern Uganda’s Alebtong District, dozens of smallholder farmers battered for years by floods, droughts and erratic seasons are steadily turning to horticulture as a climate-resilient lifeline, a shift made possible by a small-scale irrigation scheme that is reshaping livelihoods.
The transformation follows the 2018 construction of the Owameri Small Scale Irrigation System by the Ministry of Water and Environment under the Water for Production Regional Centre – North.
The project, located in Aloi Town Council, was designed to promote efficient use of local water resources and encourage modern farming practices in a region long dependent on rain-fed agriculture.
A survey by Monitor reveals that the scheme has enabled farmers to grow food year-round, boosting incomes and easing food insecurity in a district often hit by prolonged dry spells and flash floods.
With reliable irrigation, farmers are now producing tomatoes, green peppers, watermelon, cabbages, onions and eggplants – crops sold in local markets to generate steady earnings.
‘Boosted income’
For 33-year-old Moses Omara from Angatabii Ward, the shift into horticulture has been life-changing.
Formerly a builder, Omara joined the scheme in 2018 after low returns from construction pushed him toward agriculture.
‘I began by cultivating cabbages and green pepper. In 2019, I sold green pepper at Lira Main Market in Lira City and I fetched Shs2 million, of which I used Shs1.5 million to purchase a piece of land,’ he says.
By 2021, he earned Shs1.3 million from cabbage and green pepper sales – enough to buy a cow. In 2023, green pepper brought in Shs3.1 million, enabling him to build a pit latrine.
‘This year, I sold more green peppers, some still in the garden and I have started building a house,’ he says.
Yet challenges persist: high seed and insecticide prices, labour-intensive nursery management, and lack of storage remain major hurdles.
Still, Omara plans to expand by reinvesting in livestock.
Another farmer, Jimmy Abura, entered the scheme after Covid-19 shifted local demand from tree seedlings to food crops.
In the first 2025 season he harvested cabbages, followed by red pepper now ready for harvest.
‘I sold my produce at Aloi Town Council market and I earned Shs900,000. I used the money to buy two pigs and I have started making bricks for building my house,’ Abura says.
He adds that training under the scheme transformed his skills.
‘I had limited skills in pest and disease management, poor enterprise selection, poor post-harvest handling, and marketing but with all the training and exposure, I am now able to manage my crops, source better inputs, and market them profitably.’
Like others, he has shifted from subsistence to market-oriented farming.
Sixty-two-year-old Lillian Akullo from Otweyo Toke echoes the sentiment. ‘I used to struggle to make ends meet, but this project has helped me increase my income,’ she explains.
With onions, cabbages and tomatoes on two plots, Akullo earned Shs600,000 this season after harvesting onions, helping her pay school fees for a grandchild.
In earlier seasons she earned Shs1.8 million, allowing her to mold bricks, buy cement and hire a builder. ‘Something I had thought was impossible,’ she says.
Still, she says hand-watering during the dry season is difficult. ‘When everyone plants at the same time, the market becomes flooded, making it hard to sell,’ she notes.
‘Climate resilience’
Dozens of farmers who spoke to Monitor said the irrigation scheme has helped them adapt to climate shocks while providing a dependable income.
Their gains highlight the growing importance of climate-smart agriculture in building resilience in rural communities confronting increasingly unpredictable weather.