By Kei Emmanuel Duku
In response to the increasing impacts of climate change on agriculture, farmers in Kapoeta North are adopting climate-smart farming techniques with the support of the Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) and World Food Programme (WFP).
The project focuses on agroecological practices, such as half-moon farming and swale digging, to improve soil health, conserve water, and enhance crop yields.
Farmers are trained on sustainable practices, provided with seeds, and encouraged to grow diverse crops that are drought-resistant and have short maturity periods.
Maria Nanya, a mother of five and a beneficiary of the Half-Moon project in Kapoeta North, explained that they were taught to plant crops in rows and use water harvesting techniques like digging contour ditches to capture and conserve rainwater.
Traditionally, Sorghum is the dominant crop cultivated by farmers in Kapoeta North. However, the unpredictable weather pattern resulting from delayed rain, prolonged drought, floods, and pest outbreaks has severely affected farmers’ harvests in the past seasons.
Nanya added that NPA trained them on water harvesting techniques at their demonstration farm, including digging half-moon gardens, land preparation, and pest control through frequent weeding.
She says the introduction of varieties such as pigeon peas, cowpeas, cassava, vegetables, and fast-maturing and drought-resistant crops has increased their harvest in the first harvest.
“We have chased away hunger; previously, we could cultivate large pieces of land and harvest little, but now, under the new techniques we have enough food to eat and various other types of food to cook and feed our families,” said Nanya.
Nanya says she will use the skills and knowledge gained from the training and demonstration farm to cultivate her family’s garden.
Loraki Lokalong, a mother of 6, said through the half-moon farming method, she harvested enough food crops and sold some to support the children whenever they fell sick.
According to Lokalong, she does most of the garden work while the husband takes care of the livestock since their children are too young to be engaged in hard labour.
However, she noted that as farmers, they face challenges such as bird damage to their sorghum crops, as well as pest and disease infestations, which contribute to low yields.
Meanwhile, Lovok Lopeter, NPA Project Officer for the Kapoeta North Field Office, explained that the half-moon farming technique involves digging contour lines in a crescent shape. After digging, both the inner and outer sides of the crescent are mulched.”
He said the main purpose of mulching is to help retain water for crop optimization.
“If you want to have another half-moon, you need to move three meters and also construct another, 3 meters is ideal because if the other one is filled or there is overflow, water can find its way through the contours to the next half-moon, planting of crops is done both in and outside of the half-moon,” stated Lopeter.
He further added that the half-moon farming method also helps reduce soil erosion and restore soil fertility hence improving crop productivity.
Thiago Xavier, Head of the UN World Food Program Field Office in Greater Kapoeta, said the Half-Moon farming module is a system that has been tested in the Sahel Region of Africa, particularly in West and Central Africa.
He said Kapoeta North has been chosen as the pilot area for the project because it shares similar climatic conditions of a semi-arid climate with Senegal, Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger, etc, and other countries in West and Central Africa and because of it being close to the Horn of Africa.
Xavier added that Greater Kapoeta has been experiencing erratic rainfall for a long time and the half-moon style helps farmers harvest and retain the water for farming and protect crops from the impact of climate change.
“This technique of farming helps rehabilitate and regenerate the land, we call this “First Aid” for landscape or an emergency relief for the soil,” said Xavier.
He said the project started this year in May, and it will continue for the next three years, supporting farming communities in Kapoeta North and Budi County in Eastern Equatoria State. The three-year project is funded by the Korean Cooperation Agency.
He further added that during the three years of implementing the project, farmers will gain skills in climate-resilient techniques and also expose farmers to information and knowledge to mitigate the impact of climate change.
Xavier stated that apart from the demonstration farms where farmers can come and learn modern techniques of farming, similar programs are also implemented in schools and other selected community cooperatives.
Currently, the project is targeting a total of 2,000 households both in Kapoeta North and Budi County, and during the project implementation, communities will continue to receive monthly transfers for six months to be able to meet their food security demands.
Prolonged droughts in Greater Kapoeta have led to significant reductions in crop yields. Farmers struggle to grow sufficient food, resulting in increased food insecurity and reliance on humanitarian aid. Many families face malnutrition, particularly among children and vulnerable populations.