Fredrick Ndiwalana
1 November 2008
analysis
Kampala — UGANDANS have been urged to take advantage of the current rise in global food prices to grow food which will supplement their salary as well as other income.
But Africa, and indeed the world, still faces a stiff challenge of sustaining food production in the light of climate change.
Anyone who is keen enough will have noticed that the seasons for growing crops have changed. In many parts of Uganda, rains now come later than expected and when they come, they are destructive, resulting in negative effects on food production and the general livelihood of farmers.
Africa's dream of reducing poverty by riding on a wave of increasing global food prices may go up in smoke due to this change in weather patterns. As you set out to invest in food production, how prepared are you to manage the effects of climate change on food and general crop production?
climate change
Climate change was first explained in 1824. Every day the sun, which is the main source of the earth's energy, emits rays of light to the earth's surface. The earth absorbs part of the heat from the rays and reflects a large part into the atmosphere. Some of the rays reflected into the atmosphere are infrared rays. These rays are cushioned by clouds and water vapour which stabilises the earth's temperature.
The problem today is that the rise in human activity has increased the concentration of green house gases, which, like clouds and water vapour, trap infrared rays reflected by the earth into the atmosphere. These greenhouse gases, which include carbondioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, are responsible for keeping the heat in, which has resulted into rising temperature and a change in weather patterns around the globe.
Although the European Union and the US together account for more than 50% of the greenhouse emissions and Sub-Saharan Africa contributes only 1.5%, the negative effect of climate change on food production will be felt more in Africa.
The countries of the northern hemisphere that are experiencing the more visible effects of climate change are not necessarily getting a negative impact on food production. Instead, as it becomes warmer, crop yields for cereals and fruits in Europe have increased.
Overall, in terms of agricultural production, the countries of the north are, therefore, likely to benefit from a rise in temperatures.
In tropical Africa, rising temperatures mean more pressure on land that is already suffering from population pressure. Cereals like rice start declining in yield when day temperatures rise to over 34 degrees.
Maize production in Africa could reduce by over 40% in the next 20 years if global warming continues. Increased temperatures also mean more crop pests and diseases and this, coupled with irregular rains, may result into total crop failure and famine in many parts of Africa.
Managing the change
Climate change is a global phenomenon that has no respect for borders. Protecting Uganda's large farming population calls for strategies that combine both indigenous knowledge and scientific research. One such strategy is growing crops that are able to withstand drought for longer periods. This may call for going against traditionally accepted staple foods in some areas.
It would also help to select and grow disease-resistant varieties. Cassava cultivars that are resistant to mosaic and other diseases are available on the market. Maize that is resistant to drought has been developed by the Ministry of Agriculture for areas that are slowly drying up.
The use of intercropping patterns that help conserve water, like the maize-bean combination, is a good option. It is also advisable to practice conservation agriculture where farming is done with minimum disturbance to the soil surface to help conserve water.
If you are to benefit from growing food for money, avoid blindly committing money to just any crop. Areas that were good for bananas 20 years ago may now be only good for sorghum. In some areas, one now has to practice some form of irrigation in order to harvest two crops in a year.
With our forests disappearing due to excessive logging and charcoal burning, it will be long before the temperatures on earth start falling. In the meantime, you have to be careful about what you choose to plant and where.
The writer is a manager at Bank of Africa
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