KOTIDO, Uganda — October 12, 2025, In the drought-scorched plains of Karamoja, where hunger has long been the dominant harvest, one farmer in Kotido District is rewriting the region’s agricultural story—one seed at a time.
Joseph Hiria Lomoe, together with his wife Acia Lucy Lomoe, has transformed 600 acres of bare land in Losilang, Kotido North Division, into a thriving farm that feeds families, employs workers, and inspires hope. Their journey from subsistence farming on a small plot to large-scale cultivation is a rare success in a region often defined by food aid and climate hardship.
Three years ago, Lomoe’s family survived on small-scale sorghum farming. The yields were poor, and meals were uncertain. “We were farming to eat, not to grow,” Lomoe said. That changed when he introduced drought-tolerant hybrid seeds for maize and soya. Encouraged by the results, he expanded—starting with 200 acres, then 500, and now 600.
Today, Loererei Farm is a mosaic of maize, soya, finger millet, simsim (sesame), sorghum, and green gram (mung bean). Each crop plays a strategic role: maize and sorghum provide staple food, millet offers drought resilience, simsim and soya generate income, and green gram improves soil fertility.
“We’re starting from zero,” Lomoe said. “No irrigation, no storage, no fence—just land and seeds that can survive the sky’s moods. And we’re doing all this organically, without using pesticides.”
Karamoja receives an average of 500 millimetres of rainfall annually, often in short, intense bursts. Last season, a single storm dropped 40 millimetres overnight, greening 400 acres of maize. The rest of the farm, untouched by the rain, wilted within days. “When it rains, the fields explode with life,” Lomoe said. “When it doesn’t, they die fast.”
Despite the unpredictability, the farm has become a lifeline for the local community. At peak season, it employs more than 30 indigenous workers—many of them former herders or charcoal burners who now earn wages through agricultural labour. Women’s groups scout for pests, and youth gather under trees for informal lessons on soil testing and seed spacing.
“I used to borrow firewood,” said Hellen Ocen, a seasonal worker. “Now I borrow wages and money from the farm. I’ve paid my group debts and even started a small poultry project.”
The economic ripple effect is visible in nearby villages, where farm wages fund school uniforms, livestock purchases, and small businesses. “It’s not just a farm,” said Lucy Lomoe. “It’s a classroom, a workplace, and a seedbed for new dreams.”
However, the farm’s success remains fragile. Pests such as fall armyworm and pod borers threaten crops. Without fencing, thieves frequently raid fields at night, stripping pods and uprooting plants. And when the rains fail, entire acres vanish into dust.
“We lose sleep,” Lucy admitted. “Every night we wonder—will the rains come, will the crops survive, will the thieves strike again?”
To sustain their efforts, the couple has outlined critical needs: gravity-fed irrigation channels from a nearby spring, a solar pump for large-scale irrigation, raised drying platforms to prevent mold, a perimeter fence, agricultural extension visits, and road grading to connect the farm to the Kotido–Moroto highway.
“These aren’t luxuries,” Lucy said. “They’re the minimum this experiment needs to succeed.”
Agricultural experts like Lokiru Grace say the farm’s model could be replicated across Karamoja, a region historically reliant on food aid. “Karamoja is not barren,” said a district natural resource officer. “It is underutilised. What Lomoe is doing shows that with resilience and the right inputs, the land can produce.”
The officer added that improved seed varieties, modest irrigation systems, and better post-harvest handling could transform the region into a breadbasket. “We need to stop seeing Karamoja as a problem and start seeing it as a potential solution.”
Government officials have acknowledged the importance of climate-smart agriculture in Uganda’s dry zones, but support remains limited. While national programs promote improved seeds and soil conservation, infrastructure gaps—especially in water access and transport—continue to hinder progress.
Loererei Farm’s appeal has reached local NGOs and development partners, but funding remains uncertain. “We’ve shown what a handful of seeds can do on bare land,” Lomoe said. “Now we need partners who believe in that promise as much as we do—especially in terms of technical support.”
As the midday sun scorches the fields, workers load sacks of maize, millet, and simsim onto a battered Fuso truck. Each sack carries more than grain—it carries wages, school fees, and the fragile hope that Karamoja can feed itself.
The truck rattles down a rutted track, its load pulsing with possibility. In its wake, Loererei Farm stands as quiet proof that resilience can germinate, community can grow, and hope can flourish—one drought-defying seed at a time.
NB: Joseph Hiria Lomoe is trained as a plant mechanic technician and model farmer under Operation Wealth Creation. He also completed a course in organic farming at WAREN FARM INSTITUTE under Reading University in the UK, qualifying as a farmer trainer in 1995. He has been recognized by the district production office with a Boran bull and Friesian cow to improve his livestock, which includes cattle, goats, and sheep.
