Farmers in Akwac Cell, Oyam Town Council, are raising concerns over a suspected cassava disease that is causing roots to rot in the ground, threatening household food supplies and incomes in an area where the crop is an important source of livelihood.

The farmers say prolonged dry spells followed by heavy rains have worsened the situation, leaving their crops vulnerable to pests and diseases. The concerns emerged during a field inspection involving local leaders and residents, who examined affected cassava gardens for signs of whitefly infestation and other symptoms.

Susan Onguu, one of the farmers involved in the inspection, said changing weather patterns were making it increasingly difficult to protect their crops.

"The prolonged dry spells weaken our cassava, and when heavy rains follow, we experience more problems with whiteflies. We risk losing our harvest and food supply if urgent action is not taken," Onguu said.

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Belmos Alango, the LC1 chairperson of Akwac Cell, urged farmers to monitor their gardens and report unusual crop symptoms promptly to allow agricultural officers to investigate.

"This is not just a pest problem. The changing weather has also become a serious challenge for farmers, and we need a coordinated response to protect our crops," Alango said.

The latest concerns come amid a wider cassava disease problem previously reported across Oyam District.

In March 2025, district production authorities reported that a persistent disease had affected cassava farmers since 2023, spreading across sub-counties and town councils and destroying hundreds of acres of crops.

Affected farmers reported yellowing leaves, drying stems and rotting roots, with some crops deteriorating within two to three weeks of infection. A farmer in Abok Sub-county reported losing an entire two-acre cassava garden.

The outbreak has also affected farmers' earnings. In early 2025, a sack of cassava at Oyam Main Market reportedly sold for about Shs50,000, compared with Shs95,000 to Shs100,000 the previous year.

Agricultural officials have previously advised farmers to seek guidance from agricultural extension workers and consider disease-tolerant cassava varieties, including NAROCASS 1. They have also identified repeated planting of the same varieties without adequate crop rotation as a possible factor contributing to the persistence of crop diseases.

Cassava production across the wider Lango sub-region has also faced challenges from whitefly infestations and viral diseases, including cassava brown streak disease and cassava mosaic disease.

Whiteflies can damage plants directly and transmit viruses that cause significant yield losses. However, agricultural experts need to establish the specific cause of the symptoms observed in Akwac before recommending appropriate control measures.

The concerns come amid broader food-security pressures across the Lango sub-region.

An Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) assessment covering April 2025 to February 2026 estimated that 273,300 people, representing about 16 per cent of the analysed population in the sub-region, faced high levels of acute food insecurity.

The assessment identified unpredictable rainfall, prolonged dry spells, flooding, crop-production challenges, pests and diseases among the factors affecting food security.

Further losses in cassava production could worsen the situation by reducing household food supplies and farmers' earnings while potentially affecting the availability and prices of cassava in local markets.

Farmers in Akwac Cell are calling on agricultural experts and local government authorities to intensify field inspections, establish the cause of the disease and provide practical guidance on pest management and access to clean, disease-tolerant planting materials.

Their concerns come as the government pursues plans to strengthen cassava production and processing in Northern Uganda.

Under the proposed Integrated Cassava Industry Development Project, plans include establishing processing facilities in Lira and Gulu, supporting cassava drying and processing in the Acholi and Lango sub-regions, and distributing at least 142,400 bags of certified cassava stem cuttings annually to smallholder farmers.

The project also targets annual production of at least 242,080 metric tonnes of fresh cassava roots for processing.

For farmers in Akwac, however, the immediate priority is protecting the crops already in their gardens and preventing further losses.

Alango urged residents to report suspected disease symptoms early rather than waiting until the roots have rotted. Farmers also called for timely technical support to help contain the problem and safeguard their food supplies and livelihoods.