OWC Begins Distribution of 487,700kg Relief Seeds Across Lango as Drought Hits Farmers

The government, through Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), has begun distributing hundreds of tonnes of relief seeds across the Lango sub-region in response to prolonged dry conditions that have disrupted agricultural production and increased food insecurity among farming communities.

A total of 487,700 kilograms of assorted relief seeds has been allocated to the Lango sub-region to support farmers affected by the recent drought and help them recover during the current planting season.

The intervention includes maize, soybeans, rice, beans, groundnuts, sesame and sunflower seed. Maize accounts for the largest share of the consignment, with 405,000 kilograms allocated across the sub-region.

Dokolo receives 40,000kg of maize seed

In Dokolo District, Resident District Commissioner Barbara Akech confirmed that the district has received 40,000 kilograms of hybrid maize seed supplied under the OWC programme.

The district was expected to receive 41,000 kilograms of seed in total, meaning an additional 1,000 kilograms remained outstanding at the time of the latest report. The district is also awaiting the delivery of bean seed to enable farmers to take advantage of the ongoing planting season.

A representative of Equator Seeds Limited, the supplier, reportedly pledged that the remaining bean seed would be delivered to Dokolo on August 19, 2026.

Akech urged stakeholders to follow the programme guidelines and challenged the supplier to ensure that the outstanding inputs reach farmers in time.

Seeds to benefit organised farmers

According to OWC officials, the relief inputs will be distributed through registered cooperatives and organised farmer groups.

OWC Coordinator for Dokolo District, Maj. (Rtd) Tobias Alele, said the intervention is intended not only to address immediate agricultural challenges but also to improve production, household incomes and farmers' access to markets.

Farmers are expected to bulk their produce through organised groups, creating opportunities for potential market linkages with institutions including the National Enterprise Corporation and other investors.

District leaders have also called for transparency in the distribution process.

Dokolo District LC5 Chairperson Peter Ogwang urged technical officials to ensure that the inputs reach farmers according to their production capacity rather than individual interests. He also called for the identification of capable farmers across the district's 14 sub-counties.

Lango's seed allocation

The relief seed allocation is spread across ten districts in the Lango sub-region.

The distribution schedule reported by tndNews indicates that:

• Oyam: 129,500kg
• Lira City: 83,500kg
• Lira District: 79,000kg
• Apac: 49,000kg
• Dokolo: 41,000kg
• Kole: 35,000kg
• Alebtong: 35,000kg
• Amolatar: 15,000kg
• Kwania: 15,000kg
• Otuke: 5,000kg

The intervention comes at a critical time for farmers, many of whom have faced crop losses and difficult weather conditions.

Farmers urged to use the inputs responsibly

Officials have warned beneficiaries against selling or diverting government-supplied agricultural inputs.

The OWC team has emphasized that the seeds are intended to increase agricultural production and help households recover from the effects of drought.

For farmers in areas where planting rains have returned, timely distribution is particularly important because delays could reduce the benefits of the intervention.

The seed programme therefore represents both an emergency response to food insecurity and an attempt to strengthen agricultural production and household incomes across Northern Uganda.