FARMING, LIVESTOCK KEEPING AND THE STATE OF MINING IN AMUDAT DISTRICT

LOCATION AND SIZE

Amudat is a district in the North Eastern region of Uganda. It is bordered by Moroto in the north, Nakapipirpirit
longitudes 34.95 East, with an estimated surface area of 1610 kilometer and an average altitude of 4200 feet
(1280 Metres) above sea level. Amudat District headquarters are situated in Amudat Town Council. Amudat
district has a total area of about 1,638 Sq. Kilometers.

Socio-economic situation

The district is one of the least developed in the country with high levels of illiteracy of about 93% source
UBOS2013, high infant mortality rates, and high levels of malnutrition among under five and a higher
prevalence of abject poverty (no disposable income). Hence the Human development index ranks one of the
lowest in the country (0.24). The development initiatives, service delivery have greatly been hampered by
high rate ignorance of the people who cannot hold duty bearers accountable to demand for service delivery,
embezzlement of funds by both civil servant and politician.

Sector background

Livestock

Many of the people access their livelihood from livestock (poor breeds of goats, sheep and cows) and
agricultural produce (sorghum and maize). However, because of the dry spells and lack of adequate water for
livestock, the people lead a semi nomadic life style moving even to neighboring districts in search of mainly
water and pasture.

Figure 1 Livestock drinking water from a borehole

Minerals
A detailed minerals survey carried out by a firm from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in 1994
revealed that the district has Viable deposits of limestone, marble, gold, iron ore, diamond, gems and rubies
that can be commercially exploited. Already, Tororo cement is extracting marble stones and limestone, very
important inputs in the cement industry.

Figure 1 A miner washing gold dust

Agriculture

Agriculture is the major economic activity in Amudat district. Most farmers are small scale who grow annual
crops. The annual crops include maize, sweet potatoes, beans, cassava and groundnuts. The annual crops are
mostly grown for home consumption. The number of Households involved in Agriculture is recorded to be
1100HH while the ratio of agriculture extension workers to farmers is 1 to 300. The district has three zones
that are categorized, by its activities, northern zone which is found in Loroo subcounty is mainly mixed farming,
then their Central zone, which is found in Amudat subcounty, its major activities are pure livestock and small
bite of farming whereas the southern zone is purely farming and bite of livestock keeping.

Figure 2 A granary for storing food for the dry season
Table on merits and challenges of mining, livestock keeping and subsistence farming to the people
of Amudat

Merits of mining in Amudat Merits of livestock keeping Merits of subsistence

District in Amudat District farming in Amudat District

1. Employment of few 1. Livestock is the biggest 1. Subsistence farming

local people by Tororo
cement factory.
2. Small scale mining of
Gold by local people is
a source of livelihood.
3. Small scale mining
supplements incomes
during dry spells and
famine
source of revenue to provides food to many
the District because of families in the District
the available market 2. Farmers earn some
across the border in little money from the
Kenya. sale of extra produce
2. Provides the people they get.
with food i.e. milk, 3. Supplements the over
blood, ghee and meat. dependency of
3. Livestock products are livestock farming in
also a source of the district
revenue to the people

Challenges of Mining in Challenges of livestock Challenges of subsistence

Amudat District keeping in Amudat District.
1. Lack of mining policies
in the District
2. The district lacks
resources to assist
small scale miners.
3. Poor roads and
infrastructure
(latrines, dispensaries
etc.) around mining
areas, the case of
chepkararat
4. Exploitation of small
scale miners by
middle men.
5. Poor mining methods
by Tororo cement
company has diverse
effects on the
environment
6. Ignorance of the
mining communities
and district leaders on
their rights spelled out
in the mining act.
7. Unfulfilled terms by
companies which
come in with
beautifully writtn
EIA's and CSR which
they never live up to
crop farming in Amudat
District.
1. Poor breeds of animals
kept.
2. Fluctuation of livestock
prices making it hard
to predict exact
revenue from sells,
due to droughts and
exchange rate, since
they export livestock
to Kenya meat
commission.
3. Lack of enough
extension officers to
assist livestock
farmers.
4. Drought and disease
attack kills many
livestock bringing lots
of loses.
5. Long distances traveled
in search for pastures
and water which are
occasionally accessed
at a cost.
1. Long dry spells in the
districts leads to loss
of produce.
2. Lack of farming
knowledge leads to
poor produce
3. Mono-cropping makes
the produces dwindle
year in year out
4. Lack of pests and
diseases control also
destroys crops.
5. Subsistence crop
farming is a new thing
in the district and its
uptake is slow

Recommendations Recommendations
Recommendations

1. Support the locals with 1. Introduce other

1. Support the district to
crossbreeding types of drought resistance
develop mining
animals crops like green
policies
grams.
 2. Task the companies to 2. The district should 2. Introduction of
Construct roads and support people to link irrigations systems
in fracture in the them to the market 3. Sensitize the
district within the country to community in modern
3. Task the company to control on price farming methods
mind about the fluctuation due to 4. Support the people,
employees’ welfares exchange rates. with pesticides and
4. The government to 3. Government should carry side.
have clear market of employ more 5. Sensitize the
the gold, to avoid the extension offices, communities on
exploitation of the 4. Supply farmers with livelihoods diversity.
miners. pesticides and carry
5. Penalise companies for sides.
unfulfilled CSR terms
6. Train miners on good
minig practices.
7. Develop Community
Development
Agreements for the
district