Watermelon Farmers in Kibuku District Face Crisis as Prices Plummet and Banks Seize Assets

TIRINYI TOWN COUNCIL, KIBUKU DISTRICT – Watermelon farmers in Tirinyi Town Council, Kibuku District, are grappling with severe financial losses following a drastic drop in market prices, exacerbated by excessive rainfall that has destroyed crops. The situation has become so dire that banks have begun seizing farmers’ assets to recover unpaid loans.  

According to Mr. Adam Waseka, a prominent watermelon farmer and businessman in Tirinyi Town Council, the price of watermelons has crashed to unprecedented levels. A full truck of watermelons (Isuzu Elf), which previously sold for over UGX 3 million, now fetches as little as UGX 800,000 to UGX 1 million.  

"The market has totally collapsed," Waseka lamented in an interview at Bugobera Landing Site near the Mpologoma River.

"The weather is too cold, so people are no longer buying juice, and the demand has disappeared." 

Compounding the price crisis, prolonged and heavy rainfall has led to massive crop damage. Waseka, who also serves as the Chairman of the Watermelon Farmers Association in Tirinyi, revealed that many farms have been completely destroyed.  

"Most farmers have lost their gardens because the water has rotted everything," he said. "We are making huge losses, and some farmers don’t even have anything to sell." 

With farmers unable to repay loans taken to cultivate their crops, financial institutions have begun confiscating their assets, including land and equipment. Many small-scale farmers, who relied on bank financing to plant watermelons this season, now face financial ruin.

"We took loans hoping for good returns, but now we have nothing," one distressed farmer said. "The banks are taking our property, and we don’t know what to do next." 

Waseka and other farmers are now calling for urgent government intervention to stabilize prices and provide relief to affected growers. Possible solutions include Price controls or subsidies, to cushion farmers from extreme market fluctuations ,Emergency loans or debt relief to prevent further bank seizures, Post-harvest handling support , such as storage facilities, to reduce spoilage.  

The crisis has raised concerns about the future of watermelon farming in the region, a key economic activity for Kibuku District. If farmers abandon the crop due to financial instability, it could lead to long-term food security and employment challenges.  

As the rainy season continues, farmers remain in a precarious situation, with little hope for recovery unless immediate action is taken.