Fadumo Gelle Abdi said 29 of her goats had died after eating plastic. She decided to stop allowing her animals to roam and began feeding them in an enclosure instead.

Many locals are doing the same, although the costs are significant. Fadumo spends about $400 a month on sorghum, wheat and bran for her 67 sheep and goats. As the herd produces only four litres of milk a day, worth $10, she is accumulating debts.

“They have no meat or milk. We can’t take them out to graze because plastic has become their food,” she told Radio Ergo. “No one works to support me – I depend entirely on these goats to feed my family, but I’m struggling to keep them. I am surviving on debt.”

Fadumo, 60, raises eight grandchildren alone. She used to sell milk brought to town by pastoralists until supplies diminished due to drought. She invested in her own herd in town.

She has to pay $50 a month for the four in school. Her animals are their only source of income – but the upkeep cost of feeding them in the enclosure is more than they earn.

A livestock veterinarian, Dr Ibrahim Dahir Osman, conducted his own survey showing that 75% of Guriel’s residents keep livestock these days. As drought has forced pastoralists to move farther from towns in search of grazing, more and more urban residents have started keeping their own animals for ready access to milk and meat.

Most rely on natural grazing, where the biggest danger is eating bags and other plastic waste that causes blockage in their digestive system leading to malnutrition and death. Dr Ibrahim estimated that around 3,000 animals die this way every month.

“Someone keeping 10 animals in Guriel today may find that only one or two are safe from plastic waste,” he said.

The vet performs surgical procedures to remove ingested plastic from 150 to 200 goats every month. He charges $7–$10 per animal, depending on their owners’ means. He treats those who can’t afford the treatment free of charge.

He removed a total of 148 kg of plastic from seven goats belonging to Fadumo, and charged her $55.

“An owner feeds an animal hoping to get milk, but the feed costs money. The animal then eats plastic and becomes sick. Its stomach fills up, and instead of gaining meat, it becomes thinner,” he said.

Livestock owners often mistake the condition affecting their animals for other diseases.

Saed Abdi Mohamed has kept goats for 10 years in Guriel, since giving up on livestock brokering. He has a herd of 80, and recently lost 17 animals without realising what was causing their deaths.

“I took my animals to Dr Ibrahim and told him about the problem. He said they needed treatment, just as a person would need to see a doctor, because they had swallowed plastic,” Saed narrated.

“I never believed an animal could be operated on, with its stomach opened and waste removed, and then continue to be useful. But I have seen it happen!”

Saed’s household of 11 depends on the herd.

“Livestock are our main source of income in this region. We have no farms or other sources of livelihood. I urge the Galmudug government to tackle plastic waste. It is killing our animals, and if we lose them, we lose our way of life,” he said.

In 2024, the federal government announced a ban on the importation and use of plastic bags and other single-use plastic.

However, residents continue raising complaints about waste dumping in public places and the lack of action being taken by authorities.

The post Plastic waste blights Guriel livestock and livelihoods appeared first on Radio Ergo - Somali Humanitarian News and Information.

Business in livestock markets in Mogadishu has risen, as pastoralists like Abdullahi Muhyadin Ahmed from rural Adale have brought their fattened animals for sale.

He sold 50 goats for $4,200 in early August, using $1,200 to repay local traders who had supplied food and clothing for his family of nine during the drought. He saved part of the remaining money to prepare for future hardship.

“Thanks to God and the good rains, I have been able to repay my debts. If the drought had continued, I would not have cleared them and would have fallen further into debt,” he told Radio Ergo in Dayah livestock market in Gubadley, Banadir region, where he returned later to collect an outstanding payment from buyers.

Abdullahi said selling livestock had been difficult during the drought, with prices varying according to the animal’s condition. Some goats sold for $100 to $130, while others fetched only $60 or $70. Some buyers wanted animals on credit, while others refused to buy under those terms.

He began borrowing money in 2023 after his livestock stopped producing enough milk or attracting buyers. Repeated droughts forced him to depend on credit to feed his family. He faced constant pressure from creditors, and some shopkeepers eventually stopped extending credit.

The situation became particularly difficult early this year. Relatives helped with small, irregular contributions, but the family could afford to cook only five days a week.

The recent rains have improved his family’s circumstances. Abdullahi said the 100 goats he had left were now reproducing well, while pasture and water had become easier to find.

“We now eat well at all three mealtimes. We have plenty of milk, fermented milk and ghee,” he said.

Abdullahi, 50, was previously among the wealthiest livestock owners in his area, but poor rains between 2023 and 2025 caused him to lose 350 goats and 27 head of cattle because of a lack of pasture and water.

Concerned that climate change could affect future rainfall, he said he was determined to save money to protect his family against another drought.

Pastoralists in his area are collecting contributions to help families impoverished by the drought, including those displaced to Adale, Warsheikh and Mogadishu, to recover. They have given 10 goats each to 30 families so far to help them rebuild their herds and livelihoods.

“Displaced families are encouraged by the improved conditions, and some have begun returning home. Those who remained are also recovering economically,” Abdullahi said.

Madina Muhyadin Ahmed, a pastoralist living in rural Warsheikh, said her family of three was also recovering from food shortages and the pressure of debt. Rain over the past four months had improved pasture and water supplies, allowing her goats to regain weight and attract buyers.

She said selling 20 goats for more than $1,300 had eased the financial pressure on her family.

“We used $800 to repay debts for food bought on credit from local shops between 2025 and mid-2026. We spent the remaining money on food and clothing for my family,” she said.

She has 80 goats left, which are recovering and reproducing. With enough pasture and water now available, her family has also recovered from the food shortages they experienced during the drought.

Since mid-year, her children have no longer faced the same food insecurity. She sells two or three goats at the market every three weeks to meet household expenses.

However, Madina said the discontinuation of the Somali shilling earlier this year had created difficulties for pastoralists reliant on cash. Her elderly parents and relatives struggled to use digital money services on mobile phones.

“People do not know how to use money on their phones, especially the elderly. They cannot easily withdraw it. Cash was better for us,” she said.

Much of the livestock sold in Dayah market in Gubadley comes from Middle Shabelle, where rainfall has been plentiful.

Kulmiye Mohamud Hassan, a broker at the market, told Radio Ergo that he kept records of pastoralists whose animals he had helped sell at good prices. He recorded recent sales by 150 different families. Some of them had told him the income was helping them repay debts and recover from food shortages.

Kulmiye added that the rise in livestock sales had provided brokers with more regular work and income to support their families too.

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The displaced families, from villages including Sigale, Malable, Ow-gunji and Bula-alondi, face food and water shortages and a lack of shelter on the outskirts of the agricultural town Janale.

Aweys Abdi Isaaq, one of the displaced farmers, said his family of 12 had been living in difficult conditions since arriving on 2 September. They depend on occasional food given by local farmers that isn’t enough to feed them.

“We have neither food nor money to buy it. We survive on whatever people can give us, including maize, vegetables and bananas,” he said. “Sometimes we eat only at night, and during the day we have nothing. We don’t even have utensils for cooking.”

Aweys said all his children were struggling with hunger, including his youngest, aged four. He has been unable to find casual work on nearby farms to support his family.

The family drinks untreated river water because they can’t afford clean water, which costs $2 per drum. They collect water in containers borrowed from neighbours, carrying it from the river about two kilometres away. Aweys said three of his children had suffered from fever since arriving, with no access to medical care.

“Water is a major problem. We can’t afford piped water or water delivered by donkey carts. The children are sick, and we can’t buy medicine. Hunger has also left them malnourished,” he said.

The family lives in a cramped shelter made from branches and old clothes. The women and children sleep inside, while the men sleep outside. When it rains, they seek refuge in a mosque.

Aweys said the family had enjoyed a better life in Malable, where they farmed three hectares of land. They fled before harvesting their maize crop due to fighting around them.

He had invested $450 in his farm and borrowed money to meet household needs, expecting to repay the debts from the harvest. He is now unable to return to the farm, while creditors continue to expect their money back.

“I cannot sleep at night because I worry whenever the phone rings, fearing it is someone demanding repayment. We left the maize standing in the fields, and some crops have reportedly been eaten by cattle at night. We have nothing now, and our lives have deteriorated,” he said.

Five of his children have dropped out of their Koranic and private primary schools. He couldn’t afford the $10 fee charged for each child.

Amina Hassan Ali, who fled Malable on 8 September, is living with her three children and elderly parents in the home of a family she did not previously know. Her husband, the family’s sole breadwinner, was killed in shelling in Malable in August while guarding their farm.

Amina said the family had been taken in after being found sitting in an isolated area on the day they arrived. They share one room and depend on their hosts for food and water.

“In the morning we are lucky if we get a cup of coffee,” she said. “The children cry when there is no food. Their father used to work and bring home what we needed. Now our situation is very difficult.”

Amina is pregnant and unable to undertake manual labour. With her mother aged 78, her father 90, and her oldest child just seven, there is no one in the household able to earn an income.

They left behind 13 sacks of maize harvested from a one-hectare farm they had rented for $20 for the growing season. They had agreed to pay the landowner with part of the harvest, but fighting forced them to flee before they could do so.

“We spent a night in the bush and left the following morning, but we struggled to find a safe route,” she said. “My children and elderly parents could barely keep up. We live in constant fear because the fighting continues. I don’t know the town well, and there is no work. We can only rely on God.”

Amina has a $50 debt for food and water her husband obtained before his death. The family had expected to repay it from their maize harvest. The creditor continues to ask for the money and she has no means of paying.

She said food shortages, inadequate water and poor shelter had added to the distress of caring for her young children and elderly parents.

Janale district commissioner, Abdirahman Yusuf Ali Al-Adala, told Radio Ergo that a local committee had registered 1,700 families displaced by conflict from at least 25 villages.

Some had arrived with illnesses, including anaemia and malaria. The committee had provided limited food, household items, medicine and cash collected from local businesses.

“The needs are far greater than what we can provide, and we have not received assistance from elsewhere,” he said.

The commissioner said the families had arrived during the rainy season. Some were being accommodated by residents sharing their homes and available resources, while others remained without shelter because of the large numbers.

He added the authorities had raised the situation with the administration and humanitarian organisations and were awaiting a response. Many of the displaced are farmers who could resume earning a living if they received financial support and investment.

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Rising fuel prices made regular irrigation increasingly expensive for farmers in Jarran village, Afgoye district. After installing solar systems, replacing fuel-powered pumps, they say they have greatly increased their returns.

Mohamed Nur Isaq, who owns a four-hectare farm, told Radio Ergo that his production had more than doubled since he bought a solar system in January. He used to spend $100 to $150 each time he irrigated his farm. Financial difficulties sometimes forced him to delay watering his crops.

He now irrigates at least twice a month, compared with once every two months previously. His latest harvest of onions, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, coriander, maize and beans in June earned him about $3,000 in profit – more than double the amount he made when he used a fuel-powered pump.

“The main benefit is that I have reduced fuel costs, which has allowed me to irrigate regularly,” he said. “When I could not afford fuel, I had to delay irrigation, which affected the crops, especially when they needed water,” he said.

Mohamed invested $4,600 in the solar system and has repaid $1,000 of the loan he took to buy it. He has saved about $1,700 from his farm profits, more than he ever managed during his previous years as a farmer. He attributed this to higher production and reduced fuel costs. Fuel sells at about $1 per litre.

Mohamed said neighbouring farmers who had already adopted solar power encouraged him to make the investment.

“I decided to make this investment because I saw that it would reduce my costs in the long term,” he said. “I used savings from my farm income and also received a loan to cover the remaining installation costs.”

Most residents of Jarran are farmers who depend on water from the Shabelle River. They sell their produce in markets in Banadir and Lower Shabelle regions.

The money Mohamed saves on fuel allows him to buy seeds, fertilizer, crop treatments and pesticides.

“I have been a farmer for nearly 18 years. Farming is my only source of income to support my family. I try to save part of my profits for emergencies or to improve my farm,” he said.

He plans to buy a larger solar system costing several thousand dollars because his current system has limited capacity.

Mohamed Abdi Hassan, who has farmed for 15 years, is another farmer in Jarran using solar power. He bought his system in March. His five-hectare farm is planted with maize, beans, onions, tomatoes, peppers, cucumber and other vegetables, which he expects to harvest in September.

He said he has spent nothing on irrigation since installing the system, whereas before each round of irrigation cost him between $300 and $500 in fuel. He bought the solar equipment for $4,500, including a $500 loan that he repaid in May.

“What encouraged me most was the high cost of fuel and the difficulty of finding money to buy it,” he explained. “I looked for a lasting solution that would allow me to manage the farm properly. When I started using solar power, irrigation became easier and the costs were reduced.”

He now irrigates regularly and his latest harvest, collected in June, earned him $3,000. He has saved half of it.

Mohamed, a father of six, supports his family through farming and spends about $350 a month on education and household expenses. The fuel savings have allowed him to invest more in his five-hectare farm by buying quality seeds, fertiliser, crop treatments and other inputs to increase production.

Some farmers jointly buy solar equipment, while others purchase their own systems, depending on their financial capacity.

The chairman of the farmers’ association in Jarran, Abdullahi Ali Mire, told Radio Ergo that the use of solar power was increasing as farmers recognised its benefits for irrigation and cost reduction. He noted that 90 farmers currently use solar systems – still a small proportion of farmers in the area.

“Agricultural production has improved. Farmers now have regular irrigation, which has helped crops grow better and increased their profits,” Abdullahi said.

He chairman encouraged more farmers to switch to solar power as an effective and sustainable energy source:

“Investment, training and support are needed to expand its use,” he said, stressing the importance of agriculture to Somalia’s economy and people’s livelihoods, whilst calling for greater support to help farmers increase production using clean energy.

Lower Shabelle is one of Somalia’s major agricultural regions, with abundant sunlight that can support solar-powered irrigation. However, farmers also need security and stability, as moving or replacing solar equipment can be difficult if it is damaged.

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The farmers have faced worsening food shortages since June, when they stopped farming after losing crops in two consecutive seasons. A lack of trees in Agarey, Himin and Bodhlay has left farmers without materials to build traditional fences to keep animals out. They can’t afford wire fencing, according to Ahmed Omar Ige, chairman of the farmers’ cooperative:

“Only fences can keep the animals out, but we cannot build them,” he said. “We can’t shoot or kill the animals because they come day and night. Poisoning them could also harm people and other animals. It has become very difficult to farm.”

Mohamed Osman Warsame is among farmers who have lost their crops. Wildlife, mainly monkeys, destroyed vegetables, maize and beans on his two-hectare farm. He stopped planting early this year after repeated animal attacks on his farm on the outskirts of Agarey.

In April, he rented land in the middle of the farming area, hoping it would be safer, but the animals attacked again in June when the crops were nearing harvest, destroying the entire crop.

“About 500 monkeys surrounded me in three groups and entered the farm from one side. I was discouraged, but my circumstances forced me to keep farming. I have no other option, yet I can’t continue losing my crops,” he said.

He had invested $800 including $200 borrowed to pay the land rent and money for seeds. It was his third animal-related crop loss in two years. His farm supported his family of 12, but he could no longer afford to feed them all. He sent six children to be supported by relatives in Sheikh district.

The six children remaining with him eat cooked food once every 48 hours. He keeps 10 goats and sells their milk, earning about $3 every two days to buy food. He feeds the goats from diminishing stores of fodder, and gives them water from a drying well that he used to irrigate his farm. He fears the prolonged lack of rain could also lead to livestock losses.

After 22 years as a farmer, he said he has never experienced losses caused by animals on this scale.

“We have lost what we used to eat and what we relied on to educate our children. I had to separate the children and send them to relatives. We do not have enough food, and we are barely surviving. Most of the time, we eat very little and remain hungry,” he said.

Seven of his children are among nearly 80 children out of school after a primary school in Agarey closed in July because families could no longer afford the fees. The school depended on fees paid by families, most of them farmers, who could no longer afford their children’s education.

Animal attacks have compounded the farmers’ problems as water sources have dried up following two years of low rainfall. Some farmers have no wells, while those with wells can’t afford the fuel needed to pump water and have stopped farming.

Abdirahman Abukar Ahmed, who has a two-hectare farm in Agarey, has not planted since May after animals destroyed his maize, beans and sorghum. His family of four depended on the farm for food and income. He now relies on relatives in Sheikh, Burao and Berbera for support.

When he calls, his relatives send money to his mobile phone to buy food, but the help is irregular and insufficient. He said the farmers needed help from Somaliland authorities to protect their farms and provide fencing.

“We are struggling because our farms have no fences to keep the animals out. Wild pigs, monkeys and deer enter the fields and eat the crops. The farms are open, and when we try to protect one side, the animals enter from another. Without fencing, it is very difficult to protect our crops,” he said.

He hopes sufficient rain will ease the food and water shortages that are driving animals into the farms.

Abdirahman has tried to find casual work to support his family but found no opportunities in the area. Other farmers are seeking alternative sources of income.

He is increasingly concerned about drying wells and worsening water shortages. His family depends on water stored in a plastic bag reservoir buried in the ground, which is filled by a relative who works as a transporter. Worsening water shortages could force the family to leave the area if there is not enough rain.

“Low rainfall has caused the water shortage, and the rains have decreased. Only God knows the suffering we are going through. We urgently need help from anyone who can support us,” he appealed.

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With a household of 13, Farhiya said all the vegetables and other crops she expected to harvest on her farm near Afgoye in early August were wiped out. She had spent heavily on seeds, irrigation and farm preparation in Marerey village. But now, she is unable to plant again as the water shortage continues and she is financially broke.

“The biggest challenge is the water shortage, which has destroyed all our crops,” she said. “The river has run dry and there are no wells here. We planted the crops in May, but they have not been ready for harvest as expected.”

Scores of farmers in Marerey, Jambalul and Shukurow villages, northeast of Afgoye, are facing similar hardship after their crops failed due to lack of river water.

Farhiya said the family was struggling to obtain food and water. She sometimes gets food on credit from shops, and relatives give her the occasional dollar. A 20-litre container of water costs $0.25, which she cannot afford so she relies on small amounts of water from neighbours.

Four of her children have stopped attending their Koranic school after she failed to pay the $5 monthly fee for the past three months.

She is being pursued for repayment of the $500 she borrowed for the farm and owes a further $180 for food, water and other bought on credit for her children.

“I had hoped the farm would support my family and allow me to continue farming, but I lost everything I invested and am now left with debts and no means to support my children or plant another crop,” she said.

Having farmed all her life, she has no other skills to earn an income and is struggling to cope.

The water shortage is affecting many other farmers along the Shabelle river, while rising fuel costs are making irrigation unaffordable and reducing agricultural production.

Another farmer, Mohamed Hassan Omar, said he lost all the crops he planted on his three-hectare farm in May, including maize, sorghum, beans, tomatoes, cucumbers and other vegetables. He had taken loans for the farm investment, hoping to make a decent profit to support his family and repay his debts.

“We have been badly affected by the crop failure caused by the lack of irrigation, as the river has run dry,” he said. “I lost about $900 invested in the farm and have no other source of income. The crops and vegetables dried up, leaving us with nothing to eat or sell.”

The family of 16 are struggling to obtain food and water. They get water on credit from a private well, where a container costs $0.25. They cook one meal a day, eking out the 20 kilograms of food he borrowed in early August. He owes $70 for this food, in addition to $200 he already owed.

He looked for farm labour work in other areas but couldn’t find any. Some days, the family cannot cook a meal, with his young children particularly affected.

“Life has become very difficult for our family. We depended on the farms for our livelihood, but we have lost the benefits they provided. I have been unable to provide my children with enough water, food and

education,” he said. “We are facing severe financial hardship, and everything we depended on for our livelihood has been lost.”

Eight of Mohamed’s children dropped out of Koranic school in July as he couldn’t pay their combined monthly fee of $40. He is distressed by their lack of education but has no solution.

His financial difficulties have also affected his sister and her five children, as he can’t pay her the $50 and food he used to provide them each month. They are resorting to begging.

Mohamed’s family has lived in Shukurow for generations and depended for more than 20 years on the farm he inherited from his father. He said the crop losses have ruined them.

The chairman of the local Dan-wadaag Farmers’ Cooperative, Abdi Mohamed Abdullahi, said they needed joint efforts to restore the neglected irrigation canals.

“The water shortage has become increasingly severe, while the high cost of fuel has made it difficult to afford irrigation for the farms,” he said. “As a result, the income generated from agricultural production has declined”.

The farmers’ cooperative is seeking solutions for a reliable supply of irrigation water, but they need support in the form of equipment and technical expertise.

Abdi said the irrigation problems had persisted for a long time but had now reached their worst level due to declining river water levels, neglected canals and farmers’ financial difficulties.

The cooperative has requested assistance from local authorities and aid agencies but has had no response.

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Mohamed Adan Dhoore, who lives in Hodayga, has lost 50 camels and goats. He has 37 animals left, but 18 are sick and he is not confident they will survive.

The decline in his herd has severely affected his family of 14, which relies on milk and livestock sales. Their relatives in Abudwak occasionally provide them with food to help them out.

“We have lost the livestock we depended on. They became sick, and what we used to earn from selling them and their products has disappeared. Our family used to cook three times a day, but now we manage only once. We have no lunch or breakfast; the situation is very difficult,” he said.

Local shops stopped extending him credit at the end of June after his debt exceeded $700. He had repaid his previous debts when rainfall improved and his animals recovered.

He said he tried treating the sick animals with medicines bought on credit, but stopped after seeing no improvement and running out of money. There are no veterinary services in his village, and he can’t afford to bring a veterinarian from elsewhere.

Mohamed, who has spent more than 30 years as a pastoralist in Galgadud, said he had never experienced such severe conditions. With his livestock dying, and no other livelihood skills, he fears his family may be forced to leave their home.

The household is also struggling to access water. They collect 20 litres every 24 hours from a privately owned well three kilometres away, carrying it home because they have no transport.

In Jaleel, 15 kilometres north of Abudwak, Abdirisak Shaiye Adan said livestock disease had similarly devastated his household of 11. He has only 46 animals left out of thee 300 camels and goats his family once depended on.

The surviving animals produce little or no milk, cannot be sold easily and still require water and feed that the family cannot afford.

Abdirisak does occasional stone-breaking work, earning between $3 and $5 a week. When he finds no work, his children go without food.

“People’s lives are at risk. It has affected us badly. We eat once or twice a day. There is no market where we can take an animal, there’s no meat and no milk. The animals that were pregnant have died or miscarried. They had no pasture to feed on, so their productivity disappeared along with them,” he told Radio Ergo.

The family cannot afford a water container costing $8, forcing them to ask neighbours for a few litres each day.

Three of Abdirisak’s children have been sick for the past two months. He said he cannot afford medical tests, medicines or transport to a health facility. The children, aged between one and 12, have recurring fevers and severe weakness.

“The children are wasting away as I speak to you. None of them has died, but they are suffering badly and are very weak.,” he said. “I have nothing to treat them with. I can’t seek medicine or even find money to transport them. I have nothing left to give them.”

The financial pressure has disrupted their education. Two of Abdirisak’s children were expelled from Koranic school in June after he failed to pay two months of fees at $3 per child.

Gallad Mohamed Ibrahim, a livestock specialist who reviewed the symptoms reported by the pastoralists, said the diseases could include respiratory infections, sheep and goat pox, poisoning and mange disease. He linked the risks to changing weather patterns, the concentration of livestock, and worsening pasture conditions.

He advised pastoralists to provide clean water and adequate feed, isolate sick animals and seek veterinary assistance as soon as symptoms appeared. He also recommended timely vaccination and collective action among pastoralist communities to make treatment more accessible.

Gallad said government agencies and aid organisations had a role to play in supporting communities facing the combined effects of livestock disease, drought and climate-related pressures.

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More than 300 banana trees on his farm were swept away, together with maize, beans, sesame and vegetables that he had planted in April. He had borrowed $2,000 to pay for ploughing, seeds, and wages for three farm workers.

The floodwater gushed onto his farm through canals that had been opened by major flooding back in 2023. Seven big breaches were forged in the riverbanks that have not been repaired.

Faisal has lost everything this season, and has fallen back on fishing from the river to try to feed his family of 10 children. He doesn’t have proper equipment and usually only catches a fish every couple of days.

“If there is no fish, we boil leaves for the children. They drink bitter water from the leaves. We don’t even have tea,” he told Radio Ergo.

However, if the river level falls there will be even less chance of catching fish. His farming neighbours are facing the same hardship, so no one can help another.

The major flooding that occurred in late 2023 washed away his four-room house. He was unable to rebuild it, so the family settled for a makeshift shelter he put up on the same site. This most recent flooding destroyed the hut that he had to build again.

Farmers in Baar-Sanguni say the large canals linking their farms to the Juba River have become a constant threat. Originally built during Somalia’s former central government to irrigate farmland, they have fallen into disrepair and now channel destructive floodwater onto farms whenever the river rises.

The villagers affected are isolated and say they did not get any prior warnings or messages before the floods in June.

Timiro Abdullahi Mohamed, 70, has spent her life farming and has witnessed the gradual deterioration of the canals. She described constant flooding every year, destroying farms and homes. She reduced the amount she invests in farming aiming to avoid further losses.

“I spent $150 on the farm. My relatives helped me with some of the costs, and young people came to clear the land for me. Now I have nothing though as the crops are gone and I am just sitting here,” she said.

Her two-hectare farm was planted with food crops and vegetables including watermelon, beans, maize, peppers and tomatoes. She had planned to repay local traders after selling her crops, but the flooding destroyed everything. She can’t get any food on credit now from local shopkeepers.

Like many others, Timiro is spending long hours trying to catch fish from the river: “We spend the whole day by the river looking for fish. If you’re lucky, you catch something. If not, you go home with nothing. Whatever we catch, we eat a little and save the rest.”

The floods destroyed her three-room house that was beside the farm. Her family of five now shelters beneath trees, exposed whenever it rains.

Baar-Sanguni village chairman, Maslah Ali Salah, said repeated flooding had discouraged many farmers and that repairing the damaged canals was beyond the community’s capacity. There are around 500 farming families affected.

The village chairman said they had appealed to Jubbaland authorities for support to close the breaches in the riverbanks. The first phase of repairs would cost about $3,500, requiring heavy equipment to fill the gaps before the next rainy season.

“Many families have decided to leave their farms and move to larger towns to look for casual work. They have lost hope because every time they invest in farming, the floods destroy everything. Some are now surviving by pushing handcarts or doing other daily labour,” he said.

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Abdimaciin Ahmed Mahmoud’s two-hectare farm produced tomatoes, onions, carrots, peppers, and lemons, among other crops. Locusts and lack of water destroyed almost everything, leaving him with losses of about $1,300.

“The locusts left eggs in the fields and the insects settled on every plant. We have been left with nothing,” he told Radio Ergo. “The biggest problem on my farm is water. The well has no working pump, storage tank or pipes, and we can’t even afford fuel. We have lost the crops as well as many of the trees that have dried up.”

People in Hero-dhagahley, in eastern Mudug, rely largely on farming for their livelihoods, selling vegetables and fruit in Hobyo, Wisil and other nearby towns.

The village well supplying water for irrigation and household use has been out of service for four months without repair. Farmers say they cannot afford to buy water transported from a private well 10 kilometres away.

Abdimaciin said they are cooking one meal a day and are finding it hard to get credit from shopkeepers. He used to make at least $700 a month from the farm that he started in 2023 with a $500 loan, after drought wiped out more than 200 goats and camels his family had relied on as pastoralists.

Today, he cannot afford water costing $5 per barrel for his family of 10 and their five goats. They have to depend on neighbours giving them a single jerrycan of water, which is far from enough.

The crisis has also interrupted his children’s education. Two children have stopped attending Koranic classes and primary school. Two older children are staying with his brother in Galkayo, who pays $10 a month for each of them to continue secondary school.

Abdimaciin owes around $600 for food and water purchased on credit during recent months. He said neither his years as a livestock herder nor his three years as a farmer had brought him such severe hardship before.

Another local farmer, Hafid Abdi Siyad, said the failure of his one-and-a-half-hectare farm had affected every aspect of life for his family of seven. The grains and vegetables he planted in February were ruined, incurring losses of around $1,200, including $800 he had borrowed to finance the farm.

“My greatest concern now is how to provide for my family. When the farm was productive, our lives were much better. Today our biggest hardship is making ends meet. The place that used to provide our income has stopped producing. Our needs keep growing, while drought has left us without water,” he said.

Hafid said his family survived on occasional support from relatives living in Galkayo and Hobyo, who sent them one or two dollars for a single meal. He also owes more than $300 to local shops, which have stopped giving him food on credit. People who financed his farm continue asking to be repaid.

For more than eight years, farming was the family’s only source of income. He said locusts, other crop pests and water shortages combined to destroy everything.

“The locusts caused enormous damage. They destroyed plants that had been growing for three months. They settled on our lemon trees, mango trees and other young plants until they dried up. There are so many of them that you can’t keep them away, day or night,” he said.

The locusts laid eggs throughout his fields. Without money and resources to clear them, they destroyed everything. Even if water had been available, he said it would be difficult to resume cultivation without wider rehabilitation.

Hafid has been looking for odd jobs loading stones at local quarries, but at best makes a pitiful $3 a week.

The family’s financial difficulties led to three of his children being sent home from their primary school in May, as he couldn’t settle four months of school fees of $160. Seeing his children lose access to education causes him deep concern. Having grown up in a pastoralist community without the opportunity to attend school himself, he had hoped his children would have a different future.

The deputy chairman of the Hero-Dhagahley farmers’ cooperative, Liban Said Siyad, said the sharp decline in agricultural production had affected more than 80 small scale farmers in the area.

“The losses have hit the poorest farmers the hardest. These are people who used to work in their fields every morning and earn a living by selling what they harvested. Now they have nothing to take to market,” he said. “The result has been hardship, financial losses and displacement. Families have lost the income they depended on every day.”

The post Combination of locusts and water shortage devastate Mudug farmers appeared first on Radio Ergo - Somali Humanitarian News and Information.

He says the knowledge he gained from regularly listening to Radio Ergo encouraged him to diversify his work and improve his income.

Ahmed, 47, now makes $80 to $100 a week that covers household expenses, supports relatives, and pays school fees for two of his children.

“We are now able to provide our three daily meals. It’s not only my immediate family that depends on this income. I also help friends whenever I can, sometimes with 10 dollars, sometimes smaller amounts. I support my parents with their daily expenses, and relatives often come needing assistance. Even with all those responsibilities, this work has enabled us to manage our lives,” Ahmed told Radio Ergo’s local reporter.

He rents a two-room house in Wadajir for $100 a month. One of his proudest achievements is being able to pay for his children’s education without depending on others:

“My children’s education comes with many expenses. I pay about 15 dollars every month. This work has given me independence. I no longer have to ask other people for help or wait for someone to support me. Instead, I work, earn my own income, and I am now in a position where I can even assist others.”

Ahmed’s business revolves around giving new life to discarded materials. He trawls through the rubbish collection sites to gather seeds from thrown out fruits and vegetables. He germinates them, nurtures the seedlings, and later sells them.

He also collects dry leaves, vegetable peelings and other food waste to make into compost to enrich the soil used for growing his plants. Although some people question why he searches through waste, Ahmed says he sees value where others do not.

“I have always found opportunities in waste. I collect these dry leaves people sweep away and turn them into compost to sell. I make use of things people throw away. Grapes, avocados, olives, oranges, even cassava stems – people discard them, but I plant them. After a few months they produce food. Waste can become something valuable if you know how to use it,” he stated.

Ahmed attributes much of his progress to the practical information he has learned through Radio Ergo’s Environment programme. He says he listens regularly through Mogadishu FM radio stations that rebroadcast Radio Ergo’s programmes. In March 2025, Radio Ergo published a story about his work. He says that exposure introduced many new customers to his business at a time when demand for his seedlings was still limited.

“I always follow Radio Ergo’s environment programme because I want to keep learning. Whenever there is something new that can improve my skills, I listen carefully. Since people heard about my work through the radio, many have contacted me. Some even called the radio station to get my phone number before reaching me. More customers started coming, and I am grateful because it has helped my work grow.”

Ahmed strengthened the business at the beginning of 2026 by applying more of the techniques he had learned through the broadcasts. Alongside selling seedlings, he also designs decorative plant containers made from cement, red soil and coloured paint.

“The two businesses are different, but they support each other. When I make decorative plant pots, people also want plants to put in them. Once I expanded into growing more fruit trees, demand increased. Many people want more greenery around their homes and they also want fruit trees they can benefit from. Each activity brings its own income,” he said.

Ahmed believes no form of honest work should be looked down upon if it provides a livelihood. His longer-term goal is to pass on his skills to unemployed young people so they too can earn income. He has trained more than 10 young people free of charge, many of whom are now using the skills to support themselves and their families.

Ahmed says continuing to listen to Radio Ergo’s daily programmes has helped him build knowledge and develop practical improvements for both his business and his household.

The post Radio sews the seeds of success for Mogadishu family man appeared first on Radio Ergo - Somali Humanitarian News and Information.