Farmers have been rallied to embrace the new varieties of quick-maturing crops to boost food production in Karamoja.

The region has long been grappling with insecurity and climate change that has adversely impacted food production in the region.

Dr. Paul Okullo the Director of Research at Nabuin Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute says they have distributed crops that take a short period to mature to help farmers to cope up with the weather pattern of the region.

Dr. Okullo says the crops are drought tolerant and resistant to pests and diseases and this could alleviate the risk of food insecurity among the households.

According to Okullo, they have introduced iron-rich beans that are good for fighting hunger and malnutrition among children.

He says they are also carrying out trials on different species of trees that can grow well in the dry lands to improve tree coverage in Karamoja.