A cross-section of farmers in Kiambu have expressed fears over poor harvest this season, after the County registered low rains during the months of October to December. Farmers decried that the short rains predicted to be significantly below average had a delayed onset in October and extended through November came too late to make meaningful recovery to the already wilted crops.
The harvest season which typically begins from January all through to March is anticipated to be poor or even fail in several agricultural areas due to the significantly below-average rainfalls According to Mbugua Kariuki, a large-scale maize farmer in Githunguri Sub- County, he is already counting losses as his crops had already wilted before the start of the rainfalls in mid-December. "Apart from paucity of rainfall in December, the rain was not also consistent, this greatly affected the condition of the crop which left them wilted, though the rains improved slightly in November it was, however, too late to meaningfully support crop development," Mbugua said.
Mbugua further added that he is counting losses of up to Sh 400,000 spent on buying seeds, fertilizer and pesticides, He is therefore urging the government, to come-up with a plan to help farmers recover from such losses.
Another farmer, Wangiku Kangethe, from Ndeiya Sub-county said present weather conditions are worrisome as crops on his farm were beginning to shrink due to insufficient rainfall and hot weather conditions in the past three weeks. "I plant beans which require very minimum rainfall but when you look at my farm the leaves are big and green but there is nothing in the cobs due to lack of rainfall and the hot hush weather condition," added Kangethe.
