Farmers in Samburu county are expecting a bumper harvest this year after three years of severe drought.
The farmers in the region have incurred huge losses for their investments in buying seeds and fertilizers for the drought period.
According to the county government, some 12,000 acres of land under maize crop is expected to post encouraging yields.
Governor Moses Lenolkulal said the harvest will assure the region of adequate food supplies to tackle shortage that has been worrying residents.
He said on Tuesday that the county that has been often relying on relief food for the past two years.
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The county targets to sell the excess that is likely to come from the farms and set aside other for local consumption.
"We have worked hard. We expect to harvest maize close to 400,000 bags from Samburu central areas.
For the first time we will be contented with the supplies from the crop," Lenolkula said.
He told journalists outside National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) offices in Maralal town after a food security meeting.
Governor Lenolkulal said the county government’s efforts to fight hunger and poverty in the region through arable farming have often been frustrated by severe droughts in the past years.
The last harvest was a paltry 42,000 bags of maize recorded in 2013. That time, areas in Samburu central received perennial rainfall that favored growth of maize.
Peter Barikiwa Lekere, a pastor and resident of Ledero village in Samburu central sub-county, is among the over 9,000 farmers from the county expecting to reap enough stocks this season.
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Lekere said most farmers will witness an increased quantity of farm yields from their maize, beans, vegetables and tomatoes crops this year.
The farmers said the county should now introduce irrigation and modern ways of farming that would help them to deal with challenges of drought.
Jonathan Lesimale, a resident of Ng’ari village, said drought has cost him a section of his herd of cattle - a situation he said was frustrating.
"With irrigation and extension services, we can do better in our farms," the farmer said.