• Nearly all the farms are flooded
• Major roads have been cut off by the rains
Image: George Murage
Farmers in Kinangop, Nyandarua county, are worried over a looming shortage of fresh produce due to the ongoing rains that have destroyed their farms.
Potatoes worth millions of shillings that were to be harvested next month have been wiped out by the rains, which have flooded nearly all the farms.
Milk production has not been spared either, with daily collection dropping by more than 50 per cent. The rains have cut off major roads, further worsening the current situation.
The most affected crops are potatoes and most farmers are counting total crop failure due to the rains that have been pounding the area for the last three weeks.
A director with Midland Vegetable Processing plant, Matheri Hungu, said all potatoes in the field have gone to waste due to water-logged farms.
Matheri, who is also a large-scale farmer, said due to rains, certified potato seeds on the farms were rotting, spelling doom for growers.
“It’s evident the country will record an acute shortage of potatoes, which has been caused by destruction of the produce by the rains and it's time the government acted,” he said.
Matheri said milk production has also dropped by more than 50 per cent due to the cold weather occasioned by the ongoing rains.
Kinangop North assistant county commissioner Marcarius Minyori said nearly all the farms have been affected by the heavy rains.
He said the rains had left a trail of destruction, flooding farms and in some cases, sweeping away crops, mainly on farms near rivers.
“The most affected crop is potato and there are fears of a major shortage in the coming days as farmers will not harvest anything,” Minyori said.
He said major roads in the constituency had been affected by the rains, adversely affecting transport and access to the farms and market.
“Tens of families have also been affected by the rains but the food security has jolted by the rains and the full effects will be felt in the coming months,” Minyori said.