Kwale farmers adopt drought-resistant crops to keep hunger at bay

According to residents, in some areas, crops have failed for at least the last five consecutive years. 

The area has been experiencing little rain, not enough to support substantial farming. 

Kwale is among the drought-hard-hit counties with more than 200,000 locals facing hunger, according to the previous Red Cross long rains assessment report.

However, in Wasaa village in the interior of Kinango subcounty, Mbithi Mbithe is harvesting amid the biting drought. 

As thousands of residents struggle to survive and cry for relief food, Mbithe is assured of enough food for her family.

Although maize crops on her farm have wilted, the green grams and cowpeas look healthy promising a good harvest.

Mbithe is among the 1,500 beneficiaries of the British Red Cross supported agricultural programme where farmers are assisted with drought tolerate certified seeds.

The programme intends to improve farming for better food security and nutrition targeting areas severely affected by drought.

In Kwale the project is implemented in Lunga-Lunga, Kinango, Samburu/Kwale and some parts of Matuga subcounties. 

In Lunga-Lunga the project is done in Mwereni and Mbuguni in Matuga.

Mbithe who has just finished harvesting  cowpeas is seen sitting on a mat preparing to cook some for dinner for the family.

The sun is very hot but the determined woman seems to enjoy it as she happily sings. 

"I am very happy, the starving days are over with or without good rains I will have food," she said.

The crops require little rain and take the shortest time to mature. They are also resistant to diseases.

Mbithe planted the cowpeas and green grams in November last year and within two months, almost three-quarters of her crops are ready.

She has utilised at least six acres of land for farming. It is her first trial.

Although she isn't sure of how good the harvests will be, she is optimistic of better days ahead.

The 67-year-old said she is happy that the days of sleeping on an empty stomach are over. 

"I have the vegetables and cereals with me. I only need to buy Unga," she said. 

Before, the mother of nine used to depend on maize farming which failed because of poor rains.

Mbithe said moving forward, she will adopt drought-resistant crops for food and growth.

She said most families in drought-prone areas spend a lot of money on unsuccessful farming which results in poverty.

"If you use all your money to buy seeds, fertilisers and pesticides and crops fail, it means great losses," she said.

Musembi Musau, another farmer in Wasaa Village B has a reason to smile. 

Musau is getting ready to harvest cowpeas, green grams and millet. His crops have done well compared to Mbithe.

The farmer sank a small well that helped in conserving short rains water for the November-December period and use it for irrigation. 

"The seeds require little rain to mature but if they get more water, you get better yields," he said.

Musau said since the beginning of January, he has been having food on his table and reduced the over-dependency on relief food.

He said the harvests are helping him save the little money he would use to buy food and attend to other things.

Musau said he is jobless and all his life has been depending on farming which is not reliable due to climate change. 

The 43-year-old said with the drought-resistant crops, he will be able to improve farming and living standards.

His wife Beatrice Mumbe said she is surprised that the crops did well amid the drought.

She said for years, their struggles to do farming have proved to be futile because of prolonged dry weather. 

Mumbe said now the family is relieved to have food. She is happy that their health will improve. 

Most of the drought-hit Kwale residents have been depending on relief food to survive and have to reduce the number of meals they take in a day to survive. 

Some were reported to have one meal a day with children and women suffering the most.

County Red Cross coordinator Mohammed Mwaenzi said the programme ensures each farmer gets two kilograms of cowpeas and green gram of drought-resistant seeds and half a Kilo of millet seeds.

He said they are doing the project in partnership with the county government which provides the technical support.

"We registered the farmers under the department of agriculture where the county is giving advice on better seeds and training farmers on good farming techniques," he said.

Mwaenzi said they targeted the short rains to alleviate the effects of drought and support residents get enough food.

According to Kinango subcounty agricultural officer Mishi Mwilo, by the end of last year, Kinango has been receiving little rain.

She said rain would last for an hour and this is why they advised farmers to embrace drought-resistant crops to take advantage of the little rains. 

"Cowpeas and green grams require very little water and don't need too much fertilisers unlike maize and other crops," she said.

Mwilo said they recommend the KS20 type of seeds which can produce nine sacks of cowpeas or green grams from an acre if a farmer follows the correct farming procedures.

She said when the harvests are poor because of diseases and pests they can give about three sacks.

Even though the crops are doing well in drought areas, wild animals remain a major threat.

For example, Mbithe said she has to stay awake to chase away elephants who try to break into her farm. 

The situation is similar to Musau who has fenced his farm with old tree branches to bar animals from accessing the farm.

The farmers also want the county government to dig more water pans and boreholes to provide clean drinking water and for irrigation farming. 

The farmers said despite having drought-resistant crops, water remains a major challenge.

 

 

-Edited by SKanyara