- Ismael Lema said they should be given cash instead of the meat they are given after cattle are slaughtered.
- “The meat only sustains us for a day. It’s a good programme but they should give us money,” he said.
Image: KNA
Farmers are urging the state to increase livestock prices during the off-take programme.
The government targets 730 cattle in the ongoing phase two of the livestock off-take programme in Tana River.
The livestock are at risk of starving as a result of prolonged drought.
The government is buying a cow at Sh15,000, but farmers want the price to go up to Sh25,000 due to an upsurge in basic commodity prices.
They also want to be compensated for the livestock they have lost.
Omar Godana, a resident of Makutano village in the Galole constituency, said the effects of the current drought have surpassed the one witnessed in 1984.
“The livestock we had are all dead. Water is also a problem and the living conditions have also changed. The cost of living has skyrocketed and people do not have any income," he said.
Godana said many water sources have dried up and taking their livestock to River Tana is a recipe for conflicts with the farming communities who stay along the riverine.
Prices of cattle, he says, have reduced from Sh60,000 to Sh30,000 due to their poor body condition.
Isaack Dara is counting losses after his cattle succumbed to the vagaries of drought.
He is remaining with only 25 cattle, which are in Tana Delta subcounty where there is relatively good vegetation cover.
“This year's drought is very surprising. I had 150 cows but those cows have all died. I am left with only 25 cows. I still fail to graze the cattle in this area because there is no water and pasture.
"I am appealing to the national and county governments to help us. Even education has now become a problem as children are runing away from school,” Dara said.
Esha Guyato a women leader in Kalkacha said women bear the brunt of famine as they are forced to trek for long in search of water.
“We have a water problem for human and livestock consumption. The government should also hurry up and bring us food.
"They need to substitute the meat we are given by the Red Cross, with food. We are about to die of hunger,” she said.
Ismael Lema said they should be given cash instead of the meat they are given after cattle are slaughtered.
“The meat only sustains us for a day. It’s a good programme but they should give us money,” he said.
Tana River has not received adequate rains in the last four seasons.
The situation may worsen as the Meteorological department in its forecast for October-December 2022 season said Tana is among five coastal counties that may have below-average (highly depressed) rainfall.
The National Drought Management Authority early warning bulletin for August 2022 said most open water sources within pastoral zones have dried up.
“Pasture is poor and depleted in quantity and quality in pastoral zones. It is fair to poor in marginal mixed livelihood zones and fair to good in mixed farming livelihood zones," it read.
The authority said this is attributed to lack of rains and high influx of livestock from Northeastern, which has led to overgrazing.
“The current pasture is expected to last for less than one month in pastoral and marginal mixed zones and two months in the mixed farming livelihood zones,” they said.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)