By Henry Owino
Lower Eastern, Kenya: Persistence harsh and unpredictable weather patterns pose a major hindrance to agricultural activities. Nevertheless, for farmers in the Lower Eastern Kenya region, the irregular weather design turned out to be blessings in disguise.
It is so, by reflecting many years back when the region relied on relief foods from government and well-wishers due to failed agricultural crops.
Traditionally, residents in this part of the country popularly famous as Ukambani (Lower Eastern region) are known for growing maize and beans as their staple food crops. The region is generally a semi-arid area with perennial water problems though, accelerated by the effects of climate change.
Farmers here for a long time, have been experiencing nightmares in their traditional agricultural crops thus maize and beans. Continuously failed harvests in the region have contributed to high levels of poverty, malnourished families thereby depicting the region as a hunger-stricken area.
Fr Joseph Nzendu- Kitui Diocese said in Ukambani residents eat what they get whether nutritious or not, they don’t eat what they want. So, the majority eat what is available, and there is no choice for nutrition or taste and smell sensations.
However, Fr Nzendu said, the Ukambani region has great potential to produce enough food for its residents and the rest of Kenya. The region receives plenty of rainfall that ends up wasted as surface run-off though can be harvested and utilized later during the dry season to grow crops. Water from Rivers Athi and Tana can also be used for irrigation.
“Ukambani land is very productive, during the rainy season. There is a lot of rainfall that causes floods in the area, we can harvest that water through the construction of water pans and sand dams for later agricultural use,” Fr Nzendu said.
According to the latest weather report from Kenya Meteorological Department headquarters, the region is likely to receive near normal to above normal rainfall starting from late March to May 2022. The prediction cautions smallholder farmers when to plant, type of crops, and amount of rains expected.
“We used to plant maize and beans as our staple food crops but they end drying up for lack of rains,” Dorcas Katumbu, resident Mwingi said.
Climate adaptation
According to Amos Ndunda, Director of Agriculture, Makueni County, phasing out traditionally agriculture for organic farming among Ukambani farmers has not been easy. It took efforts of county governments to convene agriculture seminars to educate residents about the benefits to diversify from maize and beans to grow drought-tolerant crops with nutritional values for the region through an organic system.
Ndunda recalls that for many years, farmers in the region would be a hopeless lot around the months of July-August because of failed crops. The traditional belief of growing only maize and beans throughout the years misled most smallholder farmers and its consequences are insufficient food.
“Most smallholder farmers insisted to grow maize and beans claiming it is impossible to desist from its farming. Our advice as county agriculture experts have been always time to venture into other resilient crops is now,” Ndunda disclosed.
He regretted that for many years, the community has been used to growing maize and beans as their staple food crops. Planting is usually sometime in April and harvest in October, unfortunately, this has since changed as the weather is no longer predictable. Additionally, the two reliable cereal crops are less productive and could soon be rendered obsolete.
“When farmers realized they were making loses season after season, they decided to listen to various organizations’ advise including County Agriculture Extension Officers,” Ndunda noted. In short, it cautioned; “food systems that are not adding any value to people and nature by adopting sustainable production and consumption will not be supported by county governments,” he stated.
Ruth Mutua, Machakos Agriculture Executive said the county is using extension officers to educate farmers on organic agriculture, diversify on crops and grow more to increase quantities for the export market.
“We have realized it is possible to commercialize cereals produce in this region. We believe the crops can withstand harsh weather and change lives of Ukambani residents for the better.” Ms. Mutua hinted.
Ms. Mutua explained conventional farming has varying consequences on both the environment and people hence gradually being discontinued in the region. The method forces farmers to use synthetic chemical fertilizers, fungicides, pesticides, and herbicides to improve soil fertility, kill pests and protect crops from diseases.
She noted that conventional farming is expensive considering the cost of farm input yet the method jeopardizes farmers’ and consumers’ health. It also endangers other organisms on the planet whether biotic or abiotic thus ecosystem.
On the other hand, Ms. Mutua said organic or ecological farming, the majority of crops nutrients are supplied from organic matter additions such as; compost, manures, and cover crops. So, the compost not only feeds the plants but the soil organisms as well.
“We are in a semi-arid region and organic farming helps maintain soil aeration by ensuring microbial breakdown soil organic residue. It makes it possible for crops to grow and for soils to be produced naturally without using chemical fertilizers,” Ms. Mutua explained.
The realization of adapting agriculture to climate change in Ukambani came from the persistence of poor crop yields. Its revelation is the commencement of devolution and transfer of agriculture functions to counties’ governments. It has since changed the situation for the better for agricultural challenges that used to be tackled by the central government. Today, moved to the community level handled by locals, thanks to the Kenya Constitution, 2010.
Adaptive agricultural practices
There were field trials with a variety of cereal crops in different seasons by farmers and Agriculture Experts. Though some farmers did their own trials secretly to validate the adoptive sustainable agriculture, the results were publicly known.
Fortunately, yields of some crops increased while others decreased. It confirmed to the farmers that climate change effects contributed to poor harvests, especially with traditional farming. The comparison was on subcomponent crops such as; green grams, sorghum, millets, pigeon peas and cowpeas, maize, and beans.
A few who had stuck to conventional farming, are now turning to adaptive agriculture by growing drought-resistant crops that suit climate change. Notwithstanding, training colleagues in post-harvest handling techniques and business skills to earn a steady income.
Today, the majority of Ukambani smallholder farmers have diversified growing the two conservative portions of cereal maize and beans for drought-resilient crops. The crops include; sorghum, millet, pigeon peas, and green grams which are not only nutritious but soil-enhancing green manure as well.
Apart from growing legumes, the smallholder farmers focus on growing fruits such as mangoes, oranges, paw-paws, yellow passion fruits, sunflowers, bananas, giving the community more profits for their efforts.
“We attributed poor harvests to climate change but we realized depending heavily on maize and beans using unsuitable techniques also affected yields,” Joseph Muinde admitted. So, through training, we are shifting from focusing on growing maize and beans alone to sorghum, millet, green grams even yellow passions fruits among other fruits with nutritional values and fetch money as well,” he added.
Muinde is a farmer at Kaani in Kathiani Constituency, growing yellow passion fruit vines on his quarter-acre farm. He supplies produce to Mulleys Supermarket, which processes juice and sells it to customers.
“Demand for the product has been high, especially during festive seasons like December and I have no regrets switching to grow the crop,” Muinde emphasized.
“Before the introduction of alternative cereals, we would end up miserable during Christmas. The reason being, we would not have surplus produce to sell for cheering up our families,” recalls Beth Munuvi, a farmer in Kaulani village, Yatta Constituency.
Ms. Munuvi said regrets are now in the distant past. The focus for the three Ukambani counties; Machakos, Kitui, and Makueni is to embrace drought-tolerant crops through organic agriculture that is changing lives.
“I grow green grams and pigeon peas individually on my farm but we collect our products and sell as a group to wholesale buyers,” Ms. Munuvi said, a member of the Yatta Farm Growers Community Based Organisation, which brings together 100 farmers.
“Previously, to say the least, the Ukambani region used to be in media for wrong reasons. For instance, hunger all over and parents cooked stones for children, eating wild fruits, aflatoxin in maize but today it is about fresh nutritious fruits and cereals foods,” Ms. Munuvi bragged.
“I must say, some crops were earmarked by residents as ‘orphan crops’ so none were grown or traded in local markets. Such cereals crops were reserved at homes for poor families’ consumption but currently, our the main source of community income,” Ms. Munuvi revealed.
Benefits of diversified farming
More farmers are wealthy as less money is spent and more saved, eat a variety of cereal foods with nutritional value ensuring healthy living. Contributes towards ending poverty in all its forms everywhere.
Climate-smart agriculture interventions provide enabling environment for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged groups; pregnant women, elderly, children, persons with underlying health conditions, migrants or displaced persons, poor families to live on free polluted air.
Helps farmers contribute to food security SDG 2 whose target aims at ending hunger and ensuring access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food at all times of the year.
No negative impacts but favorably on soil fertility and decreases incidences of soil pollution, erosion, and degradation. Contributes to SDG 13 on urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
Increased rural employment to youth, therefore, decreases rural-urban migration in search of job opportunities. Poverty is reduced, fewer family stresses and mental health issues, food security in the food systems thereby decrease in foodborne zoonotic diseases (zoonoses and food).
Surprisingly, it is slowly becoming the cash crop of choice for residents grown without the use of pesticides, fertilizers, thus much money in return.
It has helped in addressing agroecological and socioeconomic challenges such as limited access to agronomic and market information. However, some of the setbacks were largely blamed on the centralized government, thanks to county governments that are now addressing it.
Nutritional benefits of cereals crops
Millet is adaptable grain, a good source of protein, fiber, key vitamins, and minerals thus ascertaining minimal health shocks. The potential health benefits of millet include; protecting cardiovascular health, preventing the onset of diabetes, helping people achieve and maintain a healthy weight, and managing inflammation in the gut.
While sorghum a nutrient-packed grain is rich in vitamins and minerals like B vitamins, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc. An excellent source of fiber, antioxidants, and protein. Its phenolic compounds have been linked to anti-cancer effects.
Green-gram alternatively known as mung bean is high in fiber and low in calories. For those trying to shed weight and are having a tough time cutting back on the calories, the green gram or green pigeon peas is what they really need.
Yellow passion fruit is a good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin B3 (Niacin), Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine), Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid), and beta carotene which converts into Vitamin A. All are good at improving eyesight health and helps to prevent eye diseases.
Mangoes contain high levels of vitamin C, fiber, and pectin making them a perfect fruit for controlling high cholesterol levels. The content of fiber, potassium, and vitamins in mangoes helps keep the arteries working and reduces the risk of heart disease.
Initiatives developed in the Ukambani region in eradicating hunger and poverty require a radical shift from dominant food system models and development paradigms. Targeting the food system as a whole and creating enabling public policies, addressing key issues affecting food insecurity and malnutrition.
People who are well-nourished; live, learn, and work longer, and contribute to achieving their societies’ aspirations for inclusive economic growth, human development, environmental health, and innovation.
