Residents of Ithanga
in lower Gatanga have been relying on relief food every time a dry spell
strikes.
the relatively dry parts in Murang’a which receive minimal rainfall leading to
massive crop failure leaving the resident to grapple with food shortage.
for the residents after the ministry of water through the National Irrigation
Authority (NIA) dug water pans for them enabling them to do farming throughout
the year.
have benefited from the program and they are gradually turning the area into a
food basket both for the locals and the larger Murang’a.
the beneficiaries of this program and for the past two years he has been
farming, the rewards have been impressive.
sand harvester for a couple of years, a job he said was not rewarding but he
abandoned it to go to the farm after he got the water pan.
he has been growing maize, capsicum, cabbages, tree tomatoes, paw paws, maize
and bananas.
mixed farming to ensure he has something on the farm throughout the year as the
maturity period for the crops vary.
used to rely on rainfed agriculture but he became frustrated due to poor
production forcing him to go to the sand mines.
maize but the harvest was poor due to inadequate rainfall, there wasn’t enough
even to feed my family” he said.
lying idle has now been fully utilized and he is able to generate money out of
it.
pan I am able to farm throughout the year unlike before when I had to wait for
the rain season” said Nzioka.
them when they are still green as they bring more money than when they are dry”
he added.
another beneficiary of this program and has been farming traditional vegetables
such as managu, terere, spinach, kales, cabbages and french beans.
despite being dry can be very productive when there is adequate water for
farming.
pushed him to indulge into alcoholism and eating miraa but his life has changed
for the better.
vegetables because they mature within a short period of time and thus
generating quick cash.
week and take the vegetables to the market and there are some clients who get
them from the farm” he said.
a long time been farming maize but she became frustrated when due to poor
production.
pan dug in her farm, she opted to grow tomatoes as the main crop and the
results have been impressive.
from rain fed agriculture to irrigation has helped in ensuring continuous
farming throughout the year but she is keen to observe the market trend to avoid
harvesting her produce when there is a surplus supply
for three seasons now and they have given me good returns” she said.
high cost of farm inputs has been a major challenge as it eats into the
profit.
like to install a drip irrigation system into her farm but its cost is too
high.
water from the pan and this is expensive because of the fuel and at times I
hire people to water the plants” she added.
said the water pans have helped transform the area and the locals no longer
require relief food.
being dug for free thus saving the residents approximately Sh300, 000 required
to do a single pan.
part of the bigger project by the national government to provide water for
irrigation for the locals.
in line with the government’s agenda to improve food security in the country by
boosting food production” he remarked.
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