One of my favorite sayings is one man’s meat is another poison. While such sayings are assumed to only suit compositions and essay writing, their applicability in life is very evident, for instance, in agriculture. A cold and rainy day is expected to damper the moods of several individuals, especially if you leave the house without warm clothing and a precious umbrella.
However, such a day is a blessing to farmers who rely on rain to grow their produce. For farmers, a rainy day represents hope and potential, while a sunny, cloudless day brings about losses and insecurity.
For decades, Kenyan farmers have been practicing rain-fed agriculture. This form of agriculture depends on rainfall as the main source of farm water. 98% of farm output is obtained through rain-fed agriculture. Kenya has two main rain seasons; March to May for long rains and October to December for short rains. While rain-fed agriculture worked in the past, climate changes have rendered it unproductive and unsustainable.
Current climate trends demonstrate a pattern in which rainfall decreases year after year. Observations indicate that although the rainy seasons start on time, they end abruptly or have a reduced quantity of rainfall. These climate changes are attributed to global warming, which causes reduced rainfall and higher temperatures. Climate changes present a significant problem since agriculture supports 70% of the Kenyan workforce and has a 25% contribution to GDP.
Small-scale farmers can implement irrigation through the following methods; drip, mist, furrow and sprinkler. As the leading agency in implementing development in Kenya, the Coastal Development Authority is committed to supporting farmers adopt good agricultural practices that boost economic growth. For the last decade, the Authority has partnered with farmers in Kilifi, TanaRiver, Taita Taveta counties.
