Agricultural experts in Embu county have cautioned farmers against planting during the ongoing rains to avoid crop failure.
They said the rains will be short-lived, according to the forecast by the Kenya Meteorological Department, and urged farmers not to rush to put their seeds in the ground.
County Director for Agriculture Patrick Njeru said the preliminary showers could easily lead to premature germination, leaving crops to wither once the rains subside in the coming days, as predicted.
“We are asking our farmers not to treat the ongoing rains as the onset of the long rains,” Njeru said, urging them instead to use the showers to continue preparing their farms.
Njeru said the weather forecast for Embu indicates that the long rains will begin in mid-March in Manyatta and Runyenjes constituencies, which form the upper parts of the county.
He said the lower parts of Mbeere North and Mbeere South constituencies, which are classified as arid, will start receiving rains a week later.
Catherine Muriithi, extension officer at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, echoed his sentiments, asking farmers to avoid incurring losses associated with premature sowing of seeds and application of fertiliser.
“We do not want our farmers to incur double costs for inputs, and that is why we are asking them to heed the advisory by the weatherman,” she said.
Njeru said extension officers were on the ground training farmers on how to prepare their farmland for planting using modern techniques, including minimum tillage and conservation agriculture, aimed at maximising yields while conserving soil health.
He said they want to take advantage of the upcoming long rains, which have been predicted to be normal or above normal and well distributed in space and time, to maximise yields, especially for maize and beans, the main staple crops in the county.
