Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii has issued an alert over a possible 60 per cent drop in food production, especially maize, in the county this year.
Bii, who spoke in Moiben, said failed rains had caused widespread crop failure, affecting both food and commercial crops. He warned that production would be significantly lower this season.
He said the county, widely known as the country’s breadbasket, could face famine in many areas later this year due to food shortages.
“We have recorded the worst-ever crop failure, especially for maize, and we expect production of most crops to drop by over 60 per cent, leading to possible famine,” Bii said.
He said many farmers had been forced to cut down their crops after they dried up because of the prolonged dry spell.
Uasin Gishu has more than 117,923 hectares under maize cultivation and produces more than 5.3 million bags annually. More than half of the maize planted this year has dried up.
“With the expected shortage, it means we may even be forced to import maize next year because of the low production expected,” Bii said.
The governor said farmers in the region had relied on maize production for many years, but many are now adopting crop diversification.
He said coffee farming is taking root in the county, with about 1,700 acres currently under the crop. The county is targeting to increase the acreage to more than 5,000 acres.
“Crop diversification is one way to help our farmers avoid heavy losses because they will not rely on maize growing alone,” Bii said.
In neighbouring Trans Nzoia County, farmers have also recorded crop failure in many areas.
The national government has rolled out an empowerment drive in Trans Nzoia to cushion farmers from the effects of crop failure caused by low rainfall, especially in high-producing regions.
Farmers in the North Rift region are also calling for a timely supply of subsidised fertiliser to help them plant short-term crops during the expected El Niño period.
State departments are on the ground mobilising residents, conducting sensitisation on modern farming and distributing chicks and fruit trees to help them venture into alternative sources of livelihood.
Livestock Production deputy director Josephant Smollo distributed 4,000 day-old chicks to several groups at Mateket in Cherangany and Sirende in Kiminini constituency.
Accompanied by Trans Nzoia Woman Representative Lilian Siyoi, he unveiled smart agriculture activities and said the empowerment programme is key to tackling food insecurity among families.
“Many families have been hit by crop failure, and the government is supporting families to put food on the table,” Smollo said.
Siyoi urged residents to embrace diversification to mitigate the effects of climate change.
