Many farmers across Kitui are rushing against time to sufficiently prepare their farms for the imminent El Nino event rain in the October-November-December (OND) season.
Farmers in many parts of Kitui are building terraces in their farms to help check water loss and erosion as advised by the county agriculture authorities.
“We want to do our work of preparing our farmers so that we are not caught off-guard by the enhanced rainsfall as predicted,” Peter Kwanda, whom we found building a terraces at Kwa-Nguru village, Mwingi North subcounty, on Wednesday, says.
He told residents there was no time for idling and that most residents were busy in their farms working hard to pre-empt any negative impact of the OND rains following advice by the Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD) and agricultural experts.
Recently, the Kitui agriculture executive Stephen Kimwele sent out a message urging farmers to complete preparations on their farms in readiness for the forecast enhanced OND short rains.
Kimwele said farmers should take advantage of the weather forecast and prepare their farms early to avoid being caught unawares by the expected heavy rains.
KMD have forecast enhanced rainfall during the OND season, making it necessary for farmers to put their farms in order and prepare to plant early.
“According to the weatherman, the OND rainfall will be enhanced. There will be a lot of rain. This calls for proactive early preparation of farms and planting,” he said.
Speaking to journalists in his Kitui office, Kimwele urged farmers not to leave anything to chance but to roll up their sleeves and complete preparations in good time.
He said farmers should aim to have their farms fully prepared by the end of September so that they can plant early.
“By the end of September, farmers should have concluded preparations and put in place all the necessary structures on their farms, including terraces, as they prepare for the rains,” Kimwele said.
He advised farmers to repair existing terraces, desilt farm ponds and ensure their oxen and other equipment used for ploughing are in good condition.
The executive also urged farmers to acquire certified seeds, fertilisers and other farm inputs early. He said his officer were wary to ensure fake seeds and fertiliser was not sold to farmers.
He said his department was also working with agrochemical dealers in Kitui to ensure they stocked certified seeds and fertilisers.
Kimwele encouraged farmers to make full use of county agricultural extension officers for advice on land preparation, appropriate seed varieties and other inputs.
He said the county government was in the process of recruiting more extension officers to improve agricultural services across the county.
“We want to have extension officers in all corners of the county. They will also carry out surveillance to combat any outbreak of livestock diseases,” he said.
Kimwele said agricultural officers stationed at the ward level would also play a crucial role in monitoring and reporting livestock disease outbreaks for prompt intervention.
“We will move fast to deal with any emergency. It is worth noting that last season we pre-empted and curtailed the spread of livestock disease in Kitui East and Mui in Mwingi Central,” he said.
