Farmers in Marsabit County during a previous harvest at a maize farm. Photo: Daily Nation.
The food situation in rural areas in Marsabit County at limbo according to a recent that if the current dry conditions continue to be witnessed in the next two weeks, foods in the field will be destroyed due to lack of moisture
According to a statement made by Saku Sub-county agricultural officer Duba Nura, the most likely areas to be affected include Moyale Constituency and Sololo, where cases of food shortage will be witnessed if the rains do fall.
His remarks come after the weatherman said that some parts of the country will experience dry conditions, which Nura said will affect maize plants in the field that has now reached the flowering stage, and requires a lot of moisture to fruit.
“As of now, the maize situation in is not good, as it requires moisture, and the weatherman has said rains will stop for awhile in some parts of the county, areas like Moyale and Sololo are already experiencing dry conditions. This will worsen the already dire situation,” he remarked.
According to Nura, maize in the farm are at stage that requires water for budding, which requires rainfall to flower, stating that if the dry conditions perceive, then 40% of maize farms will dry up, as rainfall is critical in the flowering stage.
“This is what we call the critical stage, where it starts flowering and maize starts to grow, incase there is no moisture, the state of growth will not be good. In places like Moyale and surrounding areas, where farmers have started reporting of extreme dryness, this is not a good sign, as we might loss about 35%-40% of maize, if it does not rain in the next two weeks” explained.
Nura further explained that many areas have begun to experience the presence of extreme sun, an issue he said may affect food already in the fields that many families solely depend on. However, he says the condition of livestock is good as fodder especially grass, is available in many parts of the county.
The state of livestock echoes the county’s National Disaster Management Authority (NMDA) report, which stated that livestock in the region are healthy and in good physical condition, which has further led to the increase in milk production in Marsabit.
