Embrace hardy crops, farmers in dry areas told

Dr Moses Siambi, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, explains a point in a sorghum field in Tharaka Nithi. He urged farmers in the region to embrace drought resistant crops. PHOTO | BRIAN OKINDA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • These crops thrive well in dry conditions and offer a lot more returns than maize.
  • Dr Siambi further told residents to consume the crops in plenty to help in making them staple foods.
  • These foods can alleviate the perennial food shortage in the country as some can be a substitute of maize.

Farmers in semi-arid areas have been asked to cultivate drought-resistant crops to curb food shortage, which has been worsened by the ongoing drought.

Dr Moses Siambi, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, said crops like sorghum, millet, green grams, cow peas, pigeon peas and soya do well in semi-arid areas, offering great returns.

“These crops thrive well in dry conditions and offer a lot more returns than maize,” said Dr Siambi at a farmers’ field day in Igambang’ombe, Tharaka Nithi County this week, adding that the crops fetch from Sh50 to Sh100 per kilo in the market.

Dr Siambi further told residents to consume the crops in plenty to help in making them staple foods, just like maize.

According to Dr Siambi, there is a misconception that the foods are for poor people or those in the rural areas, which is wrong as many go for less nutritive fast foods that appear ‘cool’.

“We need to eat these foods, which can help us fight lifestyles diseases that are ravaging many families,” he said.

“These foods can alleviate the perennial food shortage in the country as some can be a substitute of maize or be blended with it reducing competition for the cereal.”

The county government in partnership with ICRISAT promised to help farmers acquire seeds and other farm inputs to boost the cultivation of the crops and also link them to markets such as East Africa Malting Ltd.