This archive report was first published on 17 August 2019.
August 17, 2019, marked a turning point for the residents of Kithangani village in Tharaka Nithi, where failed rains had left the land barren and dry.
However, thanks to the introduction of sisal farming, the village has seen a significant change in fortunes. The crop, which grows well in semi-arid regions, has provided a reliable source of income for the women of Kithangani Women Group.
According to Mary Gakii, the chairperson of the group, sisal farming has been a game-changer for the community. 'We have previously experienced crop failure and regularly relied on relief food, but with the sisal crop we are assured of a harvest all year round,' she says.
The group, which started with a capital of Sh200,000, has grown to 30 members and has been able to harvest and process the sisal crop at a regional centre. The crop is grown organically, requiring little production cost, and has low water requirements, making it an ideal crop for the dry region.
Agnes Wanja, a member of the group, explains that the crop is propagated from the bulbils or rhizomes and is planted at a depth of 3cm and a spacing of 3.5m by 0.95m for one to end up with 3,000 plants per ha. The crop takes two to three years to mature, depending on the climate.
Once the crop is mature, the leaves are harvested manually when they reach about a metre long and are cut 2.5 – 5cm from the plant. The green outer leaf is then removed by a process called decortication and can either be used as animal feed or as manure. The sisal fibre is then hung up to dry in the sun, then brushed and woven into the required textiles.
The group has partnered with another group, Kaumo Mugirirwa Women, to sell the fibres at Sh80 per kilo. The products made from the sisal, including baskets and ropes, have helped the women earn a decent living despite the arid conditions.
According to Jamleck Kirimi, a technician in the group, the leaves should not be decorticated after 48 hours from cutting time, and the drying sisal fibres should not take too long in the sun as this may affect the colour and quality.
Mr Sammy Nyaga, an agricultural researcher, feels that much more needs to be done to exploit the potential of sisal farming in Kenya. 'Sisal farming in Kenya is a key income earner as the country produces some of the world’s highest quality fibre, which is used in production of premium products, but in Kithangani the potential hasn’t been fully exploited,' he explains.
