This archive report was first published on 15 November 2019.
Water scarcity and persistent pest infestation have led to significant losses for farmers at the Coast. However, experts are urging them to adopt climate-smart technologies and new crop varieties that are drought-tolerant to mitigate the effects.
At the recent ASK Mombasa show, various technologies and crop varieties were showcased, including green grammes, which are ideal for the region. Robert Musyoki, sales and marketing manager at Simlaw Seeds, identified green grammes as one of the crops that do well at the Coast, requiring only moisture during planting and flowering.
"The crop takes 45 days to mature, and an acre produces 80 bags," Musyoki said, recommending the KS20 Pojo variety. He also noted that cow peas and amaranth are other drought-tolerant crops that thrive in areas with high temperatures and humidity.
"For these vegetables, you start harvesting at three weeks, making it possible to earn faster," Musyoki added. To preserve the vegetables for up to a year, a solar dryer can be used, available from Sh10,000 to Sh15,000.
Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service senior inspector Timothy Ndolo warned of the threat of fall army worm and mango fruit fly to food security at the Coast and other parts of the country. He advised farmers to use pheromone traps to curb the pests.
"The trap has hormones that lure the male pest and once it gets inside, it is killed by an insecticide," Ndolo explained. This leaves the female adults without males to mate, hence no multiplication.
Other crops that are doing well at the Coast include Fahari F1 watermelon, which is conducive for the region's climate and takes two months to mature. Joram Kaindi from Sygenta noted that the crop yields an 8kg fruit, is disease-tolerant, and suitable for open-field planting.
Paul Kisiangani, a horticulturalist with Agribusiness Youth Society of Kenya, urged farmers to grow pawpaws and pineapples, which do well in the region and fetch more. "One should plant crops that do not require much rainfall. Hybrid varieties are high-yielding and conducive for the climate," Kisiangani said.
