High returns from sorghum lure Kano farmers from rice farming

Rice farmers in Kisumu’s West Kano irrigation scheme are expecting higher earnings after they ventured into sorghum production. For many years, they were forced to wait for up to six months to earn from rice yet very little returns were realised.

The farmers, who also blamed middlemen for their meagre income, said the sorghum project piloted by the county government would end their woes. They lauded the project saying it had not only increased food supply but also enabled them earn enough money to meet their basic needs.

The rice farmers now want to fully embrace sorghum having benefited from a food security initiative started in 22 counties that signed a pact with the United States Agency for International Development (USAid) under the Kenya Agriculture Value Chain Enterprises project.

Jane Kisia, 61, a farmer in Kano, said devolution has boosted their livelihoods. She said the National Irrigation Board only assisted them to produce rice by providng a stable water supply but did not assure them of a ready market for the produce.

“We were engrossed in rice. There were no profits yet we continued going back to the farms every year. Paddy fields lay fallow for the rest of the season with people grazing their cattle in the fields,” she said.

She told the Business Daily the shift to sorghum farming that is supported by the county government had changed her fortunes over the past three months. With Sh32,000 investment, Ms Kisia said she harvested more than 3,500 kilogrammes of the produce.

“I no longer have to wait for another six months to plant rice seeds in our paddies,” she said. She said the county government also supports farmers in land preparation by providing tractors at subsidised costs.

“At times we used to plant without ploughing our plots. The tractors have made it possible to work on large tracts of land within a short time,” she said.

John Gordon Okal, 75, said a loan he was offered by the county government and later recovered at the harvest season had motivated them.

“The pilot programme proved beyond doubt that agribusiness is the only way to go. We can now boast of having more money in the pocket than in the past,” said Mr Okal.

He added that the venture, which he intends to expand alongside rice farming, has enabled him pay school fees for his grandchildren as well.

Mr Justus Bongo, 61, said he was elated that the introduction of sorghum would solve most of the challenges they faced in rice farming. He said delayed payments had made lenders shy away from giving them loans.

“These days banks don’t want to hear any of our requests that they fund rice growing. We have rice stuck in warehouses because imports flood the market,” Mr Bongo said.

“We want to grow both crops since the market is already assured by East African Breweries who bought our sorghum at Sh15 per kilo. Seed companies have also approached us saying they have better prices.”

Governor Jack Ranguma said the project would be expanded to the rest of the county following the good results of the pilot projects in Kisumu, Seme and parts of Nyakach.