Economy

North Rift sees good maize harvest on low crop failure

maize

North Rift maize farmers expect good yields this year. PHOTO | EVERLINE OKEWO

Maize germination in the country’s breadbasket of North Rift has attained 90 per cent rate, improving prospects of a good harvest this year.

Joseph Ng’etich, deputy director of crops at the Ministry of Agriculture, said this was an improvement on last year’s germination rate that was affected by erratic rain patterns.

He said although there were delays in the onset of long rains, a consistent rainfall pattern had boosted the crop’s growth.

“Germination this year has been even at the rate of 90 per cent, signalling a good year in terms of food security,” said Mr Ng’etich.

Last year, the rate stood at 80 per cent.

READ: Maize farmers’ loans dilemma in poor germination

The Meteorological Department in its March-April-May forecast had indicated that most regions would receive above normal rainfall.

Mr Ng’etich said the Agriculture ministry is projecting a yield of 41 million bags from this year’s crop, adding that the figure would be achieved given the good initial performance in the field.

Last year, 39 million 90-kg bags of maize were harvested, which was a drop from 40.7 million bags harvested the previous year.

The Agriculture ministry attributed the decline on poor rains that saw 20 per cent of the maize in the fields fail to germinate, forcing farmers to cultivate other crops.

READ: Failed rains to cut maize output 20pc

The long-rains season, which starts in March, is the main food production period in agricultural regions.

Kenya relies on rain-fed farming for crop production with only half a million acres under irrigation schemes.

The government, however, is putting one million acres under irrigation in the Galana-Kulalu area to boost food security.

Kenya is a maize-deficit country, producing less than the local market demands and regularly depending on imports from the region to boost its stocks.

The short-rains crop also plays an important role in supplementing the available stocks of maize. Farmers in the South Rift and parts of eastern Kenya normally plant their crop starting November.

The delay in rainfall impacted negatively on the fields in South Rift and parts of Nyanza as the crop was ravaged by drought.