The August 26 El Niño warning by the Kenya Meteorological Service took me back to my years in farming between 2015 and 2023, when I witnessed how extreme weather could wipe out months of hard work.
During prolonged heat, farmers desperately searched for ways to save their crops. At an agrovet in Kitengela, where I farmed French beans, new chemicals were marketed as solutions that could improve moisture retention and protect crops from scorching temperatures. Like many farmers, I hoped they would make a difference.
