Farmers in Nyeri Couty growing arrowroots using trenches and liners enabling them to grow the crop in upland areas as opposed to traditional waterlogged areas. Photo courtesy.
Nyeri County government has introduced new technology which will enable farmers to practice upland arrowroot production as opposed to the traditional waterlogged areas which have been threatened by climate change over the past years that has seen the dry up hence can no longer support the crop’s growth.
The new technology will employ the use of trenches with liners which can hold water for a longer time. They will also be filled with soil and manure on which the arrowroots are grown and irrigated during dry season.
In this, the county government provided each farmers group with liners to prevent water spillage, 3000 litre tanks, 500 tubers, pipes and hosepipes for irrigation.
There are also agricultural field officers deployed to help farmers to dig up trenches and lining with UV treated polythene paper filled with soil and manure.
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Already one of the beneficiaries Mwereri Good Hope Self Help Group from Kieni East Sub-County and which has been growing the crop harvested 90kg of these arrow roots selling and sold a kilo at Sh150 earning them Sh13,500.
With the new technology, the group hopes to increase production in the coming years and up the farmers’ returns.
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Arrowroots matures within a period of 6-10 months depending on the size the farmer desires.
With the new technology, arrowroots do not require a lot of attention in terms of management and practices, pest and diseases control and hence the cost of production is minimal.
It also allows efficient domestic water utilization also allowing farmers in dry areas to grow arrowroots.
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