Farmers who had their crops destroyed by the March-May long rains have been advised not to plant any new crops as the remaining rains will not sustain these new crops to maturity.
According to the Kenya Meteorological Department Director David Gikungu May marks the cessation of the “Long Rains” season across most of the country, any precipitation will not be adequate for planting new crops.
While rainfall experienced throughout April and the early weeks of May have provided favorable conditions for agricultural activities, they have also resulted in significant crop damage in key agricultural regions. Livestock have also been killed by floods and landslides.
Speaking to the Kenya News Agency, Nyeri County’s Director of Meteorological Services John Muiruri said that the worst of the rains has died down and that farmers should see significantly reduced rains in May and June.
“We know much of what the farmers had planted in their farms was swept by floods and right now many areas are devoid of any crops. Our advice to farmers who lost their crops is to refrain from going back to their farms to plant afresh since the remaining phase of the rains will not sustain such crops,” he told the news agency.
However, according to the Kenyan Met, the ongoing rains will be conducive for agricultural production in the high-potential counties of the Highlands West of the Rift Valley, the Lake Victoria basin region as well as Central and Southern Rift where rainfall is expected to continue into the June-July-August season.
Farmers in these areas are encouraged to continue liaising with agricultural extension officers to get advice on appropriate land use management to maximize their crop yields.
Near-average to above-average rainfall is expected in Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) of Northern and Southeastern lowlands which will improve pastures. However, pastoralists and relevant authorities are advised to conserve pasture as the season comes to an end to ensure their livestock have adequate feed to last till the next rainfall season.
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