Migori County: Migori County has a high potential for production of a variety of traditional crops but that is yet to be exploited.
According to Kenya News Agency, farmers in the region have not fully tapped the available potential in growing crops like millet, cassava, sorghum, groundnuts, banana, sweet potatoes, sunflower, soya beans, passion fruits, and traditional vegetables. In contrast with other regions in the country, farmers in Migori County have lagged behind in diversifying to indigenous food and cash crop production for a long time.
Instead, they have stuck to growing maize, tobacco, and sugarcane rather than cultivating traditional food and cash crops, which were once the staple diet of their forefathers. From early 2005, attempts to entice local farmers to embrace the farming of drought and disease-resistant crops have all hit a snag. Influenced by the love for Western diets, many have ignored the age-old advice.
One-time coordinator at a Non-Governmental Organization, Action Aid, Mr. Lucas Mosenda Chacha, tried to influence farmers to move away from solely relying on maize and tobacco production in Kuria land but faced strong resistance. Now a County Executive Committee (CEC) member in charge of Agriculture in the County Government of Migori, Chacha had the resources from the NGO to change the dynamics of food and cash crop production, but locals ignored his efforts to encourage the farming of traditional African crops.
Chacha invested millions in purchasing seeds for sunflower, Langstroth beehives, organizing seminars, workshops, and exchange programs for farmers, but these efforts were in vain. The dilemma now is the emergence of diseases and pests that have compromised the production of Western cultured crops, leading to acute food shortages and health issues, as claimed by Chacha.
Migori County Government Senior Nutritionist, Caroline Odete, emphasizes the importance of consuming more traditional foods like Ugali made from millet, sorghum, and cassava flours. Unfortunately, these foods are not commonly served in eateries frequented by the younger generation across the County and in Kenya. Health experts credit these traditional food crops with providing essential vitamins and aiding in achieving a healthy lifestyle.
According to Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research (KALRO), Kenya produces less than 100,000 metric tons of sorghum, millet, and cassava annually, with minimal growth. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) ranks Kenya low worldwide in terms of sorghum, millet, and cassava production. In Migori County, despite favorable soil and rainfall conditions, the data has been below expectations.
Chacha notes that many in the County have shunned growing millet, sorghum, and cassava, viewing them as outdated crops associated with the older generation. However, there have been positive signs of a gradual return to these traditional crops, with efforts led by the Ministry of Agriculture.
In recent months, the Ministry of Agriculture has worked to promote indigenous crop farming by supplying seeds and offering free seed subsidies. Agricultural extension officers have been actively training farmers. As a result, there has been an increase in land under cassava, millet, and sorghum cultivation. Mr. Peter Olengo and Mrs. Turphosa Otieno are among those who have embraced this change, with Olengo cultivating five acres of sorghum through a County program and Otieno benefiting from millet farming.