Kambiti: In Kambiti village located in the lower and drier parts of Murang’a County, an unexpectedly green farm hosts a thriving tree nursery and a variety of vegetables. Esther Muthoni, a resident of this semi-arid area, has turned her farm into a sustainable source of income by growing seedlings and vegetables for sale, in a region where residents often rely on relief food from the government during prolonged dry seasons.
According to Kenya News Agency, Muthoni explained how for many years, like the majority of residents in the area, she relied on rain-fed agriculture. However, due to changes in rainfall patterns resulting from climate change, crop production was often affected, leading to meagre harvests. When she decided to venture into agribusiness, she started her tree nursery with less than 100 seedlings. Using the proceeds, she gradually expanded her farm to include other crops such as capsicum, spinach, arrowroots, tomatoes, kales, and sugar cane.
‘My tree nursery now has more than two thousand seedlings of various local fruit trees including pixie oranges, avocados, lemons, guavas, and mangoes among others,’ she said. Her farm, characterized by lush green lawns of crops, stands out in comparison to neighboring farms that lay bare during the ongoing dry season. Her clients for the seedlings are fruit farmers from Murang’a and the neighboring counties who come to buy from her farm.
Muthoni revealed that soon after starting her venture, she received a financial boost of Sh24,000 from the government through the Economic Inclusion Programme (EIP), which she used to expand her agribusiness. Muthoni has also dug two water pans in her farm to collect rainwater, ensuring a constant supply of water to irrigate her crops throughout the year. ‘There is a small seasonal river that passes through the farm, but it dries out after some time which is why I needed the water pans,’ she said.
She stated that she started her tree nursery on a quarter acre of land and has since expanded her farming to one acre, growing a variety of crops that she sells to her neighbors. ‘I have plans to expand my farming so that I can grow more crops that can meet the demand from my customers and also get more to take to the market,’ Muthoni said. ‘Many people come to get vegetables from the farm and sometimes I don’t have enough to sell to them,’ she added.
Muthoni expressed her passion for farming, noting that it has provided better returns than other income-generating ventures she has tried in the past. As a way of adapting to climate change, she has adopted conservation agriculture, which has resulted in adequate produce even during the drier months. ‘My practice of conservation agriculture involves little land tillage to prevent soil erosion, mulching for soil cover, and crop rotation to optimize nutrients in the soil,’ she explained. ‘It is possible to change this area which is perceived to be dry and unproductive by diversifying to other crops,’ she added.
Farming has not been without its challenges, with disease and pest infestation on the crops being a major setback. Muthoni says when she gets enough money, she intends to set up greenhouses, which are known to protect crops even under harsh climatic conditions. She called upon other farmers in the area to consider venturing into agribusiness as a way of generating income and boosting food security, noting that many people in Kambiti area only plant maize and beans during the rainy seasons, and sometimes the rainfall is inadequate.