Irrigation farming in Kenya:
A group of farmers from the semi-arid Kilimambogo area in Thika East Sub County are making a fortune from irrigation agriculture.
200 plus farmers from Kisiiki village have tapped the adjacent Athi River.
They are growing:
- Vegetables,
- Tomatoes,
- Maize
- and bananas…
which they have been selling over the dry period to make a living.
The farmers have connected irrigation pumps and pipes to the river.
You’ll always find them in their farms doing irrigation to the late hours of the evening.
Every day, thousands of traders and brokers rush into their farms to buy the vegetables so that they can supply to the nearby Matuu and Thika towns and other local markets as well as the nearby learning institutions.
One farmer says, The dry season is when the demand for his agricultural produce is highest.
“When the demand for vegetables skyrockets, we have to increase the acrerage under irrigation.
We rarely take our vegetables to the markets as traders flock the farms each day to buy the produce.”
He farms tomatoes, cabbages and bananas and has employed three casual laborers to help in irrigation, weeding and harvesting of the produce.
“Almost every person from this village who has a farm adjacent to the river is busy in their farms.
We have the chance to tap the big river to kick out hunger in the area. This river is a blessing,” he says.
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