Karatu District missed out on the short rains this year. Although many farmers planted beans in expectation of rain in October and November, it didn't happen. Most of our communities averaged less than one day of rainfall so the beans withered in the fields. Nevertheless, in expectation of the long rains in late February and March for Karatu's major growing season, the farmers are going ahead with field preparation and seed selection. In response to the farmers, CPAR is conducting a seed fair this week. Nderingo and Deo have teamed up with the local seed supplier to visit each community and ensure that the farmers will have timely access to the kinds of seeds they want -- namely short maturity maize and pigeon pea seeds, sunflower seeds and lablab beans.
Implementation of simple irrigation methods like manually pumping water to the field through, for example, the moneymaker pump, is a challenge in our communities due to the lack of natural springs, lakes or rivers. Farmers are reliant on rainfed agriculture which is why CPAR promotes "conservation agriculture", a technique of conserving moisture in the soil through planting cover crops and leaving crop residues in the fields after harvest.
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