How sorghum farming is changing lives in arid Lawan area in Baringo County

A decision by a group of farmers in arid Lawan area in Barwessa area of Baringo North sub-County to venture into sorghum farming is changing lives in the area with a bumper harvest expected in the area this year.

Besides ensuring food security,the initiative has also seen a significant drop in rampant cases of cattle rustling in the area which was a norm as sorghum is fast taking over livestock rearing.

When AVDelta News toured the area, we found many farmers toiling in their farms with others already harvesting their produce.

"Unlike maize which we have to wait for more than nine months to be ready for harvesting, sorghum,only takes 63 days to be harvested. Sorghum can also do well in areas with unreliable rainfall unlike maize which sometimes wither under harsh climatic conditions,” said Ms Mary Chepkeres, whose five-acre farm is already under sorghum.

The mother of six expects to harvest more than 50 bags this season.

The more than 100 farmers’ major challenge is lack of a ready market but this will soon be a thing of the past after East African Breweries Limited (EABL) expressed an interest in their produce. The brewer’s representatives are expected to tour the area next week to reach into a formal agreement with the farmers.

“With sorghum, we are assured of a steady income throughout the year as we can plant it three times a year. Our people should be encouraged to venture into it and hunger which has ravaged them over the years will be a thing of the past,” said Colonel (Rtd) Moses Kwonyike who is the brainchild of the initiative.

Colonel (Rtd) Kwonyike who has also planted sorghum in his five acre piece of land approached the Food Crops Research Institute which provided the farmers with fast maturing Gadam variety sorghum seeds.

The farmers however have to reckon with stray elephants from the nearby Kamnarok Game Reserve which usually wreak havoc in the area damaging their crops and called on Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to fence off the reserve to curb the human wildlife conflict.

Birds which feed on sorghum seeds have also been giving the farmers hard time especially when it is almost ready for harvesting.

"Sorghum farming is very labour intensive and if we can get incentives from the government including subsidised seeds, fertiliser, and tractors to prepare our farms we will turn this valley into a grain basket we can even supply our sorghum to neighbouring counties,”said Mr Joshua Kiptui, another farmer.

Baringo County Governor Benjamin Cheboi welcomed the farmers’ initiative saying that the area has a big potential in sorghum farming as one of the orphan crops which can make the area be self reliant in terms of food sufficiency.

According to the governor, his administration has been supporting the farmers by sending their officers to offer extension services to them.

“To minimize attacks from pests like birds we’ve been encouraging the farmers to go full blast and commercialize sorghum farming and the results are encouraging. This will not only boost production but minimize the bird damage as the risk will be spread over a large area,” Mr Cheboi said.

On reaching a formal agreement with EABL, farmers will at least be able to sell a kilo of their produce at Sh50.

Mr Cheboi said that plans are underway for the county government to put more than 10,000 acres of dry land in Kerio Valley under irrigation.

“This will not only boost food production in the area but will also create jobs for our thousands of jobless youth,”Mr Cheboi told AVDelta News. 

He said that the county government will also expand Perkerra, Eldume, and Barwessa irrigation schemes to achieve its full potential in food production.