By Matilda Atieno
The climate shocks occurring in the Kisumu region, including persistent floods, erratic rainfall and soaring temperatures, are wreaking havoc on local agricultural production and threatening the population’s primary livelihood source. The rain seasons are not what they once were in Kisumu County. As climate change bites, the dry and wet seasons are more unreliable and have become an all-too-common phenomenon as smallholder farmers in the rural community of Nyangoma Masogo Ward in Kisumu are bearing the brunt of its effects in the form of reduced crop yields.
This year, the smallholder farmers of Nyangoma Masogo Ward in Nyando Sub-County were introduced to new crop varieties with high levels of climate resilience and higher yield potential towards securing livelihoods and promoting economic growth in the community through the Financing Locally-Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) program in Kisumu.
The seeds included maize, beans and indigenous vegetables, serving as staple foods and accounting for most domestic agricultural production in the area. Given the growing challenges of climate change, the Nyangoma Masogo ward, through their Ward Climate Change Planning Committee (WCCPC) Participatory Climate Risk Assessment (PCRA) exercise focused on climate-resilient seed varieties to address these environmental stressors.
Farmers in Nyangoma tend to rely on older varieties, often due to risk aversion, insufficient knowledge dissemination, and limited access to seeds, which hinder the full potential of these resilient seeds and have led to suboptimal yield outcomes. The adoption of climate-resilient seeds is a deliberate and targeted intervention aimed at achieving high adoption rates, enhancing food security and agricultural resilience in this area.
“In Just two months we have harvested beans and in the next two months we shall be harvesting our maize.” Joice Sezi joyfully stated. “Now, (we) need more seeds that can withstand climate change or those that incorporate several climate-resilient features,” she said.
For farmers like Ms. Sezi, who grows maize beans and vegetable plots in Wangaya village, supplies of new, resilient seeds could not arrive quickly enough after hefty climate-related losses in recent years.
“The crops like maize grown with the fertilizer, grow well and produce larger maize. Now, I look forward to harvesting up to 80 bags of maize and improving the yields of the local vegetables. Stated Ms Sezi.
By empowering smallholder farmers with climate-resilient seeds, knowledge, and support, FLLoCA has not only boosted productivity but has also set the stage for long-term food security and economic growth.
The success of the project is a testament to the power of innovation, and partnership-driven development. “There is a noticeable difference between green vegetables where fertilizer is used and where it is not,” Beatrice Adhiambo says. Having received seeds and bags of DAP and CAN fertilizers, Beatrice and her fellow farmers applied the fertilizer on their vegetables to boost yields I have enough food for my family and a surplus to sell. With the additional income, I can purchase food items we do not grow at home, such as meat and additional vegetables and also pay for school fees. As a result, my children are strong and well nourished.” Ms Adhiambo said.
On the other hand, a smallholder farmer and a beneficiary of climate resilient crops, Mr. Wona Odero encouraged the exchange of knowledge on climate resilient farming, as well as more inputs and experiences. He recognizes that communities can fortify their collective resilience against climate change, thereby securing the sustainability of food security for generations to come.
“As crop production develops in the community, life will become easier for families because they will no longer worry about having enough to eat. With successful farming practices, it becomes easier to have improved harvests and enough food for families. When a family has enough to eat, peace prevails,” Odero says.
But as the effect of climate change increasingly grows, seeds alone will not be enough, Odero Noted. New growing practices will also be needed.
“Farmers are already making many changes, for example, changing cropping patterns,” he said, calling for more education and advisory services for Agricultural practices in the county.
The seeds provided by the County Climate Change Unit through the FLLoCA program have shown greater resilience against temperature fluctuations and untimely rains. The seeds also came with the promise of increased yields.
Climate resilient farming is part of the county FLLoCA initiative aimed at empowering vulnerable households and communities to cope with current shocks and stresses and to be prepared to withstand future risks.