Farmers told to plant traditional crops and shun maize and beans due to short rain

The seasonal weather report released on Tuesday by Kitui County director of meteorology, Daniel Mbithi advises farmers who have not planted to start planting forthwith. Mbithi advises that wet planting should largely be dictated by the weekly weather update which is more accurate. 

“Wet plant when the weekly forecast indicates at least three days with rain of a total amount greater than 20mm,” said Mbithi in the forecast report seen by MWINGI TIMES.

The report further indicates that the rains that set in this week, had the onset projected for the fourth week of March to first week of April with the cessation expected by the first and the second week of May. “The rainfall distribution in time and space is expected to be fair to bad in Lower Zone and fair to good in both Middle Zone and Upper Zone. The length of the rain period will be 30-45 days,” said Mbithi.

The Kitui County Met director said that there will be intermittent long dry spells within the rainy period. He said it was impossible to reasonably predict the actual length of the dry spells and the impact on crops.

The rain forecast report shows that although Kitui County had three ecological zones namely Upper Zone, Middle Zone and Lower Zones, growing of maize and beans should only take place in Upper Zone but a not in the rest of the zones.

The areas of Upper ecological zones are those projected to receive between 300 mm to 500 mm of rainfall thus provided adequate moisture for maize and beans. They include ward like Kyangwithya East, Township and Upper Nzambani.

The other wards fingered as ideal for the two crops are Miambani, Matinyani, Upper Mutonguni, Migwani, Mumoni and Tharaka, according to the report.

The report calls on farmers in the other two zones to avoid maize and beans and plant drought tolerant crops like Dolichos, millet, sorghum, cowpeas and greengrams. “To minimize risks, choose the crops whose seasonal crop water requirement is within the lower limit value of the predicted range,” the report advises farmers. 

The middle and lower zones are respectively projected to cumulatively receive 200mm to 300mm and 100mm to 200 mm during the MAM rain season.