By H, KNA
Smallholder farmers in the coastal county of Kwale have been urged to embrace climate smart agricultural practices to boost productivity in the face of climate change effects.
Many small-scale farmers continue to grapple with the ravages of climate change which is a threat to both livelihoods and the environment.
Climate-smart agriculture is an integrated approach to managing landscapes such as cropland, livestock, and that address the twin challenges of food security and climate change.
Climate change affects agriculture through increased frequency of extreme weather events like prolonged droughts and extreme rains leading to floods, unanticipated pests and disease patterns, altered plant growth cycles due to temperature shifts, and impacts on soil health and water resources.
Environmentalists contend that smallholder farmers bear the brunt of climate change including extreme weather events and the disruption of the conventional ecosystems.
Climate smart agriculture encompasses farming practices such as agroforestry systems, drought tolerant crop varieties and techniques like crop diversification, conservation farming, crop rotation and intercropping.
Kwale County Governor, Fatuma Achani, affirms that climate-smart farming practices go a long way in improving crop yields, increasing family incomes and reducing environmental damage and is the ‘surest path to attain food security’.
Governor Achani said she is happy that smallholder farmers in several parts of Kwale were slowly adapting to climate-smart agricultural practices to improve productivity, enhance resilience to climate variability, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and store carbon.
Achani noted that the devolved unit is helping small-scale rural farmers to transit from the traditional rain-fed agricultural system to climate-smart and irrigation-based farming to guarantee long-term food security in the region.
She highlighted that since the inception of devolution in 2013, Kwale has constructed 50 large and medium water dams and drilled 60 boreholes besides laying 500 km of water pipelines.
The county boss explained that confronted with the reality of erratic rainfall patterns and low yields farmers across the coastal county are slowly ‘opening their arms’ for climate smart agriculture practices in the hope of increasing crop yields and farm income.
Achani says the devolved government has launched several solar powered drip irrigation schemes in arid and semi-arid zones of the county for enhanced food security.
She says the county seeks to modernize agriculture, enhance food security, and drive economic growth through sustainable irrigation solutions.
These schemes utilize various water sources like boreholes, underground springs, dams, and water pans as the county aims for year-round farming, increased yields, and improved livelihoods.
The coastal county’s main sources of water are boreholes, underground, springs, dams, water pans and rock catchments.
The county boss said the devolved unit is turning its focus on innovative farming techniques, value chain optimization, strengthening small-scale farmers’ resilience, and strategic investments in climate-smart agriculture which is more resilient to climate shocks.
Achani was speaking when she distributed essential farming equipment to the ‘Rise and Shine Self-Help Group’ in Kitungure village, Dzombo Ward, Lunga Lunga sub-county in efforts to boost local agricultural productivity and community empowerment.
During the event the governor handed over 21 pieces of 5,000 litres water tank, 40 rolls of barbed wire, 20 hand-held hoes, 11 wheelbarrows, 1/4-acre demonstration farm, and full drip kits for demonstration plot purposes.
The farming kits were issued as part of the Kenya Marine Fisheries and Socio-Economic Development (KEMFSED) project, aimed at promoting sustainable livelihoods among coastal communities.
The KEMFSED project is implemented by the State Department for Blue Economy and Fisheries with support from the World Bank with the project duration being 2020-2025 with funding worth Sh.10 billion.
The KEMFSED project is being implemented in the coastal counties of Mombasa, Kwale, Kilifi and Lamu to improve livelihood activities in coastal communities.
The donor funded programme aims at expanding access to livelihood support, food security services, and grants for poor and vulnerable households and businesses, contributing to the overall socio-economic development of the coastal counties.
Addressing the farmers, Achani reaffirmed her administration’s commitment to supporting grassroots development through strategic investments in agriculture, fisheries, and women’s economic empowerment.
“Agriculture remains a key pillar of our county’s development plan. Through partnerships with programs like KEMFSED, we are enabling our people, especially women and youth to become self-reliant and resilient,” explained Achani.
“This support is about more than farm tools, it’s about dignity, sustainability, and opportunity.”
Achani added that the county government is scaling up similar interventions across all the 20 administrative wards in Kwale to strengthen food security and reduce dependency on external aid.
Chairlady of Rise and Shine Self-Help Group, Florence Musyoki expressed her appreciation for the support terming it as ‘timely and transformative’ and will contribute to the improvement of local smallholder farmers’ capabilities.
“We are truly grateful for this generous support. With these tools and the farm demonstration plot, our group can now expand our farming activities and serve as a training hub for others in the community,” she said.
She said many small-scale farmers face challenges such as climate change, resource conflict and poverty which affect the way they operate.
“Supporting women rural farmers would help fight hunger, poverty and climate change at the grassroots level,” she said.
Florence also encouraged other women in the area to organize into self-help groups and take steps toward forming registered companies to tap into more funding and procurement opportunities.
“Formalizing our groups helps us access tenders, government support, and training. We urge more women to take this bold step.”