Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City.
FARMERS and members of the general public in Nyanza Province are in a great panic as the result of the expected crops failure following non-arrival of the long rains in parts of the region.
This year’s rains arrived on time towards the end of March and in early April, but shortly disappeared after the farmers who had already cultivated their fields and ready for planting.
The scarcity of the rains has since sent the prices of food grains skyrocketing to levels unaffordable by local peasants. Two kilograms of un-grinded maize has jumped from 70/- to 120 in many parts of the region. This is considered the highest in a region where the capital of the ordinary people is rather low, forcing some families to go without food for a day or two.
If the rains fail to fall within the next two weeks, then close to 800 people would face a serious hunger and require famine relief food, something which is unusual in the culture of the people of Luo-Nyanza who believes in self-sufficiency in food for domestic consumption.
Experts say that if the rains don’t come within the next two weeks, the region could be plunged into a big famine within the next four months.
The worse hit area in the low laying locations along the shoreline of Lake Victoria which has yet to experience the downfall ever since the first week of April this year.
A survey carried out by this writer revealed that many parts of the region will go without food grains if there will be insufficient t rainfall up to the first week of May. A long rain in Nyanza usually arrives around the first week of April and continues until middle of June or at times extends up to the beginning of July.
The Areas which have experienced inadequacy of rainfalls this season include Lower Nyakach, Eastern, Central and Western Karachuoyo, Kochia, Gem, Central, and West Kanyada in Asego Division of Rangwe, All are within the Homa-Bay County.
Also affected are areas in Rarieda constituency, which are usual get the highest yields of food grains like Uyoma., Asembo. It is the same phenomenon in Kisumu west district, which covered Seme locations.
Other areas facing the looming famine include the two fishing island of Rusinga and Mfangano. The situation is likely to extend to the neighboring constituencies of Gwassi, Nyatike and even the lower part of Uriri.
Passengers travelling from Kisumu to Homa-Bay could easily spot maize crops burnt by humidity situation in the entire Rachuonyo North district stretching from Nyakwere to Oluch-Nyangweso along the Karachuonyo Rangwe borders.
The hunger situation is partly aggravated in that the region had crop failure last season. The government’s recently clamping down a total ban on Omena fishing worsening the situation from bad to worse. The ban will extend for three months from April to July, and the Fisheries Ministry says this will give Omena the smallest fish, but economically important to the rural folk sufficient time for breeding.
The ban has provoked harsh reactions from local politicians who felt it was undesirable, particularly at this time around when the areas affected are facing acute food shortage and want the government to rescind its decision.
The trio issued separate statements arguing that owing to the present pathetic situation of acute food grain shortage in the region the fishing of Omena and its sales should be allowed to continue for the sake of the survival of the residents.
The trio include the Karachuonyo MP Eng.James K Rege, Nyatike MP Edick Omondi Anyanga and the ODM party youth coordinator Hilary Ochieng’Alila.
In the upper areas of the greater Southern Nyanza, it has been raining, but sparsely in areas like Kasipul-Kabondo, Rangwe, Ndhiwa, Rongo, Uriri and Migori district. But the rains are also still inadequate for the new corps to flourish in the field.
Other leaders have appealed to the residents to plant the roots yielding crops such as sweet potatoes, cassavas etc for heir survivals. Clergymen have been conducting vigorous, but session of prayers in churches for the rains to come.
Ends