Nyandarua food reserves at risk of locust invasion

Food reserves in Nyandarua County are running low following the locust invasion that hit the agriculture-rich region, with some sectors recording a yield drop of up to 75 percent.

By March 20, the county had a balance of 315,600 90-kilogramme bags of maize in the hands of farmers and traders, against an annual consumption of 765,948 bags. Beans stocks were 1,693 bags against 314,842 demanded per year.

If the locust and lately coronavirus disruptions continue, the county’s agriculture office estimates that Kinangop Constituency with a population of 205,295 people according to the 2019 Census will be the first to run out of staple despite high farming potential due to a favourable climate.

The Nyandarua County Food Situation report showed that as at March 20, Kinangop had 45,800 bags of maize, 350 bags of beans and 10,000 bags of potato to feed the population for two and half months.

Besides the high population factor, Kinangop Constituency mainly specialises in horticultural farming for local use and exports.

However, production and markets were affected by a snail invasion early in the year and now the Covid-19 pandemic.