(ERGO) – Crops on hundreds of small farms surrounding Baidoa town have dried up shortly before harvest time due to poor seasonal rains.
The farms were planted two and half months ago as the ‘gu’ rains began. But just 15 days away from the expected harvest, hectares of maize, beans, sorghum, groundnuts and sesame have shrivelled up.
Halimo Abdi Mohamed, 55, said she had lost the eight million shillings (about $364) she had spent on planting and cultivating her fields in Bukriyay village, about 15 km from Baidoa. She did not know how the 15 member family would survive.
“Farming used to be enough to support our daily life. But we didn’t receive enough rain this season, nor in the past two rainy seasons. It is a big loss, as we didn’t get anything from the farm this time,” she said.
The chairman of the local farmer’s cooperative, Abdinoor Ibrahim Mohamed, told Radio Ergo that the prices of cereal grains had shot up in local markets. He said a kilogram of sorghum, which sold at Sh 3,000 a year ago, had risen to Sh10,000.
Large numbers of rain-fed farmers in the area have no alternative sources of income. The crisis is also affecting cereal crop traders.
Radio Ergo’s local reporter said the poor rainfall over the past two rainy seasons had eroded production and meant that farmers had already used up their stored grain. They had been expecting to be able to replenish their food stocks this time.
Abdullahi Hajji Ishaq told Radio Ergo he had lost all the maize, sorghum, and beans planted on his seven hectare farm. He has 20 people in his family to support. “Already for the last three months, my family has been eating one meal a day,” he said.
Some of the distressed farming families have moved to Baidoa town where they are depending on whatever support they can get from their relatives.
