Cassava farming is rapidly taking root in Kilifi County, particularly as the world grapples with the effects of climate change and global warming.
Climate change has contributed to harsh climatic conditions such as drought and floods, with a larger chunk of Kenya experiencing below-average rains.
In Kilifi County, communities have turned to drought-resistant crop varieties that can withstand harsh conditions and require very little water to grow and yield.
When properly harnessed, cassava farming may turn out to be an alternative food crop and replace maize, which is currently considered the staple food among locals.
Kilifi is among the three highest producers of cassava, with about 123,000 acres under the crop within the county.
The Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) through its Mtwapa Institute has developed a variety of cassava suitable for the Coast region, which matures faster with good yields.
The organization, in conjunction with the department of agriculture in the County government of Kilifi, has started mentoring special groups consisting of farmers, value chain players, and the youth in what has been termed as making the venture successful.
The Ustadi Foundation is implementing a five-year European Union-funded project in Kilifi, working with 10,000 farmers, 60% of whom are women.
They mobilized the farmers and put them into farmer business groups and trained them in good agricultural practices. The organization also trained 72 cassava seed entrepreneurs because the availability of cassava seed was a problem in the County.
After the training, the foundation bought cassava seeds in the project and gave them to seed entrepreneurs so they could multiply the seeds.
There are 250 farmer business groups in Kilifi, and each group had a one-acre demo plot. They also bought cassava seed for small farmers who did not go to school to be able to learn at the cassava seed landing site.
As the farmers started reaping good returns from their venture, the Ustadi Foundation put them into ten aggregation centers spread across the county where they got further training on value addition.
The Malanga and Matsangoni groups have now produced enough cassavas to produce three brands of flour: pure cassava flour, cassava flour mixed with cowpeas good for porridge, and the triple mix of cassava flour, sorghum, and cowpeas.
The nutrition department is working to ensure they get Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) certification.
Mrs Shida Sultan from the Matsangoni women group said the venture has enabled them to be self-reliant and prepare mahamri from cassava flour, porridge, and cakes. She encouraged the county government to move with speed and distribute the tajirika cassava variety to all farmers in the County.
The county government is also keen to boost cassava production and value addition by installing a Sh. 36 million cassava milling plant at Tezo area in Kilifi North Sub County. The county is shopping for an investor to run the facility once its construction is complete.
An acre plot carries about four thousand cuttings in a spacing of 1m by 1m, and each plant tuber weighs 10 kilograms.
