Floods submerge Garissa County farmlands as farmers count losses
Garissa County farmers are suffering significant losses as the River Tana overflows, submerging thousands of hectares of farmland along its banks. The floods have wreaked havoc in Garissa Township, Fafi, Balambala, and Ijara sub-counties, devastating the livelihoods of local farmers.
Garissa County farmers are suffering significant losses as the River Tana overflows, submerging thousands of hectares of farmland along its banks. The floods have wreaked havoc in Garissa Township, Fafi, Balambala, and Ijara sub-counties, devastating the livelihoods of local farmers.
Ismael Sanweyne, the chairman of Leheley Farm in Sankuri, described the dire situation, stating that the floods had submerged their crops, including mangoes, bananas, and a field of vegetables consisting of tomatoes, onions, and chillies that were ready for harvest. "What I witnessed dashed my hopes to harvest the vegetables for my daily survival," he lamented. The farm, comprising 76 members who had formed a farmers' group following the loss of their livestock to cycles of drought, now faces a grim challenge.
More To Read
Ebla Hassan, the Secretary General of the Garissa Farmers Association, emphasized the scale of the losses suffered by the farmers due to the floods. She expressed concerns about the farmers' ability to access their flooded farms to salvage remaining crops, such as bananas, oranges, and mangoes that were not entirely submerged. Moreover, she feared that the farmers might find their water pump engines washed away by the floods, as the heavy machinery is challenging to relocate to safer grounds.
Hassan further highlighted cases of theft, with a group suspected to be from the neighboring Tana River county accessing the flooded farms via canoes to steal bananas. One affected farmer, Hussein Aden from Kamuthey Farm in Fafi, hired a canoe to assess the flood damage and harvest his bananas, only to find that all the ripe bananas had been stolen. Hassan described it as a double tragedy for the farmer, compounded by theft and flooding.
Appealing for assistance, the Farmers Secretary General urged the national government, county government, and non-governmental organizations to intervene and support the affected farmers during this difficult time.
Top Stories Today
