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Wangari Njuguna and Robert Ochoro 

Farmers in Murang’a have been cautioned against harvesting their maize as  rains persist in the area. 

Murang’a county meteorological officer Paul Murage said many farmers are tempted to harvest their maize as it has already matured, fearing that ongoing rains will destroy the produce.

However, the officer warned that harvesting and storage of the maize in wet conditions can lead to aflatoxin contamination. 

Speaking in Murang’a town, Murage urged the farmers to be patient and wait for the rains to cease for them to harvest. 

“We expected the short rains which started in October to cease by December but this has not been the case,” he said.

“Many farmers are in a dilemma whether to harvest and start preparing the farms for the next season or wait until the rains are over,” he added.

Murage said going by their predictions, the wet conditions might continue until next week. He added that if caution is not taken, post-harvest losses might be huge and this would pose a threat to food security. 

Curb flooding

“The biggest challenge would be for the farmers to control the moisture content in their produce because we don’t have enough sunlight,” said the official. 

Murage said they are working closely with agriculture officers to sensitise farmers on the best food storage practices.

Meanwhile, Kisii county Meteorology director Henry Sese, has predicted the rains will continue up to February 3.

He urged residents to shun walking in open fields to avoid accidents since the rain will be accompanied with lightning and thunderstorms.

Sese further cautioned the residents against sheltering under trees when it rains.

In a statement, the officer urged the county government to open trenches to curb flooding, adding that locals should take advantage of the rain and harvest adequate water for domestic use during the dry season.