Mandera has been among the counties hardest hit by the harsh effects of drought due to climate change. The region is so dry that some children born two years ago have never witnessed torrential rain which has been experienced in various parts of the country.

But despite the harsh weather conditions that have wiped out most vegetation and led to emaciated livestock, one farmer boasts a lush farm, deep in the ‘desert’.

With shrubs and thorny vegetation, only one farm is noticeable from a distance.

Noor Adan Mohammed, who has no formal education, runs an admirable green wonder along River Dauwa flowing from the Ethiopian highlands across the common border with Ethiopia.

So green is his farm that the images of banana plantations would pass for a plantation in some of Kenya’s highlands.

His vast farm is dotted with pawpaw, passion fruits, grafted oranges, lemons, mangoes, water melons at various stages of growth.

While his neighbours wait for handouts from NGOS and the county government, he has become a food supplier in his village and beyond.

Indeed, he is setting the pace for locals, who still hold the mentality that only livestock can thrive in the area.

“I have proven that farming done the right way brings returns. I am rewriting the story of Mandera by proving to locals that crops can do well here if good husbandry is practiced,” says Hassan who started the venture eight years ago.

Irrigation water

With water being the biggest headache for herders, he sources his irrigation water from River Daua that forms the natural border between Kenya and Ethiopia.

His farm stretches some 16.7 acres and on it stand 1,000 pawpaw-fruit trees, some 746 oranges trees among other fruits

So what solutions does he use to outsmart dry weather?

First, he rotates his crops from nuts to onions so that the farm can have healing period. This he says, helps to naturally keep diseases at bay and rejuvenate the soil. He does pruning at the right time to control diseases and optimal growth. Additionally, he practices good tillage and does mulching to maintain soil moisture.

“In an arid area like Mandera evaporation is common so when you water your crops, even before the roots abord it, it has already evaporated. But when you put mulch over the soil like a plastic one or grass, water is retained in the soil,” he explains.

Crop rotation also helps Hassan to guard against vicious weeds that rob the main crops of nutrients and water, leading to stunted growth. “Manure is more useful than artificial fertilisers, that is how I keep my farm organic,” he points out.

For the stubborn fungal, viral and bacterial infections he sprays to save his fruit trees.

Noor is such a stickler for best practice rules, his farm has gotten rave reviews from renown figures in the area including Governor Ali Roba and Mandera County Director of Agriculture, Bernard Ogutu. The farm is often used as a demonstration site.

“He is a good farmer who follows the rule book. We are supporting him with extension services and basic infrastructure like water tanks to take his farming to the next level,” says Ogutu.

Given that he is among the few who farm in a largely pastoralist community, Ogutu says the county agriculture officials always visit his farm to guide him through the process.

“There were a few misses like spacing, pruning at the right time. He needs to reinvent the farm with drip irrigation to help cut costs,” says Ogutu.

Noor also grows maize for fodder for his animals. Because he is the only farmer in his village, market is not an issue. “There is never a market glut here. I sell at the farm gate and I incur no transport costs.”

Main crop

Having grown paw paws for years and being the main crop on the farm, he has advise for those looking to grow them, “Pawpaws do well in warm areas but must be sheltered from strong winds because stems and roots are not very strong. Irrigation also helps flowers guard against abortion,” Noor says.

He adds: “Soils must be well drained and in flood prone areas ensure there is no water logging or it will kill crops within days. Pawpaw roots are very sensitive to water. The rest is just normal weeding to guard against stunted growth.”

But his success is not without challenges. He pumps water three days for up to 28 hours to serve the entire farm.

“I use 56 litres of fuel every pumping session costing me Sh56, 000 to keep the plants alive or else you would have to wait for Allah to send the rains to Mandera,” Hassan says jokingly.

Weighed down by fuel costs, he is thinking about solar solutions.

—KNA