Greenhouses bring hope to famine-prone Lodwar in Turkana County

To some, the mere mention of Turkana conjures up images of a region synonymous with drought and insecurity caused by persistent cattle rustling and competition for scarce resources by neighbouring nomadic communities.

Classified as arid and semi-arid (Asal), with soaring temperatures for the better part of the year, residents here trek for long distances in search of water and pasture for their livestock.

Paulina Lotulia, the chairlady of Napuu farm where Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVDA) has established greenhouses near Lodwar town admires maturing tomato at the first harvest of the produce on 10/10/2015. (PHOTO: GIDEON KANGOGO/ STANDARD)

Although it is one of Kenya’s vast counties, Turkana has little to show in terms of food production, with most residents relying on government relief food to save themselves from starvation.

But the recent discovery of a vast underground water reservoir at Lodikipi, coupled with the drilling of oil in Ngamia, have generated renewed hope in the northern Kenya area.

The excitement triggered by these discoveries have significantly ignited interest in agriculture, which is is gradually being embraced following an ambitious launch of a pilot project in tomato production aimed at reducing importation from neighbouring counties.

The county’s first ever greenhouses have been established at Napuu onthe outskirts of Lodwar, with each expected to produce 40 tonnes of tomatoes in six months, generating an average income of Sh2 million.

The pilot project, undertaken by Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVDA), is thriving through the use of irrigated water sourced from Turkwel River. It is expected to be a model farm to induce locals into horticultural production.

“This is a very successful project that is significant in this region. There is ready market for tomatoes in Lodwar, where residents have been relying on produce from the distant towns of Kitale and Eldoret,” said David Kimosop, the KVDA Managing Director (MD), during the launch of the project by the authority’s chairman Sam Kona.

The authority plans to establish more greenhouses and diversify into production of spinach, capsicum, pepper and other vegetables for the local market.

The greenhouses are a pioneer venture in the region and the tomatoes supplied, apart from being fresh and affordable, are also of high quality compared to imported produce, which are often affected by harsh conditions and long hours of transit and poor storage.

The greenhouses were established after intense feasibility studies that included soil testing and analysis. Technologies and skills that optimise productivity of tomatoes are also utilised.

“We have developed two units of greenhouses each measuring 16 metres by 30 metres. One unit accommodates 2,000 tomato plants and with good agronomic skills and crop management, every plant can yield a minimum of 20kgs in six months,” said Moses Khaemba, the sales manager at KVDA’s project partner, Hortipro Ltd.

On the minimum, each kilogramme of tomatoes retails at Sh50 in Lodwar. One greenhouse can therefore generate as much as Sh2million.

“With this project, food shortage and famine should come to an end. We have started enjoying the fruits of the project. We used to buy a single tomato fruit for Sh20, but right now that amount buys three tomatoes or more,” said Paulina Lotoulia, the chairlady of the farm at Napuu.

Residents say the discovery of huge underground water in Lodikipi means the region can be transformed into an agricultural zone for food production.