Manager finds love in Chia seed farming

About a kilometer from Ngusisihi market in Meru County lies a two-acre piece of land that is fully covered with a crop that many of the residents have never seen before.
In fact when the Standard team arrived at the farm, we found a group of men who were trying to make out the type of crop before stopping the owner Mr Paul Kithinji so he could tell them what it really was.
According to Mr Kithinji, Chia seeds are foreign crops mainly grown in Mexico, Paraguay, Peru and Bolivia.
Chia seeds farming has been practised in Mexico for the last 60 years.
The seeds were first introduced in Kenya specifically in Kisumu by Mr Kithinji's friend who worked in Mexico.
Being a project planning manager and a researcher by profession, Mr Kithinji was invited to Kisumu by the friend so that he could find out the specific areas the seeds could do well.
Mr Kithinji suggested Molo which he says has an environment closer to Mexico and the seeds started doing well.
He later introduced them to Meru County where he realised they were doing better than the overseas countries and two times compared to Molo.
Some of the areas where Chia seeds is doing well in the County include Timau, Ruiri, Giaki, Chaaria and Githongo.