Abstract
Kenya, like most parts of the world, is experiencing low food production which is leading to food Insecurity. This has a great significance in the livelihoods of the locals due to low food production and insecurity. An analysis of trends in rainfall patterns, extreme and or slow onset events, crop failure, health and crop vigor throughout the growing period, reduced food production units in the farms, points to clear evidence of some of the key contributors to low and reduced food production in many areas. The purpose of the study is to assess and monitor the key contributors to reduced/low food production in the area of study through the classification of land use land cover of the area to analyze the area extent of farm lands or cropped areas over time and determine the shift in usage, Vegetation health and vigor of the study area over time ,the impacts of the rainfall factors on food production by; estimating the annual rainfall amounts, distribution and trends over a period of time, Crop yields over a continuous period of time. Landsat satellite images were used for the years 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015 for Land cover Land use classification and NDVI, rainfall data used was CHIPRS analyzed using GeoClim and food production data from Harvest Choice analyzed in excel. This study determined that indeed the area of study has recorded reduced food production, a lot of conversions from land use initially on food crops to other uses, change and decreased rainfall as the main contributors to the problem.
Highlights
Agriculture is by far the single most important economic activity in Sub-Saharan Africa
Given that most poor people are dependent on farming, this slow growth is an obstacle to regional poverty reduction, the study finds, and African policymakers should include an emphasis on agricultural growth [3]
The area has started shifting to Horticultural Framing of Cut flowers, Snow peas, French beans, Cabbages and Carrots especially areas around Kieni East
Summary
Agriculture is by far the single most important economic activity in Sub-Saharan Africa. It provides employment for about two-thirds of the continent’s working population and for each country contributes an average of 30 to 60 percent of gross domestic product and about 30 percent of the value of exports. Since the 1960s, the rate of agricultural output has lagged behind the rate of population growth. Between 1965 and 1990, agricultural production grew at an annual rate of 1.7 percent, over onethird less than the 2.8 percent average annual population growth rate. The agricultural sector’s growth has lagged behind national economic growth in Africa, according to an International Food Policy Research Institute study [10]. Given that most poor people are dependent on farming, this slow growth is an obstacle to regional poverty reduction, the study finds, and African policymakers should include an emphasis on agricultural growth [3]
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