Agriculture activities in Siaya district

Many crops are grown in Siaya district. There are a small amounts of cotton, coffee, sugarcane and tobacco cash crops. Green vegetables such as kale and indigenous greens grow with partial irrigation. Farmers use kitchen water, spring water and intricate systems of trenches for catching rainwater to irrigate, mostly by hand.

Bananas, sweet potatoes and cassava do well when fed by rain and are grown widely as security crops that will withstand drought and feed families during famines. These can also be sold for income, especially bananas.

Local breeds make up most of the livestock in Siaya district. Farmers crossbreed cattle and poultry to raise the quality of the local breeds. In the past there was enough land for cows to graze freely in fields and most families had large herds of more than 20 heads. Now, cows are tied up to graze in small grassy areas or kept at home for zero-grazing. The average family in Siaya District has only around 3 cows. Most compounds that you visit will have a flock of free-range chickens.