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.
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