Impact of Rainfall Variability on Food production under Rainfed Agriculture in Homa Bay County, Kenya

Abstract

Rainfall variability exacerbated by frequent dry spell occurrences within the growing seasons is a common phenomenon in many regions of the world.. Homa Bay County located in the western part of Kenya in the Lake Victoria Basin is a sub humid region characterized by frequent dry spells resulting to poor yield in crops and livestock production in the County. This paper examines the impact of dry spells occurrence on food production under rainfed agriculture in Homa Bay County. The study used a sample size of 384 households. Primary data was gathered through use of questionnaires, interview guides, Focus Group Discussions and observation while secondary data including content analysis obtained from publications, journals, newspapers and internet sources. Data for evaluating dry spells and rainfall variability was obtained from Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD). Descriptive and inferential analyses were done for household data using statistical package for social scientists (SPSS) version 20. Results indicated that during dry spells, annual crop yield production for maize and beans fall below average of 1.44 tons/ha and 0.78 tons/ha while sorghum and millet were above average of 0.94 tons/ha and 1.61 tons/ha respectively. Livestock production (48%) was impacted upon greatly through weight loss and reduced milk output (23.8%). The findings revealed that rainfall variability and dry spells have serious impacts on food security in the Homa Bay County causing massive crop failure and reduced livestock production and death. It is therefore recommended that both national and county governments and other stakeholders put in place effective risk transfer strategies to ensure sustainability in rainfed agriculture in the area.