Mr Leonard Maweu,at his orchard of mangoes in Kee Village in the area. The fruits flourish in the dry region, thus, reaping from the semi-arid land. PHOTO | PIUS MAUNDU
Due to the harsh weather in the region, the farmer uses zai pits to grow the fruits. These are small pits dug for water harvesting during the rainy season and then used to grow crops after the rains disappear.
In his first harvest, Maweu got more than two tonnes of fruits, attracting dozens of brokers from Nairobi, who bought them at Sh4 each.
By coming together, the smallholder farmers have established links with other value chain actors, including exporters, pesticide dealers and mango processing firms.
A drive along Machakos-Wote Road leaves visitors shocked as most crops along the way have dried up.
Classed as semi-arid, the region normally gets sporadic rainfall that ends as soon as it starts, leaving the residents at the mercy of an unending dry spell.
