Nyanza: Watermelon farmers suffer losses over high cost of production

The once lucrative crop has turned into a constant source of headache for most farmers along the shores of Lake Victoria.

The losses according to the farmers, are majorly as a result of high cost of fuel and pesticides.

“The price of a kilo of watermelon has remained the same over the years yet expenses have doubled,” says Kennedy Oguda, a watermelon farmer in Muhuru-Bay, in Nyatike, Migori.

“I sell a kilo of watermelon at between Sh23 and Sh25 per kilogram, and that has been the price for the last 10 years. It has never changed even though the cost of fuel and pesticides have gone up,” he says.

Most farmers along the lake use generators to pump water onto their farms. The generators use petrol, oil and occasionally need repairs.

“A few years ago we would buy a litre of petrol at Sh80 or Sh100, but now we buy a litre at Sh180,” says Rugara who says he has suffered losses three times in a row.

Local farmers, most of whom abandoned fishing to try their hands in watermelon farming, are worried about the future of the crop.

The region, due to its hot and fairly dry climate, is known for producing one of the sweetest watermelons – with most of it being sold in Nairobi.

The farmers say that the land along the lake has been overused over the years – and could be one of the reasons the crop is struggling in the area.

“A few farmers are relocating to other areas like Kabuto in Kadem, where they hire farms after exhausting their own pieces of lands,” says Oguda.

A new type of pest said to resemble a bee is also affecting yields along the lake shore.

“The pest attacks the fruit just as it is forming. Once attacked, the fruit is as good as dead,” he says.

The farmers are asking for help from agricultural extension officers from the county and the national government.

Many say that it is only a matter of time before farmers abandon watermelon for other profitable crops.