Nyeri farmers warned against early planting amid unreliable showers
Despite recent rains, Nyeri farmers have been cautioned against planting crops too early, with experts warning that the showers are too short-lived to sustain growth and could lead to costly losses
By Sandra Nyongesa
Farmers in Nyeri County have been urged to hold off on planting despite the ongoing light rains, as the Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD) forecasts that the showers will be short-lived and unreliable.
Nyeri County Director of Meteorological Services, John Muiruri, said the conditions are not conducive for planting.
“What we have been experiencing in Nyeri and other parts of the country are fleeting showers that will last for about four days. This is not the right time to plant crops. No one would want to plant and end up losing their entire crops due to failed rains,” he told a local daily.
Only farmers with fast-maturing or drought-resilient crops were advised to consider planting at this stage.
KMD’s temperature analysis shows several Central Kenya areas including Nyahururu, Kangema, Embu, and Thika recording night-time lows of 9–12°C.
According to a 2022 review in Frontiers in Plant Science, such low temperatures can damage roots, reduce photosynthesis, cause leaf yellowing, wilting, and even plant death in severe cases.
Agriculture is Nyeri’s backbone, with most households engaged in tea and coffee farming, alongside food crops such as maize, beans, Irish potatoes, and sweet potatoes.
But the Nyeri County Participatory Risk Assessment Report (2023) shows the sector is under increasing pressure from climate hazards. Kieni East and west are flood-prone while Kieni West, East Mukurweini, Mathira West, Tetu are drought-prone. Mukurweini, Tetu, Nyeri South, Mathira East and West are prone to landslides.
These threats have already limited productivity and increased vulnerability.
This is not the first advisory. Farmers in Nyeri were also cautioned in May 2025 against rushing to plant after early showers that did not develop into reliable rains.
The repeated warnings underscore the county’s vulnerability to climate change and the growing importance of climate-informed agriculture.
KMD urged farmers to make planting decisions based on real-time weather information available via the KMD WhatsApp channel, FASTA-Ken mobile app and the official KMD website.
By embracing timely forecasts and resilient farming practices, Nyeri farmers can better navigate unpredictable weather patterns and protect their livelihoods.