Kenya's Taita Taveta farmers battle monkeys and pythons for survival
Taita Taveta County Executive has challenged smallholder farmers in the Taita Hills to put more land under fodder crops and pasture production. The experts say the move will enhance livelihoods' income besides reducing persistent human-wildlife conflict in the region. Stephen Mcharo, the County Chief Officer (CCO) for Agriculture, said there should be a paradigm shift from maize growing to fodder crops in the wake of frequent monkey and baboon invasions of settlement areas, which have badly affected food security in the region that is entirely dependent on rain-fed agriculture. The CCO noted that apart from the troublesome primates, large reptiles like pythons have become the latest form of human-wildlife conflict in parts of Taita Taveta County. In some places, Mr Mcharo observed that monkeys have taken control and frequently entered into houses looking for food, with some villagers in Taita Hills reported to have abandoned farming, which is their main economic livelihood. Local residents and leaders noted that frequent invasions of monkeys into farms and homes were troubling them. The incursion comes amid claims that the primates were recently relocated from outside to the Taita Hills forest, a move that has escalated persistent human-wildlife conflict and badly affected food security in the region, stated Mcharo. Mzae noted that Monkey's population has of late kept on growing and the destruction they leave behind is enormous. 'We have abandoned farming because of the destructive primates, and we cannot eliminate them because of the punitive Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, 2013,' noted Mzae. Speaking at a stakeholders meeting in Wundanyi town yesterday, the CCO said challenges of frequent invasion of monkeys necessitate the need for farmers to reposition the pasture and fodder value chain in the county, with a view to addressing fodder availability, quality and affordable use. 'Why grow maize which is all destroyed by wild animals? The gross margin analysis shows pasture and fodder farming is profitable, and there is effective demand. Market analysis further suggests there are significant market opportunities for small-scale fodder farmers if they increase productivity, reduce cost of production, improve quality and safety, and enhance efficiency in marketing,' stated Mcharo. In an earlier interview, the Kenya Wildlife Service Tsavo Conservation Senior Assistant Director Jillo Arero confirmed that monkeys have become the latest menace in Taita Hills. The director said they have already written a letter to the National Primate Research Centre (NPRC) for intervention. 'The marooning primates cannot survive in the park, and they have invaded Taita Hills for habitat and food. Officials of the NPRC will visit the county soon to give us the way forward,' stated Mr Arero. As a quick intervention measure, the director said they will partner with CDF committees to plant more tree fruits like guavas and overcasts in Taita Hills forests to help contain the monkeys and help minimise conflict.
