Irrigation canal in Bernard Mburu's small scale rice farm in Kirinyaga. He farms on 4 hectares of land and grows mainly rice. He is planting a rice variety that needs little water (a method called water saving rice culture, WSRC) as the main problem in this area is lack of water.
Other problematic issues are: the high cost of inputs (seeds, pesticides and fertilizers); that subsidised fertilizers are being sold out by cartels; low prices of rice varieties in the market due to brokerage. (BW costs Kshs 2000 at farm and sold at Kshs 4,000 pishori costs Kshs 3000 and sold at Kshs 6000).
In this area farmers practice conventional agriculture which involves the use of chemicals.