14 | SPECIAL REPORT

FAR MING

Thursday February 19, 2009

DAILY NATION

New method to increase crop output

Kenyans are taking up conservation agriculture which is giving better yields
By CAROLINE RWENJI

en million Kenyans are facing hunger today. President Mwai Kibaki has even declared the looming hunger a national disaster. However, a new technology launched last Friday promises to increase food production by 50 percent. This could just be what the country needs to say goodbye to frequent food shortages. The technology was launched by the African Conservation Tillage Network at a Nairobi hotel. Tillage executive secretary Saidi Mkomwa, says that hunger has been caused by poor production of crops.

He says the method is cheaper as it requires only one person for the job. In the last season, he says, he harvested 20 bags of maize from his piece of land. The secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Wilson Songa, also notes that little or no farming took place in some areas of the country due to post election violence. He adds that the destruction of 3 million bags of maize also led to the decline in food supplies. Mr Tom Apina, a research consultant, emphasises that Kenya needs to adopt conservation agriculture to ensure food security. This method, he says, has huge environmental benets as the crops become drought resistant. This reduces failures due to changing weather patterns. A farmer in Laikipia district also attests to this method of farming. Mr Laurie Sessions, of Lengetia farm, says that after using conservation agriculture, he has reduced the need for tractor power by 74 per cent. He has eliminated jobs like ploughing and harrowing. Labour, he says, has been reduced by up to 40 per cent. Mr Songa emphasises that the hunger situation should be faced head-on. He also urges farmers to diversify from maize farming and plant other crops. He notes that there is wheat in storage yet maize is being imported to alleviate hunger. The Food and Agriculture Organisation representative to Kenya, Mr Castro Camarada, while supporting the new farming method says the food shortage was expected. He says that an assessment was carried out after the previous long rains showed there would be a shortage. The shortage was fuelled by lack of cultivation during the post election violence. Those who did manage to cultivate used little or no fertilizer, which led to a 20 per cent decline in produce. This caused the food prices to go up leading to the hunger currently looming in the country, Mr Camarada says.

Mechanical tillage

Mr Mkomwa says the technology, known as conservation agriculture, would see the food production go up. He explains that conservation agriculture involves reducing mechanical tillage. He says that farmers who have adopted conservation agriculture where soil is only disturbed around the holes where seeds are planted have recorded increased production. The mode of farming, he adds, is used in Latin America, USA, Canada, Europe and Australia. He says that some farm-

Faced head-on

All farmers have to look for ways of reducing the cost of production in order to stay ahead

ers in Kenya and Tanzania have used this method and are enjoying the benets. In conservation agriculture, farmers do not need to till their land before planting which saves a lot of labour. Instead, they use specialised equipment like the jab planter which replaces the jembe for planting and fertilizer application, Mr Mkowa explains. He further explains that weeds are also controlled. The method, he says, has many benets, which include a decrease in soil erosion, as there is minimum disturbance. He says that after applying this method, there is more resilient soil and crops that withstand drought and oods better. He says there is also reduced need for manpower, equipment, fuel and fertilizer

with less time required to tend the crops. He adds that the method improves the soil aggregate formation and microbial activity in the soil. Capacity for soil to retain water is also improved. Mr Mkowa says the adoption of this method of farming will help African countries participate in international trade as it lowers production costs and creates surplus foods for export. All farmers have to look for ways of reducing the cost of production in order to stay ahead he says. Mr Danson Kamau, 69, has been practicing the farming method since 2004 on his Nakuru farm. He is full of praise for the farming method which he says has increased his yield.

A farmer in his filed of harvested maize crop in Kwale in January. A new farming method known as conservation agriculture promises to increase yields, cut costs and conserve soil. Photo/ FILE

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