The Mountain Journal
Hundreds of small-scale farmers have started the journey to embrace organic farming petitioning the government to support the venture to end the scarcity of food.
The farmers say the government is yet to relax the punitive laws to allow organic farming to succeed and end the biting shortage of food associated with the unreliable rains.
In the past five years, a section of the farmers in the counties of Murang’a, Nyeri, Kiambu, Machakos and Trans Nzoia have been meeting and exchanging ideas on how best to promote organic agriculture in the community.
The concerns raised are unfriendly policies in organic farming with the packaging of seeds, rodents destroying cereals in the stores, and monkeys invading farms among others.
They pleaded with President William Ruto administration to support organic farming and help them access materials used in the manufacture of composite manure.
Monica Wayua from Ithanga village in Gatanga, Murang’a said the government should extend support to organic farming similar to the commitment to the distribution of subsided fertilizers.
In a meeting at G-BIACK Farmers Training Centre in Gatuanyaga, Thika, the farmers’ leaders exchanged ideas on the promotion of indigenous seed banks at the community level in efforts to enhance food production.
“The indigenous seeds are doing better with the short rains than the hybrid seeds that require industrial fertilisers,” said Ms Wayua.
Photo/Mr Samuel Ndiritu in the seed bank.
Ms Kallen Nekesa from Trans Nzoia county recounted the loss the hybrid maize farmers go through, as compared to those who have embraced the indigenous seeds who have plenty in their stores.
Ms Nekesa says the government should support safe agriculture, which has large markets in many of the urban setups.
In Nairobi, there are hotels known for organic foods that register the best sales as compared to those specialized in fast foods.
“Blame the low production of maize on the use of chemicals and fertilisers that have messed our soils. An acre is presently producing less than 20 bags instead of between 45 and 55 bags due to acidity in the soils,” she said.
Mzee Victor Mumo from Yatta said the government should support the farmers who have continued conserving the indigenous seeds for the national heritage.
“The seeds withstand drought unlike the hybrid ones that dry up due to unreliable rains,” said Mumo.
Samuel Ndiritu an expert in indigenous seeds said the national leadership should focus on arresting the problems facing the agriculture sector in an effort to address the shortage of food.
The effects of climatic change, he said, have messed up the production of food through unreliable rains.
The multinational firms, he said are to blame for forcing the developing countries to continue using hybrid seeds and chemicals in the production of food.
He disclosed that he went to India, 11 years ago and learnt the tribulations the farmers had upon crop failure after using the hybrid seeds.
“From a few successful ones I learned the indigenous seeds were doing better and after my education came back and advocated for the planting of the traditional seeds,” said Ndiritu the executive director at G-BIACK.
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