By Rawlings Otieno

The story of Fredrick Otieno is proof that farming on a small-scale level can be so successful that if replicated around the country, it can fix the ever-threatening food shortages.

Otieno's journey to achieving good yields started when he abandoned his juakali mechanical business to start farming on his four-acre piece of land in Sidindi in South Ugenya, Siaya County, 13 years ago.

Now, the 48-year-old is reaping bumper harvests, thanks to a pilot project started by the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) six years ago.

The project catered for setting up field trials, planting, weeding and harvesting as well as inputs and researchers in the field.

Before his farm was picked as a model for the trials, Otieno ventured into farming, he spent seven years struggling. Because of using traditional farm practices, his yields were low and unsustainable, yet he spent a lot of time and money in his farm.

Then the pilot project came to his village and he embraced it immediately.

Turned around

CIAT, which was working with the Kenya Agricultural Research institute (Kari), African Soil Information System and the International Plant Nutrition Institute, turned around his farming and today, his four-acre piece of land produces more than 100 bags of maize and at least 40 bags of beans in one season.

“Before this project, I'd harvest less than five bags of maize, but with the kind of returns I now get, I am happy I became a farmer,” a jovial Otieno told The Standard.

Otieno's farm was chosen as a model. Soil acidity was tested as poor yields in the area were investigated.

The ecological and rainfall patterns are conducive, but why were the farmers not getting good harvests?
“They changed the time of planting, used the correct seeds and applied enough fertilisers on the farm and I have seen this works well,” says the father of four.

The 'correct' seeds were actually a new maize variety resistant to emerging diseases and climate change which Kari developed in Western Kenya.

Putting these new findings to use, 30 additional farmers in the programme in Gem and Siaya are expecting a bumper harvest this season.

Soil scientist and principal investigator Peter Okoth says for effective agricultural practices, soil sampling is key to observe the soil acidity before planting any seed.

He says the trials being done in the area through the 30 farmers is to show them that soil sampling and the use of nitrogenous fertilisers is crucial if Kenya is to have food security.

“We are working with the farmers to do soil sampling then perform the trials of the seeds and fertilisers to achieve optimal yields,” says the scientist.

Speaking at Ndere in Ugenya after inspecting the projects, Dr Okoth said that from the trials they expect to harvest between eight and ten tonnes of maize in the region.

Triple Harvests

Farmers, who spoke to The Standard, said they have embraced the new farming methods to triple their harvests although there are challenges such as the cost of fertilisers and seeds.

Jael Okoko, 58, a farmer, says before the trials, she would harvest less than three bags from her one-acre piece of land, but now, she is optimistic she will get more than 12 bags from the same piece of land.

Okoko says that with correct farming practices, there is bound to be food security and she is confident that more farmers around the country will take up the modern farming practices for maximum yields.

“I believe we can have enough food in the country with this kind of work,” she says.
According to Dr Okoth, nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium are the main fertilisers that should be applied in the farms in the right quantities and at the right time.

For maximum yields, the farmer should first apply phosphorous fertilisers during planting time and later urea or calcium ammonium nitrate and finally potassium nitrate to help the plants achieve strong stokes and green leaves.

Okoth says if this procedure is followed, the farmers should harvest at least 66 bags of maize per hectare.

If this method of farming is followed other farmers from around the country, it is possible for the country to put aside worries of lack and concentrate on other issues that can propel the country to realising other goals.