Farmers’ despair ends as lime revives soil fertility

By Allan Kisia

Hundreds of farmers in Western Province are smiling to their hitherto unproductive farms after recording a bumper harvest.

They were advised to use lime on their poor farms and those who heeded the advice are reaping the gains.

Francis Sakula, a farmer in Kakamega North District, had even put his land on sale, but changed his plans after reaping handsomely from a section where he applied lime to reduce soil acidity.

Mr Sakula, 63, said he used lime and registered a good harvest for the first time in many years.

"I had lost hope on my land and I was just about to sell it when I was advised to try lime," he told The Standard this week.

Last year, the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (Kari) trained farmers from the region and parts of Nyanza on how to apply lime.

In Nyanza, the training was conducted in Sega, Siaya District.

Land in the two regions had turned acidic due to heavy rains, which leached nutrients and made the soil unproductive.

Demonstration plots

Farmers had been getting less than five bags of maize from an acre of land, and were forced to buy food barley three months after harvest.

Mr David Mbakaya, a soil scientist from Kari in Kakamega, said good harvests were realised in all demonstration plots.

He was speaking at Sakula’s land after testing the use of lime accompanied by two Moi University masters students.

Kari and Moi University planted maize on Sakula’s land in different spots, using various options to improve production.

Mr John Okoth, who had earlier resisted using lime on his land for fear of damaging his soil, harvested 15 bags from an acre of land.

Sakula said he has since changed his mind to sell the land and buy another one in a more productive area.

"Every year, the harvest from my land lasted for only three months," he noted.

Mr Abednego Kiwia, a soil health programme co-ordinator with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, said it is encouraging to hear farmers talk positively about the impact of lime to their farms.

"We will continue educating farmers on new ways of maximising the use of their farms to boost food security in Kenya," he said.

A local agro-dealer in Malava town, Mr Samson Otinga, said demand for lime has since gone up in the region.