×
App Icon
The Standard e-Paper
Kenya’s Boldest Voice
★★★★ - on Play Store
Download App

Calls for action to save ruined sugar belt soils

Tiemeri Musebe a farmer in Mumias East who switched from sugarcane farming to maize, nappier and bananas. [Benjamin Sakwa, Standard]

Like many a farmer in Mumias East Constituency, Sixtus Tiemeri Musebe has not heard of Jagadish “Jaggi” Vasudev (Sadhguru).

But one thing he and the Indian spiritual leader agree on is that soils are losing fertility and need to replenished. “Since the sugarcane sector went under, I shifted to cultivating maize, napier grass and bananas. The harvest is not as good because the soils have been depleted courtesy of mono-cropping. My three-acres had not known another crop since 1960s when I was a contracted sugarcane farmer for Mumias Sugar Company,” says Musebe.

Get Full Access for Ksh299/Week.
Uncover the stories others won’t tell. Subscribe now for exclusive access
  • Unlimited access to all premium content
  • Uninterrupted ad-free browsing experience
  • Mobile-optimized reading experience
  • Weekly Newsletters
  • MPesa, Airtel Money and Cards accepted
Already a subscriber? Log in