Farmers urged to embrace use of donkey poop, urine in pest control

According to experts, donkey poop is useful and can be used to eradicate insects and parasites mostly in crops, and that its use is cost effective as compared to the use of conventional chemicals from agro-vets.

According to Mr. Onesmus Mwangangi, from INADES-Formation Kenya (IFK), donkey poop and urine contains carbon and ammonium that helps expel pests and is about 70% effective, and hence is not hazardous to the environment and human beings and does not cause any pollution.

Joseph Muindi from Machakos is one of the farmers who have used the products in says that donkey poop is locally available and its use is cost effective.

From his experience, Muindi observes that once dried, donkey poop smoke is mostly useful early in the morning or late in the evenings when the pests are dormant.

The donkey poop smoke is also used in harvesting honey by calming the bees while either inspecting the hive, working around it, or harvesting honey.

He says that 10mls of donkey urine is enough for a one knapsack sprayer and kills eggs and other dangerous organisms.

Speaking during a farmers training in Ol-Kalou town, Nyandarua County, a section of farmers said this was a new discovery to them and would be willing to learn.

Mr. Mwangangi has called on farmers to ensure they take good care of donkeys.