Farmers in semi-arid Ithanga take up agro-ecology to enhance returns

Her three-acre piece of farm, tucked away deep inside the semi-arid area, is a beacon of hope in an area otherwise ravaged by the dry weather.

Wanjiku started her orchard in the early 1990s when she relocated from Kigumo sub county as a newlywed.

In the farm, she planted a few banana suckers and some oranges that did very well, encouraging her to embrace mixed farming that included mangoes, melons and lemons.

The farm was able to provide just enough to support her household especially after her husband passed away, leaving her as the sole breadwinner.

It was only until 2019 that Wanjiku attended a training forum on agro-ecology that involves organic farming, sustainable use of biodiversity and conservation agriculture.

With water scarcity being a serious challenge, Wanjiku learnt to use mulching to reduce the high levels of evaporation, allowing her fruits crops to thrive even during drought.

She was also able to use locally available materials to produce her own manure, eradicating the need for the costly fertilizers and alkalinizing her farm in the process.

“As a result, I have seen my harvests drastically increase and my fruits now taste better. People come from far to buy my produce,” she said.

Wanjiku spoke when she hosted a delegation of officials and farmers from Makueni County in her farm as they sought knowledge on agro-ecology.

Moses Mwaura from the training lobby said his organization has been targeting women in its efforts to lobby for more farmers to transition to agro-ecology in a bid to boost food production as most are the breadwinners in their families.

“When we started this programme in 2019, many of these families depended on relief food and were living in abject poverty, and now they are able to sustain themselves”.

Salome Ndunge, a champion farmer from Makueni, said she was surprised that Wanjiku had managed to plant various fruits trees in a small piece of land and maximize her harvests.

Ndunge said most farmers in her county struggle to practice agri-business and that they practice conventional farming that has left many vulnerable to diseases.

“Chronic illnesses are rampant among productive farmers which weakens the economy of our county. This is why we are benchmarking in Murang’a to show people the need for organic farming to reduce morbidity”.

Ndunge said as a farmer champion, she will make efforts to encourage as many youths as possible to take up agro-ecology and use it to boost their living standards.

The County Executive Committee Member for Devolution and External Linkages in Murang’a County Kiringai Kamau said as the leading county in implementation of agro-ecology in the country, Murang’a county is happy to support its counterparts in transitioning towards organic farming.