By A, KNA
Farmers in Nakuru county are increasingly adopting innovative agricultural technologies to boost food production, raise household incomes and mitigate the effects of climate change.
According to the County Executive for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Veterinary services Leonard Bor, the devolved unit is working closely with communities to promote sustainable farming practices that improve livelihoods.
“We are partnering with communities across all the 11 Sub-Counties to promote climate-smart farming practices that can support sustainable food systems and raise living standards,” Bor said.
The County Executive indicated that over 500 farmers from the region have undergone training on Agribusiness and Climate-Smart Agriculture Technologies (CAS) namely cone gardens, shade nests, and bio-pesticides at the Nakuru Agricultural Training Center (NATC).
Beyond rooting for adoption of new climate smart farming techniques NATC has also been equipping farmers with skills on how to access markets and explore value addition through cooperatives, which provide a platform for collective marketing and enhance economic sustainability for smallholder farmers.
Bor said the training on enhancing the utilization of climate-smart agriculture technologies among smallholder women farmers in the country, aims not only to provide a platform for the farmers to share knowledge and experiences, but also use the knowledge and skills gained from the training to further train other farmers within their communities.
“The farmers have further received training on kitchen gardening, fish farming, livestock production, and value addition, where they were also encouraged to share the knowledge and skills with other farmers within their community,” he added.
The County Executive pointed out that climate-smart technologies for smallholder farmers have an impact because when they are trained, they go and adopt them in their households, realize more yields, in the process earning more income as they consume some of the farm produce and sell the surplus.
While stating that climate-smart agriculture practices which will cushion farmers against climate change challenges like drought, floods, pests and diseases, Bor urged farmers to seek advisory services from the Nakuru Farmers Call Center free of charge.
He indicated NATC supports farmers through training to bridge gaps in skills and knowledge sustainable farming practices, various agricultural value chains, relevant skill-based agricultural technologies and value addition, among others.
The County Executive further indicated that the devolved unit in partnership with the national government and its non-state partners were also initiating various programs focusing on equipping farmers with modern, environmentally friendly techniques to cope with shrinking farmland and unpredictable weather patterns.
We no longer have the luxury of large farming spaces. That is why we are training farmers to maximize their limited land through techniques like kitchen gardening and conical gardens, he added.
The conical garden model allows farmers to grow various vegetables in vertical layers, enabling food production even in small spaces such as homesteads and school compounds.
Bor said this approach has been particularly effective in areas facing land scarcity and poor soil conditions.
To further improve productivity, NATC has been using field days to train farmers in soil fertility management, including composting and bio-fertilizer production.
“We are helping farmers adopt organic methods to enrich their soils. Composting and making bio-fertilizers not only reduce costs but also improve crop yields in an eco-friendly way,” he added.
The cone gardens address the challenges of waterlogging; the shed nets prevent crop destruction resulting from heavy rains and strong winds, while the biopesticides are an affordable solution to managing pests and disease whose incidents also increase during the rainy seasons.
Bor explained that Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) involves actions that sustainably increase productivity, enhance adaptation, reduce greenhouse emissions to a possible zero and enhance achievement of national food security and development goals.
“Climate change is not only threatening food security, but is also contributing to the loss of biodiversity, insecurity and nutrition,” said Bor, adding, “The situation on climate change is worsening daily as natural hazards from extreme weather events such as drought and flooding are increasing, creating greater loss and damage.”
He indicated that Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) was the solution to erratic weather patterns, adding that it involves actions that sustainably increase productivity, enhance adaptation, reduce greenhouse emissions to a possible zero and enhance achievement of national food security and development goals.
The County Agriculture Chief Officer Newton Mwaura, said they were also encouraging farmers to embrace irrigation and growing resilient crops such as cassava, sweet potato, finger millet, green gram and sorghum, as part of climate-smart agriculture.
He said they had embraced public-private partnerships geared towards increasing uptake of climate-smart innovations and technologies by small holder farmers to help them reduce production costs and boost their incomes.
Mwaura said the practices entail incorporating agriculture-smart technologies like minimum tillage, not only to improve soil fertility, but also enhance food security and productivity.
The Chief Officer noted that agriculture is hugely vulnerable to climate change, particularly in Kenya, where farmers bear the brunt of irregular, insufficient and unpredictable rainfall patterns.
“Our ultimate goal is to translate the information, knowledge and new technologies into increased incomes for smallholder farmers and alleviate poverty. The investment in irrigation, climate-smart innovations and technologies is designed to promote food security, bring resilience in the economy, create jobs and reduce poverty,” said Mwaura.
He assured residents that the County government will continue collaborating with other public and private sector partners to ensure farmers access crop varieties that are resilient to diseases, drought and pests.