Why are Farmers Poor if Agriculture is Kenya’s Golden-egg Layer?
Full of smiles as Women enjoy their harvest
Kenyan farmers produce enormous wealth for the country yet are largely poor. They must reject the farming model that keeps them perpetually poor, indebted, frustrated into alcoholism, domestic violence and seek trade justice crops grown on African farms are sold in retail outlets in Europe and the Middle East, while the aroma of coffee, tea and cocoa grown in her fields fills the air in most coffee and confectionery shops, outside of which the scent of flowers grown with her water fills the sidewalks.
Yet, the African small scale farmers that produce these valuable products of perpetual global demand are poor - food insecure, living in dilapidated dwellings without adequate water or sanitation, unable to pay for health care or education and unable to retire from farming as they lack a pension and other social protections. While Kenya exports coffee, tea, flowers and other horticultural produce, many Kenyan households, including those of small scale farmers are food insecure – cannot afford three meals a day. 30 percent of Kenya’s children are malnourished and Kenya is a net importer of good crops, mainly grains such as maize, rice and wheat. Most of Kenya’s adult population has grown up being taught that agriculture is the backbone of Kenya’s economy. The fact that agriculture employs three in every five people in Kenya (60 percent); accounts for 27 percent of Kenya’s GDP and contributes more than 50 percent of the export earnings (1) means that the importance of agriculture to Kenya’s economy cannot be overemphasize. It is what it is; a particularly important aspect in the lives of every Kenyan.
There are countless examples throughout human history of entire civilisations which have crumbled as a result of the inadequacies of their soil management: Mesopotamia, Ancient Greece, the Roman Empire, European Colonies, Central America, and more recently the collapse of the American prairies. Yet we appear doomed to repeat these mistakes century after century. In an industry as old as agriculture new techniques are hard to come by. This poses challenges for our psyche which prefers new solutions to old problems. We therefore end up badging old techniques as new in order to pique interest. Take controlled traffic farming, a technique designed to reduce the compaction damage we have caused by movements of vehicles which get heavier and heavier with each purchase.
For at least a generation traditional soil husbandry has been far from fashionable. The rise of fertilisers and sprays has made it possible to prop up yields despite declining soil health. Further to this the ever increasing power and weight of machinery has meant that only being able to work soil when conditions are right has become an inconvenience of the past.
The long term survival of our food production systems is intimately tied to the seed stewardship.
By Moses Wasamu
Climate change has had serious implications on rain-fed agricultural systems of Sub-Sahara African countries. These changes can be seen in change in rainfall patterns and distribution. Traditionally in Kenya, the short rains were expected in Mid-October but now the onset date has shifted to end of October/starting of November. The distribution is more erratic and unreliable.
These changes have led to reduced food production and increased food insecurity, especially among rural-based communities, reduced incomes of and increased vulnerabilities of farmers, and has led to unpredictable seed production and sales.
Experts now say there is need to utilise coping and resilience mechanisms in order to enhance access to improved seeds that are more adaptable to changing climatic patterns.
2016 STAK Conference Key Stakeholders with Agriculture Cabinet Secretary, Mr. Bett
Dr. Florence Wambugu, chief executive officer of Africa Harvest Biotech Foundation International and Nehemiah Mburu, the programme manager, said that experts need to develop seed varieties that are tolerant to drought and floods, and those that are heat, pest and disease resistant. Additionally, they say there is also need for seeds that are suited to various agroecological zones, and those that mature early and are water-efficient.
They were speaking during the just concluded Seed Trade Association of Kenya (STAK) Annual Congress and Expo held in Nairobi. They said that seeds play a critical role in the food security of any country and thus the governments in the region should pay more attention to the sector.
They say that seed companies have to ensure timely access of improved seeds that are true to type, have good germination (above 85%), those which are treated and also certified.
Continuous improvement and long term strategies in research and development is critical to success, they say, especially with regard to new crops for new technologies, market opportunities and resilience.
Dr. Florence Wambugu, chief executive officer of Africa Harvest Biotech Foundation International 2016 STAK Conference Key Stakeholders with Agriculture Cabinet Secretary, Mr. Bett 4
Dr. Wambugu said STAK has a critical role to promote seed companies, address common challenges and support members to adapt to climate change. “The contribution of foreign multi-national seed companies should also be considered in the context of the value-chain and overall food security agenda in the country,” she said.
Government policies, which currently target a few members in the value chain, should consider the impact on all the stakeholders in the value chain and focus on more members. They said the success of seed companies is influenced by the success or failure of other value-chain partners in the crop business.
They say stakeholders should foster valuebased and inclusive producer-public-privatepartnerships (4Ps) to strengthen value-chains in order to improve coping mechanisms. “NGOs, other community based institutions (CBOs) and local governments have an important role in the sustainability of value chain development initiatives,” they say.
To make this a success, they propose that formal, as well as informal seed systems, should be promoted to enhance access, affordability and diversity of local germ-plasm (these are living genetic resources such as seeds or tissue, that are maintained for the purpose of animal and plant breeding, preservation, and other research uses).
The experts say that because of climate change and changing climatic patterns, there should be timely delivery and distribution of seeds, and the development of monitoring systems and information dissemination pathways to farmers e.g. when to plant.
This can work better when there is closer integration with weather forecasting departments (public) or investing in private forecasting platforms, they said.
Canola
Canola Put Good Fat in your Diet!
Canola oil’s mild flavour allows the flavours of the food and the other marinade ingredients to prevail. Staying liquid while refrigerated allows the canola marinade to be drained off easily. It stays liquid in the fridge which facilitates the marinating process.
Some people think that all fat is bad. In truth, fat is an important part of the diet, providing the greatest output of energy per gram of any food. In addition, fats help keep us warm, and regulate the immune system. They contain essential fat-soluble vitamins and fatty acids and improve the flavour of food. However, there is general agreement among health professionals that the type of fat consumed is as important as the total amount eaten. That’s why it’s important to choose healthier unsaturated fats, like canola oil. Eating too much and the wrong kinds of fats – saturated and trans – cause an imbalance, raising the bad LDL cholesterol and lowering the good HDL cholesterol, which can increase blood pressure, narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis), heart attack and stroke.
Mr. Kassim Owino of Seed Co. Presents a sponsorship cheque to Mr. Ochieng Onduu, CEO STAK
A stakeholders meeting organized by local seed industry players association warned that climate change is a reality and not a myth anymore, and called on farmers to prepare to respond to the phenomenon by putting in place mitigating measures. “Global warming is here with us. The phenomenon of climate change in Kenya is now more apparent than has been before in recent history,” said Mr. Duncan Ochieng Onduu, the Chief Executive Officer, of STAK.
“While Kenyan farmers may for example not be able to agree on the scientific explanation of global warming, one thing that is clear is that they have experienced it first-hand, with the inability to predict the onset of rains unlike the case before. The sun is scorching and the environment unforgiving,” he said.
Canola oil’s mild flavour allows the flavours of the food and the other marinade ingredients to prevail. Staying liquid while refrigerated allows the canola marinade to be drained off easily. It stays liquid in the fridge which facilitates the marinating process. 