Rice farmers in Mwea, Kirinyaga County are celebrating a bounty harvest thanks to the ratoon training program launched by Yara East Africa in June with rice farmers in Mwea County to help boost rice quality and good yields.
Speaking at the launch on behalf of Yara East Africa Kenya Country Manager, William Ngeno, East Africa Agronomist, Kefa Makori noted the importance of using fertilisers that offer balanced nutrition, to enhance soil health and complement the good seed.
Good soil health helps the roots in the absorption of the desired nutrients from the fertilisers that are used in food production.
“We recommend YaraVita Crop Cereal Boost, which is a good foliar during the flowering season to ensure that our yields are good. It helps influence quality, weight and reduces rice breakage hence give farmers good pricing for their produce,” he explained.
A sack of 100kgs unprocessed rice yields 60kg rice giving farmers an average of Sh6,000 extra for each kilogramme.
“Good fertiliser with the needed nutrients provides for good yields and profit for the farmer. Today we celebrate the success we have seen since the launch of good seeding and processing of rice in June this year which has seen farmer yields increase by 27 per cent,” he added on to say.
On her part, Mary Mugo representing Vincent Kipng’etich from NIB recommended soil testing to ensure the soils have the required nutrients and to enhance productivity.
Reading a speech on behalf of the Agriculture Principal Secretary, State Department for Crop Development & Agricultural Research Professor Hamadi Boga, the Head of Rice Production, Crop Directorate, Ministry of Agriculture, Jane Ndungu noted that rice in the country is practised in 23 counties but can be grown in many more of which 70% is grown in Mwea County.
“We are implementing strategies to have water rice saving technologies that will see production increase from 17 per cent. It is expected that the basmati rice production will increase employment to have 40 value chains as part of the Big Four Agenda,” she explained.
Mazao na Afya distributor representative Alex Munene and Michael Mwangi an Agronomist from MRGM urged farmers to practice right use of Yara fertilisers at the right timing to get good grain yields.
Anne Njeri, a rice farmer in the area says, “I have reaped a handsome return having followed the correct use of Yara Power, Yara Amidas and foliar to ensure the good crop colour.” She urged rice farmers in the region to embrace the modern rice growing technologies to boost their returns.
