• Narok county government is working with partners to supply fertiliser during the planting and growing season.
• Changing weather patterns and declining soil fertility are some of the challenges that require farmers to apply new technologies
Farmers have been urged to adopt new technologies to deal with changing weather patterns and declining soil fertility for better harvest.
Speaking during the launch of an initiative to sensitize farmers on best farming practices by Yara East Africa, country manager William Ng'eno said Kenya is a major food importer yet 16 per cent of the land has not been fully utilized.
“The ever-changing weather patterns and declining soil fertility are some of the challenges that require us to apply new technologies to ensure farmers get the right crop yield,” he said.
The initiative was launched in Narok on Wednesday.
Narok CEC for agriculture John Marindany said the county government was working with partners to supply fertiliser during the planting and growing season.
Marindany said they train farmers on the proper timing to boost crop productivity.
“We are working to rope in more farmers to take up fertilisers that do not acidify the soils making it difficult for crops to take up the necessary nutrients resulting in poor yields," he said.
"We are also working to ensure the farmer is protected from rogue fertiliser sellers who are trying to con farmers by selling counterfeit fertilisers.”
The executive said the government was working to ensure farmers accessed the necessary equipment and farm inputs at affordable prices.
Last year, Yara East Africa launched Yara Mila fertiliser for planting, Yara Vera for top-dressing and Yara Boost to promote plant growth.
Simon Lnarakaik, smallholder maize and potato farmer, said his crops gave him good yields. He advised other farmers to use fertiliser when planting.
“There was a part of my shamba I was not cultivating. The soils had become too acidic resulting in poor yields. Having been trained by Yara East Africa on the correct use of their fertilisers, I decided to plant some maize and potatoes on that piece of land.
"Today I can testify my crops did not fail. I got good yields,” he said.