Fertiliser manufacturer Yara East Africa has partnered with farmers to set up service centres where smallholder growers are empowered with life-changing farming techniques.
The award program brings together industry players led by Yara East Africa in partnership with Farm to Market Alliance (FtMA) with the aim of equipping smallholder farmers with technological know-how, that promotes good farming practices, resulting in high quality yields.
Yara East Africa says it is seeking to address food insecurity occasioned by climate change, population growth and diminishing agricultural land.
Yara East Africa regional agronomist Kepha Makori said players in the agriculture sector had come together to finds ways of mitigating emerging threats to food security.
“Although the landmass under cultivation continues to reduce with an ever-increasing population, we have to make sure that the farm output feeds the world,” Makori said.
He was speaking in Nakuru during the national FtMA award ceremony for farmers' training centres vocal persons.
Makori expressed optimism that the organisation’s mission to feed the world was being realised, saying farmers were already adopting new farming techniques.
"Yara East Africa’s resolve to provide customised and sustainable solutions ranging from soil testing, increased farmer interactivity and training is key to addressing food insecurity," Makori said.
He noted that food insecurity was a real threat to humanity that required joint efforts to address.
The award ceremony was started in 2015 by the World Food Programme and it seeks to decentralise knowledge dissemination to rural areas.
The model empowers farmers’ representatives with the latest farming techniques with training of focal persons to pass on the knowledge to other farmers using demonstration farms and open days.
Yara East Africa has been training farmers in different counties and in the East Africa region to improve production.
The company has commenced several training sessions for farmers on crop nutrition solutions and precision farming.
The aim is to help farmers increase yields and improve product quality while reducing adverse environmental impacts.
During the award ceremony in Nakuru, Purity Gacheria from Tharaka-Nithi rode off with a motorcycle for being the most influential agent offering exemplary after-sale services for Yara products.
Several focal persons from other regions received recognition for championing best farming practices for higher and quality yields.
Edited by P.O
