• Ngure, who hails from Mathioya, told KNA that aerial yam, a kind of yam that grows off the ground, can be grown by anyone as it does not require a big piece of land.
• George Muchoki, a neighbour who frequents Ngure’s farm to learn, is excited about aerial yam farming and intends to plant them on his farm
Image: Bernard Munyao/KNA
A Murang’a farmer has uprooted his coffee bushes and turned to aerial yam farming, a unique crop in the region.
The move by Simon Ngure, who is also a clergyman at a local church, has awed many residents who are also considering following suit.
Ngure did away with coffee farming and ventured into little-known aerial yam, which he claims has more returns.
Ngure, who hails from Mathioya, told KNA that aerial yam, a kind of yam that grows off the ground, can be grown by anyone as it does not require a big piece of land.
"My land had few coffee bushes, which could not give good returns. That prompted me to seek a crop that has more returns,” he said.
"I only have a small piece of land, an eighth of an acre, for my aerial yams. From a distance, you can see the plants look like passion fruits from the way the branches have intertwined.”
Ngure said he had learnt about aerial yams when he visited a friend from another county who had the yams on his farm.
"After seeing the strange yams on that farm, I decided to carry some few vines and try growing them on my shamba,” he said
Ngure also observed that the yam has been a financial game changer in his farming efforts, given the returns he has got.
At first, he farmed for his family but soon attracted buyers that made him uproot all his coffee plants, venturing fully into yam farming for business. The cleric went ahead to drill a borehole to have sufficient water for the crop, especially during dry seasons.
“On my small farm, the yams yield more returns compared to coffee, so I chose to focus on yams and I even drilled a borehole to ensure I have adequate water for irrigation during dry period,” he said.
Ngure explained that the crop is very economical in terms of space noting that he is able to intercrop the yams with other crops without interference. He has also planted vegetables such as collard greens and spinach and at times tomatoes or any crop that takes less than three months to mature.
Maintenance for this type of yam is not labour-intensive as the vine rejuvenates themselves.
"Another advantage of the crop is that once you plant the vines, they rejuvenate after 11 months, the only replacement needed is the supporting sticks,” he said.
A full 20kg bucket retails between Sh5,000 and 7,000. He said the money has helped him comfortably meet his financial obligations. Other than the income, Ngure said the yams are a healthful food for his family as they are rich in minerals.
George Muchoki, a neighbour who frequents Ngure’s farm to learn, is excited about aerial yam farming and intends to plant them on his farm. He urged the government to put more effort in educating farmers on new crops and farming technologies.
"It is time for the county and national governments to revive agriculture extension services so that more farmers like me can be trained in modern ways of profitable farming,” remarked Muchoki.