Deputy President William Ruto has been calling for crop diversification among farmers in Rift Valley and Western Kenya for some time to solve many problems, including low prices.
Maize farmers have been demotivated by poor prices due to liberalisation of the sector, thus, the need to diversify and raise income, the DP says.
We see good sense in the call for maize farmers to add new crops, while not abandoning maize.
Comparing maize farming in Kenya and Uganda, the soil in the neighbouring country is more fertile. This explains their surplus maize that often floods the Kenyan market. Secondly, focusing on only maize farming often leads to over-production and automatic low returns.
Farmers depending solely on maize suffer during failed rains and drought.
Diversification means growing drought-tolerant crops. Farmers will have more to offer, ending the culture of always turning to the government to purchase maize after harvest.
Failure to off-take maize has often led to massive wastage, compounding already dire poverty.
Alternative crops include French beans, different varieties of beans, vegetables, passion fruit, avocado, tea, coffee, macadamia, sorghum among other crops for sale to supplement income and improve family nutrition.
Quote of the Day: “A man doesn’t plant a tree for himself. He plants it for posterity.”
Alexander Smith
The Scottish poet was born on December 31, 1829.
