When we visited a 45-year-old Michael Okong’o at his rural home in Gogo village, West Kanyamkago Ward, Uriri Sub-county of Migori County, the healthy green crops were all we could see.
It was difficult to tell the poor climatic conditions of the area as most of the land is surrounded by rock boulders.
Okong’o’s home, sits at the boundary between Uriri and Nyatike Sub County, an area perceived to be an Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL).
This is why Nyatike region’s surrounding environment has the same climatic conditions as Nyatike, which receives very little annual rainfall.
Nevertheless, Okong’o narrates that his determination to grow food crops made him do all that it takes, which is depicted in green farms immersed in fresh vegetables and maize.
“This area is very hot and as you can see three quarters of my farmlands is rocky. But I am doing what I always wanted,” narrates Okong’o as he takes shot strides inside his vegetable farm.
The polygamous father with many children is one of few farmers who has abandoned tobacco farming to pursue full-time food crop cultivation after having grown the plant for many years.
This was due in part to the low profits made from tobacco sales despite the high cost of production and the health hazards that the crop presents to its farmers.
Having given up on tobacco farming, Okong’o narrates how he contemplated on whether he should join sugarcane farming. Okong’o was well aware of the difficulties that sugarcane growers face when requesting payment from the millers.
“After quitting tobacco growing, I almost ventured into cane growing. But I changed my mind because I had heard lots of complaints from growers on delayed payments,” he explained.
Nyatike borders the semi-arid area of Nyatike. Growing food crops in Gogo proved difficult because rains can be unpredictable.
When ‘Ripple Effect’, a non-government organization, formerly ‘Send a Cow’ (SAC) came into Migori County to train farmers on new farming methods, Okong’o embraced the idea.
He narrates how the organisation’s idea was timely and coincidental to his desires. “When the SAC came, few people were reluctant to join. For me I wanted to know how to farm here on my land and that is what they provided,” he shared.
Since then, the group has been informing farmers in Migori County about how important it is to adapt to new farming techniques.
The organization advocates for healthy farming, free of the use agrochemicals and fertilizers, to maximize yields.
After learning the new farming skills from them, it was all smiles for Okong’o and his family, as they could now reap big from their sweat.
“Through trainings, I decided to practice the ideas here in my home since I had no any other land,” said Okong’o.
Although it takes more than training alone, as most of the work I do myself like organising my farm and planting,” continued Okong’o as he goes round a water pond.
Okong’o’s one acre farm has 20 different crops that include fruits and vegetables besides poultry, goats and cows.
He notes that the scientific crop method such as Keyhole, Aerial, Trench and Mandala gardening, is the reason he has managed to have a lot of crops in a limited space of land
In addition, the gardening techniques also conserve crop water and moisture usage, increase crop production and utilise better plant nutrients. He has created a pond to collect rain water and use it to water crops.
The farmer says that he uses organic fertilizer obtained from his composite pit, liquid organic manure for top dressing and the “Plant Tea” that acts both as pesticide and insecticide.
Okong’o says that organic farming has enabled him to reduce the expenses that he previously incurred in purchasing inorganic fertilizer and pesticides from shops.
“I make liquid manure by putting fresh cow dung in a bucket with fresh water to liquefy for 14 days in order to produce the necessary nitrogen for crop top dressing,” explained Okong’o.
“I also use Plant Tea pesticide, which is made from a concoction of different plant and vegetable leafs mixed together with water for a period of 10 days,” he added.
Different vegetable and plant leaves are used to ensure that rodents and other destructive insects can be killed.
Being in a farmers’ group has sharpened his skills in crop and animal husbandry and economically from the services and grants that groups get from NGO partners and the County government.
From the sale of crops and vegetables, Okong’o’s family has bought goats, chicken and even saved some money for paying school fees.
Rosemary Akinyi, Rosemary’s wife, states that they are now peaceful in their home and have stopped having small arguments about family expenditures on food.
“Before, we could not ‘eat tobacco’ with my family, we had to sell it first. But as of today, we eat these crops here before selling,” she narrates as she cuts down a banana tree.
They also advised those who are still committed to tobacco cultivation to consider growing food crops. This can be eaten before they sell.
By George Agimba and Polycarp Okchieng
Source: kenyanews
