James Ole Seriani who is Western province commissioner is a farmer and had some advice to narok county and specifically kilgoris residents as pertainijng the farming sector. In summary, he argues that farmers should encourage to do the following :
1) Dont burnt farm leftovers such maize stoffers, just allow
them to rot n become manure. Burning is bad fr environment
n also such leftover are best used as manure n or livestock
feed.
2) most farmers are encouraged to diversify their farming.
Each farmer is encouraged to have at least - a food crop, a
kitchen garden, some tree crop ( fruits) timber/ fuel wood trees
n several types of animals.
3) Try to reduce costs by # using bull to plough ; use manure
to reduce fertilizers used ; use family labour to reduce cost of
weeding, planting ; use local group / associations to negotiate
farm goods prices, ; share transport cost ect
4) Each farm family should set aside 10 % of their farm as
forest. The forest will serve as source of timber, fuel wood,
source of traditional medicine, area can b used fr eco tourism ,
trees too can be used as livestock feed n bee keeping can b
practiced there.
5) Related to no 4 , each farm family should plant at least 3
fruit trees eg mangoes, avacado, jackfruit, passion fruits n
many other types of fruits . No family should buy fruits!
6) Attend training . No person can b considered a serious
farmer if he/she doesn't spent at 20 days in year on training,
improving knowledge, get new ideas.
7) Fence farm n create paddocks. U cant b a good modern
farmers if ur farm is not fenced n paddocked. Rotate your
cultivation n livestock within the paddocks every 3 years.
8) conserve n collect all rain water by creating small hand dug
dams, trenches n Farrows to hold ranoff water. Cultivate you
farm ALONG the hill n never from DOWN to UP the hill.
9) If hv planted bananas, get planting material farm karlo( kari)
to ensure ur plants are without disease. keep only 3 banana
stem per hole or group of plants ( the rest should b removed) . Too many plants per hole reduce size of banana fruit.
10) Lastly , each farmer must innovate, try new crops ideas
every year, every season, u should not continue cultivating
maize fr 20 years without trying something new.
Such new crops, animal can inexpensive # a few avocado or
mango trees, afew garlic plants, a few nduma seedlings, one or
two bamboo plants, afew guinea fowls. U can also innovate thr
value addition on your current farm produce
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