Farmers in Makueni embrace organic farming.

By Caroline Mwendwa

The desire to produce high yields despite the overwhelming challenge of pests and unhealthy soils that constantly require inputs to produce, has led farmers to engage in chemical overuse, which is raising concerns over human health. As non-communicable disease incidences rise, it is time to rethink the approaches used in food production. Farmers in Makueni have discovered an alternative way of farming, using organic products that replace the harmful synthetic farm inputs that leave toxic residues on food produce affecting the health of all consumers.

These organic inputs are foliar fertilizers that not only add nutrients to the crops in all stages of growth but mitigate against pest infestation. The good thing about them is that one can harvest and consume the farm produce immediately after application because they are not toxic.

Irene Mumo, from Mbooni, Makueni County grows a variety of crops organically on her 25 acres of land including: maize, beans, vegetables, medicinal herbs, fruits, Brachiaria and Napier grass for her dairy cattle. She also keeps goats and poultry, among others. Ms Mumo also practices bee keeping which ensures optimum yields through crop pollination. “I practice integrated farming and grow all my crops organically,” says Mumo.

“For a long time, I had the desire to grow organic produce but didn’t know how to go about it. Through a friend however, I learnt that there are biological farm inputs including biofertilizers, and foliars that not only enrich the soil, without depleting its natural fertility, but also manage pests. I get my organic products from Rue Organics, and for a year now, I have not used synthetic chemicals in my farm, and the crops’ yield is has not declined,” she says.

Before planting seeds, Ms Mumo soaks them in a product known as M-Forte, a liquid bio-stimulant cum foliar fertilizer containing fortified bioactive microbes. It is made by fermentation process which allows multiplication of bacteria and replenishes soil health by replacing lost soil micro-organisms. M-Forte contains all the micro-nutrients that make healthy soil including potassium, magnesium, zinc and calcium. These nutrients protect the plants against pathogens and wilting.

“After soaking the seeds, I then plant them and after 2-3 days, drench the soil on which they are planted with the same product (M- Forte). “Once the seeds have sprouted, and growth has started, I apply Stop gel another product from Rue Organics, to mitigate against pest’s infestation,” she says. Stop gel is a popular foliar fertilizer among organic farmers which is rich in essential macro-nutrients and which are easily absorbed by plant leaves while allowing efficient uptake of other micro-nutrients. It controls pests as it suffocates and dehydrates them. The gel component in it blocks the pores of the insects causing them to suffocate and the salt in it kills them by dehydration. It leaves no chemical residue on crops.

“Once the crops have flowered, I apply Rue – Sil Boom, an organic foliar fertilizer containing natural silica and balanced plant nutrients to enhance flower and fruit quality,” says Mumo.

Mumo ensures to integrate these inputs, with good agronomical practices. She has grown a myriad of trees in her farm. In addition, all her crops are intercropped. For instance, she intercrops spinach with garlic onions, whose strong smell repels pests. Within the same garden, she plants maize, with beans and fruit trees such as avocado trees, and orange trees.

“I also plant a variety of medicinal herbs and plants including rosemary, lavender, sage, cayenne, Tabasco pepper, trichanthera, mint, African marigold, among others. Integrated farming enhances soil health and helps in pest management,” says Ms Mumo.

Near the farm, is a heaped compost pit, where she decomposes manure to use in the farm.

Ms Mumo has exemplified the possibility of growing food organically on a large scale. She sells her produce in all markets, some she transports to markets in Western Kenya and Nairobi others she sells at the local markets of Makueni.

“Farming the organic way is doable, and farmers need to choose to produce safe foods that do not have health repercussions on the consumers, who are not only buyers but their family members as well. Alternatives to toxic chemicals are available, and they work effectively,” she says, giving the example that from a 250m²  piece of land, she harvests 80-100 Kgs of capsicum weekly.

Phyllis Nduva, a horticulturalist in Wote, Makueni County, growing organic fruits, including mangoes, citrus fruits and paw paws, on a 20-acre piece of land has been using these products for the last two years now.

“As you know, with fruits, pests are always attacking them. Initially, I did not know of these products. I always wanted to grow fruits organically, as I am sure they are free of toxic chemical residues, and that means that we can eat them without the fear that we are introducing diseases into our bodies, and also, that they can fetch good prices in the market,” she says. But what discouraged her is the fear that she would not be able to manage pests and other occurring diseases. This changed when she met Mr Joseph Mbithi, of Biovision Africa Trust. Through him, Ms Nduva discovered that there are organic farm inputs that are effective as foliar fertilizers and which also keep off pests.

“Mr Mbithi introduced me to Rue Organics, which is a company dealing with organic inputs and to my delight, they have inputs for all stages of the crops. Since I began using them, I have never desired to go back to conventional farming,” says Phyllis. Being a fruit grower, it is very important that even after applying the inputs, she can still harvest without having to worry about post-harvest intervals.

Ms Nduva expresses her experience with Stop gel, “after pruning mango trees, I have been applying Stop gel because it is foliar and due to its effects, pests die in the process and the plant starts producing without attacks,” she says. In maize, as well, once the seeds have sprouted, and two to three shoots are out, I apply Stop gel which has been proven to control Fall Army Worm.”

For all her fruits, especially mangoes, once they have flowered, Ms Nduva, applies Rue – Sil Boom which hardens them and makes the fruits bulky. “During the cold season, mildew burns leaves and flowers and to manage this, I apply Fungalsol Fungicide, a biological fungicide and foliar fertilizer that assists the plants to synthesize protein boosting its ability to protect itself against viral, bacterial and fungal diseases. Since these products aid in the natural process of synthesizing proteins, the crop can resist diseases on its own, unlike synthetic pesticides which are not absorbed by the plant, and this makes the plants dependent on them for protection against diseases.

Ms Nduva is a member of Makueni County Fruit Processors, a co-operative for fruit growers. The co-operative used to export their produce to international markets, until their standards were compromised by some of the group members. However, they are now keen to acquire the organic certification to be able to explore international markets which have better returns. To achieve this, all the members need to comply to the organic standards. “Since we can now access organic farm inputs, which I have since introduced to the other members of the co-operative, it will be easier to produce organically, and still harvest good yields,” she says.

“Makueni County is in the process of establishing a federation of co-operatives to link other private co-operatives with markets for their farm produce and establish an aggregation of farm inputs, and this will make it easier for farmers to access these organic farm inputs, which has been a challenge overtime,” says Ms Nduva.  

A youth group by the name, Modern Draqual Enterprises, comprising of seven members, in Wote, Makueni, have also embraced organic farming. Led by Joshua Musyoka, a computer science graduate, who is pursuing a master’s degree in information technology, the group, is growing tomatoes, spinach, dhania and indigenous vegetables on a two-acre piece of land. The group met Joseph Mbithi of Biovision Africa Trust, who has been training them on organic farming, and has already trained them on using biological farm inputs, especially products by Rue Organics instead of synthetic ones. Before they learnt of Rue Organics, they farmed conventionally, until, tomato blight and blossom end rot infested their tomatoes, leaving them with nothing to harvest. “Mbithi introduced two organic products to us, Stop gel and M- Forte. The next round we applied them as guided, and sure enough, the tomatoes were free of blight and blossom end rot,” says Musyoka, relieved that the group can still grow vegetables organically and harvest optimum yields.

The group is planning to continue producing organically, to produce safe foods and avail their produce to organic produce markets where they can fetch better prices.

Conclusion

Studies have shown a linkage between the rising cases of non-communicable diseases and other short-term illnesses such as skin diseases, gastro-intestinal diseases and respiratory related illnesses and the intense application of synthetic chemicals in the farm. Some producers are aware of these effects, and the fact that some of them are banned in the West is a clear pointer of their effects on human health. Farmers need to know that there are alternatives to these toxic chemicals, and these alternatives are effective, available, and affordable as attested by those already using them.

While there are perceptions that organic food production is expensive, the cost of long-term illnesses arising from continued ingestion of toxic substances is incomparable to the resources a farmer uses in practicing organic farming.