For many years, large-scale and small-scale farmers in the traditional food basket have been planting every season without paying attention to soil health. Over the years, this has resulted in dwindling productivity at the farm level as they grappled with the worst effects of climate change coupled with the high cost of farm inputs.
Kenya’s total land area under maize production is about 1.5 million hectares, with an annual average production estimated at three million metric tonnes, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture. With declining maize production, Kenya is forced to import to plug the deficit to meet the local consumption.
Experts in the agriculture sector are now championing conservation agriculture to enable food producers and cut costs while attaining higher yields. This practice helps to retain moisture in the soil, ensure minimal disturbance and improve fertility. Read more…
