Soil fertility: Farmers ask state to consider organic fertilisers

Farmers in 42 counties have urged the government to consider organic fertilisers as an alternative method to soil fertility management.

They said organic fertilisers offer more benefits to farm health and nutritional values of agricultural products than the chemicals, and reduce dependency on imported synthetic fertilisers.

They asked the government to facilitate the urgent transition to biological, locally manufactured and affordable farm inputs by encouraging farmers to adopt alternative options to reduce exposure to the ever-changing global market scenarios.

In a statement read by the Participatory Ecological Land Use Management Kenya Network chairperson, Collins Othieno, the farmers said Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine should have served as a lesson on over-dependency on imports.

“Covid-19, the war in Ukraine compounded with climate change has truly exposed the vulnerability and fragility of the food systems in the country,” Othieno said.

He spoke in Nakuru after the Network’s Annual General Meeting over the weekend.

He said farm inputs were an important component in food production noting that Sh4.5 billion was allocated to Fertiliser Subsidy Programme which largely factored in imported synthetic fertilisers.

“As a network, Pelum Kenya is willing to provide a platform for learning and experience sharing of the various biological farm inputs which have successfully been utilised by member farmers over the years,” he said.

Othieno said despite the afore-mention challenges that have grossly affected agri-food business, Kenya was not keen on ensuring sustainable food security and independence.

“The government is not on track to achieve sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG2) and Vision 2030 on ending hunger, achieving food security and improved nutrition,” he said.

He claimed that the number of people in need of food assistance had increased from 3.5 million in 2022 to 5.4 million in June this year.

He said acute malnutrition had also been noted across the counties with 942,000 cases of children six to 59 months being acutely malnourished and another 134,000 cases of pregnant or lactating women also being seriously malnourished in need of treatment,

Othieno said food and nutrition security was not only a basic necessity but also a right as per Article 43 (1) C of the Constitution.

He raised concern over the budgetary allocation for Agriculture in the 2023/2024 Financial Year which stood at less than 10 per cent of the total budget yet the sector was the backbone of the country’s economy.

“The Bottom-Up Transformation Agenda prioritised Agriculture transformation as a strategy to revive the economy but the Network is concerned that a government that claims to be committed to stabilising the cost of living further reduced the budget allocation by 4 per cent,” he said

Othieno urged the government at the national and county levels to increase budget allocation to Agriculture to 10 per cent of the total budgets as per the Maputo Declaration with at least 5 per cent being dedicated to agroecology practices, including research and extension.

On harmful agrochemicals, he said, the copious use of expensive toxic farm chemicals including synthetic fertilisers was impoverishing Kenyans and killing consumers as a result of eating unsafe food.

“Compounded with their unaffordability and their long-term effects on soil, there is a need for more sustainable inputs and promotion and adoption of agroecology practices,” he said.

Othieno urged stakeholders to increase awareness and education on the adverse effects of synthetic fertilisers, herbicides, fertilisers and pesticides.

While demanding an immediate ban on all harmful agrochemicals which are already banned in other countries, he said the government should promote trade and consumption of affordable organic and eco-friendly products.