A Farmer Embraces Diversification to increase income

Vihiga, Monday May 29 2023,

By Tony Gisairo/ Sharleen Bongo

It has been scientifically proven that growing one crop on a piece of land continuously leads to declining yields occasioned by diseases and pests attack.

This is the situation that prompted one Lincolyn Ojasi from Emanda area in Vihiga central location to diversify the crops on his half an acre piece of land.

Ojasi has apportioned the farm into four plots where he grows maize, spinach, bananas and purple sugarcane.

The farmer says he chose to plant bananas because they allow for inter-cropping and so he grows maize, covering quarter of an acre, in the banana plantation.

“The bananas are perennial and I harvest in piece meal for sale and consumption while the maize is grown once in a year yielding five 90-kilogrammes(kgs) sacks,” he stated as he walked us on the farm.

He explains that after harvesting the maize he plants cowpeas for sale to stall owners at Majengo trading centre.

“I do crop rotation so as to break the disease and pests cycle as well as for nitrogen fixation from the legumes for the realization of good yields,” he said.

The spinach is covering one-eighth of an acre and its shining in the sun gives the impression of a well-managed crop.

He stated that he expects to obtain two 50-kg sacks in one harvest which he sells at Sh. 2,000 each and projects to do four harvests.

The remaining one-eight has purple cane which is mainly chewed and commands high demand in the market.

He explains that a mature cane would have 15 or more nodes and he sells a whole piece at Sh. 30 to roadside traders.

“Diversification of farming activities is advantageous as a farmer stands to reap from one enterprise in case the other fails,” he asserted, adding that it also maintains soil structure and fertility.

Courtesy ; K. N. A