Enhancing nature-positive production with a food systems approach in Nakuru
Partitioning a farm to host various crop varieties can result in high yields and income, especially for high-value crops.
In June 2024, WWF-Kenya, in collaboration with the Nakuru County Department of Agriculture, organized a farmers’ field day in the Njoro Basin where the organization has already supported over 500 smallholder farmers with new farming techniques, including training on soil-water conservation and sustainable farming practices.
The field day featured exhibitions and demonstrations on various topics, such as soilless nursery seedlings, multi-story kitchen gardening, potato farming, soil analysis, avocado grafting, farm record-keeping and market access.
“I’m happy about many things I’ve learned here, including soil testing and its benefits. Knowing your soil helps determine the right fertilizer to use, managing bean diseases, avocado grafting and growth management, soil and water conservation using terraces and Napier grass, agroforestry, tree care, and bee farming,” said Jeremiah Chumo, a smallholder farmer.
Unpredictable weather events and changes in soil fertility are increasingly making farming less unproductive.
The use of fertilizers, agrochemicals, clean certified seeds, and proper agronomic extension can, however, prepare farmers better to deal with these challenges.
The lack of extension services at the village level has made it harder for smallholder farmers to access most of the new farming ideas that can transform their efforts.
To address this, WWF-Kenya trained 40 Trainers of Trainers (ToTs) who are currently educating smallholder farmers on these techniques, thanks to the Integrated River Njoro Catchment Management for Enhanced Ecosystem Services and Livelihoods (NEESEL) project funded by Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation through WWF-Switzerland.
“It’s evident that these interventions are here to help with sustainable agricultural production. I’m impressed with the ToTs. They are closer and more accessible to the farmers. The government cannot have extension officers everywhere, hence the ToTs come in handy,” said Mr Michael Cheruyiot, Director Agriculture department, Nakuru County.
Dr. William Ojwang — Manager, Kenya Rift Lakes Programme at WWF-Kenya, noted that the collaboration with Nakuru County has brought significant gains to the farmers.
