KENYA CONSUMERS ORGANIZATION PARTNERS WITH A SWEDISH BODY TO PROMOTE ORGANIC FARMING IN WESTERN KENYA

By Samuel Ouma

The Kenya Consumer Organization (KCO) in partnership with the Swedish Society for Nature and Conservation (SSNC) has launched a campaign to promote  organic farming to improve food security in Western Kenya.

 Speaking to KCO Executive Director Mr. Francis Orago, the programme which is being piloted in Siaya County aims at improving soil fertility to enhance food production in the area through the use of organic manure and also to control the use of chemicals to enhance healthy yield.

 “Our main aim is to boost the crop production in this region of hence ensure that the resident’s perceived good yield without using fertilizer as one of the manures,” He added.  

 Mr. Orago revealed that during the three months programme dubbed ‘Organic farming for sustainable food for all’, farmers will be trained on techniques of recycling nutrients in organic matter by use of compost manure, adding that this will also help in reducing food production costs.

 He emphasized on the need for organic farming techniques, noting that most farmers in the region can not afford fertilizers due to its high costs and lack of effective capacity to use them.

 The Director warned that due to high chemical content, the use of inorganic fertilizer is harmful to both human health and soil fertility hence interfered with the crop production leading to poor harvest of the crops.

 Orago who was addressing the press in Bondo town observed that if small scale farmers are capacitated to practice organic farming at affordable rates, the technique will address the perennial food shortages in the region.

 Orago was joined with KCO regional coordinator for Western Kenya Ms. Eunivensia Adongo and programs coordinator Mr. Richard Odhiambo Awange.