Agricultural and Climate Change Communication Specialist
It is the rainy season in most parts of the country. Generally, it is any farmer’s favourite time of the year for this is when farmers sow seeds and watch them grow.
Travelling around the country, however, one notices that most crops in the field are the usual suspects - maize and beans with a sprinkling of cassava, potatoes, as well as spinach and kale. The high-value crops such as onions, tomatoes, strawberries, garlic, mushrooms, and herbs are largely missing from the picture.
However, just why are these crops referred to as high-value?
The reason they are referred to as high-value is because they, generally, have a higher return on investment per unit of land than their conventional counterparts.
This is thanks to their high nutritional or medicinal value, high market demand, export potential, or value addition. These crops provide a credible pathway out of poverty and can spur the development of cottage industries, creating jobs in rural and peri-urban areas.
Despite their high potential, transitioning from conventional crops can be very challenging for farmers, many of whom lack adequate financial outlays and extension support.
Let’s take, for example, onion farming in a region with predictable rainfall. The journey often starts with soil testing, which confirms or disproves whether the land in question is suitable for onion farming. Related costs could be as high as Sh500,000 on an acre of land requiring an irrigation system.
Investing in onion farming or any high-value crop on a reasonable scale can be a delicate affair requiring knowledge, ability to take in losses and significant financial resources.
It is, therefore, easy to see why many farmers keep off high-value crops and stick to the familiar despite poor commercial prospects. Can this narrative be changed? Yes.
Agriculture is a devolved function, so the onus is on counties to invest in extension services and, working through extension officers, identify farmers who can be supported to grow high-value crops.
As some of these crops have value addition and export potential, the agriculture ministry at the national level also has a responsibility to pass policies that incentivise farmers to invest in high-value crops.
Kenyan farmers are known for their eagerness to learn and grow. Some have land that can support high-value commercial agriculture. But they need to be encouraged and supported by their government. This is one way we can drive poverty away from our rural areas.
Soil testing also reveals the insects and fungi that will have to be dealt with to keep the onions alive and healthy. It also shows the pH level of the soil and if the soil needs to be treated to make it just right for the onion crop.
Once the soil testing phase is dispensed with, we move to another critical phase, and that is the phase of learning. The farmer must learn as much as possible about onion farming.
Knowledge and the application of it are critical tools in any type of farming, but especially so with onion farming. With onion farming, timing is everything.
The farmer decides when they will get to the market based on when they start to raise the nursery. This is important because there are seasons when the market is flooded with onions, leading to low prices.
Farmers who rely on rain-fed agriculture need to be particularly careful because of one obvious reason: transplanting to the main field needs to coincide with the onset of the rain.
Watering seedlings in a nursery is relatively easy, especially when there is a reliable water source. Not so with manually irrigating one acre of land for instance. That would be both expensive and exhausting.
Irrigating such a sizable piece of land requires not just a reliable source of water but also an irrigation system. The drip irrigation system is preferable, but sprinkler irrigation may also work.
Establishing a proper drip irrigation system on an acre of land may cost upwards of sh500, 000. As many farmers do not have the ability to make such an investment, rainfed farming can be a great option in the early years of onion farming.
Given the unpredictable weather patterns driven by climate change, farmers need to have both options, allowing them to switch to drip irrigation when the rain fails.
Establishing a nursery for your onion seedlings can be an exciting but challenging phase. The beds should be free of weeds and large soil particles that can hurt the delicate young seedlings.
The soil should be evenly mixed with organic manure as the seedlings will require sufficient nutrients to prepare them for life away from the nursery.
Onion seeds that can give the farmer a good return can be a tad too expensive. Some brands may cost as much as sh42,000 for seeds that can cover an acre of land. There are, however, cheaper local brands ranging from sh5000 to sh15,000.
Critical to the survival of onions both in the nursery and main farm is watering, weeding, and disease, pest and fungal management.
I will not get into the minute details, but it is important to note that prevention is the best strategy. Deal with cutworms before they start feeding off the juicy parts of your young crops.
Deal with fungal infection before you spot the yellowing leaf tips and deal with damping off before wilting begins. If you wait until you notice the symptoms, it may probably be too late.
What this underscores is the need to retain a competent agronomist to advise through all the stages of growth. Where an agronomist is not available or cannot be afforded, the farmer can work with an experienced onion farmer, preferably one who understands the local agro-ecological conditions.
The writer is a farmer and a specialist in agricultural and climate change communication.
