Farmers have long been in a dilemma about what to produce cheaply and at high quality in their respective countries. In most cases, farmers tend to copy what their neighbours are producing in the hopes that it may do well.
Nyandarua County is one of the major food baskets in Kenya, especially in the production of most vegetables consumed in the country, mostly potatoes. This is due to the fertile soils of forest origin, which are rich in organic matter and fertility.
Where farmers get it wrong!
However, the soils have become acidic and infertile after many years of cultivation. This has led to declining production, especially where no supplementation with organic manure and synthetic fertilizers exists.
Most farmers in Nyandarua practice mixed farming with no specializations. Common crops farmed include potatoes, tomatoes, garden peas, beans, carrots, cabbages, coffee, macadamia, and carrots.
Though the soil supports the growth of all these crops, the cold, chilly weather experienced in most parts of the year suppresses most crops, leading to total failure and losses. Can a farmer specialize in crops that withstand the chilly weather?
Though all crops can grow in this region, most are limited by the cold chilly weather.
Maize and cereals
Maize is the most farmed and consumed cereal in Kenya. It is either farmed for human or animal consumption. Farmers here have small land sizes; therefore, you must grow high-value crops with less than three months of maturity to get high returns.
Maize, in this case, is not a high-value variety.
If farmed, they tend to have stunted growth with delayed maturity and poor yield regardless of the variety.
This is because of the chilly weather. Maize, like other cereals, yields more in hot and wet climates with fertile soil. Therefore, despite the good agricultural soils, the weather inhibits productivity and yields.
Sadly, farmers continue planting, causing losses in yields season after season. This resembles beans, avocados, macadamia, wheat, barley, and watermelons.
Vegetables
Pest control and disease management account for over 30% of the total cost of production. Nyandarua County is suitable for most vegetables but not all. Garden Peas, carrots, potatoes, and cabbages are the best crops with minimal management costs against fungal diseases caused by chilly weather.
Although onion, tomato, and capsicum farming is supported by the fertile soils in the Nyandarua region, the cost of diseases and pest management is extremely high, making it unprofitable.
Dairy farming
The demand for milk is rising as milk processors rush to acquire the scarce white gold. Finally, the farmer can enjoy as the forces of demand and supply push prices high.
The farmer is at liberty to decide who to sell his milk to, depending on the price. For a dairy cow to produce a high yield of milk, it requires feeding on high-quality fodder, which is not a challenge in the Nyandarua region, which experiences rain most of the year while other regions are dry.
When it’s dry, Farmers supplement their dairy feeding ratios with readily available vegetable residues, which also increases milk productivity. Nyandarua farmers have this advantage over farmers in other counties.
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Here’s what to farm
To conclude, Nyandarua farmers should specialize in crops/enterprises that are high-productivity at a low cost. These include garden peas, carrots, cabbages, coffee, potato, and dairy farming. These crops can be planted on land with failing enterprises/yields, and returns are used to outsource crops that don’t do well.
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