'Tea manure' gets farmers instant wealth and health

By Nicholas Anyuor

For Jescah Omamo, ‘tea manure’ is like gold. It transforms her farm as she watches, a sight that is pleasing to her eyes and pocket.

Before she discovered this farming, she spent so much money to buy fertiliser and other artificial

Farmers and officials stand next to a compost. Farmers say their farm produce has increased many times due to use of the organic fertilisers. [Photo: Nicholas Anyuor/Standard]

inputs to grow crops and this always left her with a hollow pocket and unhappiness.

She had reached a point where she was unable to afford the chemical fertilisers and pesticides for her two-acre farm in Umin village, East Uholo, Siaya County.

Moreover, she says, the chemicals and pesticides are harmful to human health.

Indeed after spraying vegetables, at least two days have to pass before they are harvested for consumption because the fertilisers and pesticides are harmful to human health.

Bumper harvest

In Got Osimbo and Uluthe villages in Ugenya, farmers who were discouraged from chemical fertilisers because of the dangers associated to them and expense of chemicals no longer visit nearby shops to buy the products. In fact, the shop owners no longer stock the artificial fertilisers in their shops.

The farmers have turned to their backyards where they have made heaps of manure.

"We have animal waste in our homes and this is what we use to make the manure. We have really succeeded in this and are having bumper harvests every season," says Omamo, 47.

The farmers have already formed ten groups to champion the organic farming in the region, a move that has attracted many stakeholders, locally and internationally, with Rotarians from Colorado, US, promising to drill water points for irrigation for the farmers.

Organic farming involves the use of techniques that are environmentally friendly and are not harmful to human health, at the same time keeping the soil structure and fertility. It achieves high crop yields.

"Many farmers today are turning to organic farming because it also involves the careful use of water resources. Our groups share ideas to maximise on the farming," explains a farmer in Got Osimbo village, Ugenya.

Already, there are 500 farmers in Ugenya District who have teamed up to ensure they succeed in their organic farming venture. They want to encourage many more to join them for, they say, the benefits are immense.

Because they are determined to succeed, the farmers usually invite officials from the Ministry of Agriculture to train them on best practices of organic farming. And the trainers are always willing to assist.

Pascal Shikuku has been appointed by the farmers to coordinate the activities.

Shikuku says since the farmers started practising organic farming about two years ago, there is food security in the area.

The yields are higher compared to what they used to harvest when using chemical fertilisers, she says.

"If you compare the kind of harvests we have today and what we used to have, there is a big difference. We have no stress in our work because what we use to make the manure is available free here in the village," she says.

More harvest

Omamo says before she engaged in organic farming, her two-acre piece of land was producing only six sacks of maize at every harvest, but this has now gone up to more than 20 bags. Besides, she does not incur many expenses as before.

To prepare organic manure, the farmers make a compost, organic matter of plant and animal residues, which have decomposed over a period of time, a month is often sufficient.

"Compost is cheap, and is very effective when added to soil, it improves soil and crop quality," says George Ayeho, a coordinator with one of the organisations supporting the farmers.

To make this kind of manure, a rack of about three layers is erected, with grass taking the top most layer while the next is filled with leaves and soil.

Next is a layer of cow dung which is prevented from falling off by a bed of grass.

"Water is then poured on top of the top most layer of grass after a container has been put down so that as the water filters down, the ‘tea manure’ liquid is tapped," adds Ayeho.

Farmers can soak seeds in this liquid overnight. Once the seeds are planted, they quickly germinate.

"With a well organised farm, an acre of land can produce up to 20 bags of maize," says Ayeho.

Apart from cereals such as maize and beans, these farmers have also shown interest in horticulture, using the ‘tea manure’, and even produce the traditional vegetables such as osuga, dek and boo.

The Nyanza Provincial agriculture officer Joash Owiro says many farmers today opt for organic farming because many consumers are going for organic foods.