216, 000 smallholder farmers in Kenya have increased their farm incomes by 35 per cent in one year while farming on the same plot of land thanks to the springing up of farm dukas that sell fertilisers and improved quality seeds paid back by farmers slowly by slowly for eight months and also hold weekly farmer training.
Access to good quality planting seeds can double the yields of African farmers according to the FAO. This is because only 2.5 per cent of smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa buy seeds from established seed companies as they do not have enough cash at hand to buy improved seeds. African farmers also use just 22kgs of fertiliser per hectare, which according to the World Bank is more than seven times less what other farmers in the world use. This has been identified as a key reason why the continent’s agricultural productivity is just one-third that of the rest of the world.
Founded in 2022, Tupande by One Acre Fund has established 330 farm dukas. These striking yellow shipping container shops are hard to miss as they are by the roadside in 37 counties. They provide farmers with farm and home supplies, from seeds and fertiliser to wheelbarrows, backpack sprayers, iron sheets, solar lighting, and smart or basic phones which can be bought with cash or on credit. This has enabled close to a quarter of a million farmers, many of whom live on less than a dollar a day, to increase their earnings every harvest by Sh18,447 enabling them to use their surplus earnings in improving their farms and homes, take their children to school and have some money saved up for medical expenses.
“Western Kenya where we first set up camp in 2006 we have seen farmers increase their maize yields from one acre to three to 33 bags. This is because, for most of our farmers, there was no way they could afford to go into a shop and buy enough hybrid seeds and fertiliser to grow one acre of maize outright. Once we give them an avenue of paying off this cost slowly in between growing seasons and also train them on how to get the maximum from their small plots of land, we see them take off,” said Tupande’s communications specialist Karigu Ekumbo.
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Because One Acre Fund doesn’t make money from the inputs sold to farmers, they do not charge them extra for getting the fertiliser on credit. “You can be a One Acre Fund farmer by simply registering as an individual farmer or as a farmer group at one of our shops that is nearest to you. From here, one of our agents will visit your farm to determine how much farm inputs credit you qualify for,” Karigu explained.
Once farmers pay the credit extended to them on time, they can build up their credit limit in Sh5,000 increments by paying back whatever money they owe every day, week, or month.
For Michael Mumia, a maize farmer in Mumias East, Tupande has been a godsend. “From just seven bags, I now harvest 19½ bags of maize from my one acre of land. This increase is all because I can now pay just Sh240 every week and I can clear all the DAP and CAN fertiliser and maize seeds I owe by the next planting season,” he said.
Every Sunday, one of One Acre Fund’s 500 field agents in Kakamega County holds a sit down with Mumia and other farmers after church services to train them on the steps to take to ensure they get the maximum yield from the seed and fertiliser bought from the nonprofit.
This advice covers key concerns such as the best variety of seeds depending on the area farmers are in or the season. “If the rains are limited they’ll be advised to grow fast maturing maize such as SC Sungura which are resilient to drought while those growing maize in areas with high rainfall and humidity are recommended seeds like DK 777,” Karigu pointed out.
Farmers are also taught how much of each fertiliser they should apply to see a marked increase in their yield. Karigu mentions that an acre of land should take 37.5 kg of DAP fertiliser as an example. Fertiliser micro-dosing which is the application of small doses of fertiliser at the base of a plant or right next to seed is also a crucial lesson as it can more than double yields while reducing fertiliser application by half. To help measure the exact amount of fertiliser farmers are feeding each crop they are given a scooping cup with each bag of fertiliser.
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As crucial the Tukalime representative said is that farmers learn how to properly place their seeds and cover them with soil to avoid them getting burnt by fertiler. The company also encourages farmers to grow one seed per hole and use strings to measure planting distances which are usually 75*25/20cm apart. Although farmers, especially those in Central Kenya who plant using pangas rather than jembes, push back against this because it is labour intensive, Karigu said that they use small demo plots usually a short distance away from the Dukas to convince farmers of the bountiful harvests they can get using these instructions.
Optimal planting time is also a crucial touching point as it is the key difference in how much of your crops germinate. “We advise our farmers to plant their seeds three days after rains. Even if the rains are a bit delayed, they can be assured that their seeds will germinate because of the wetness still in the soil,” she said.
If they have surplus yields the farmers are also encouraged not to sell it all but to ensure the housefront is taken care of first using the ‘Tatu Hadi Tatu’ crop storage system. This way they have at least three months of food reserves in case the rains fail. To help with grain storage farmers can also buy hermetic bags from the Tukalime stores.
To further improve their crop yields farmers are also taught how to make composts, conduct soil tests, apply lime to excessively acidic soils, and incorporate trees such as Grevillea which do not compete with crops but improve the soil’s fertility and provide animal fodder.
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“Some of our farmers get their first loans of maybe Sh15,000 from us. It is therefore on us to give them some basic financial literacy training so they keep up with the loan payments and do not let the loan accumulate to the point where they are overwhelmed trying to pay it back,” the Tukalime Kenya spokesperson said.
To ease their payment, the farmers are also encouraged to grow vegetables that grow in days and can help them cut down on their loan obligations while they wait to harvest and sell their main crops.
Photo Courtesy: Tupande by One Acre Fund