Kenyan farmers are abandoning industrial farming methods for sustainable practices to combat increasing soil acidity. According to the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), 63% of Kenya’s arable land is acidic. Because of this, farmers across the country are seeing a drop in crop yields. Experts, like soil scientist Priscilla Wakarera, believe this problem results from farmers overusing fertilizers. Wakarera recommends that farmers test their soil to determine acidity. Based on the results, they can determine the ideal fertilizer application for their soil. Alongside the improper use of fertilizers, she blames poor farming practices like monocropping for farmers’ soil degradation problems. Wakarera advocates for regenerative agriculture, which replaces chemical fertilizers with bio-fertilizers, green manure, and bio-char as a solution. Farmers, like John Mburu Gitu, who apply these methods are already seeing improvements in their crop yields.
SOURCE: AFRICA NEWS
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