Browsing the Internet for profits

Farmers from Nyamira County are using information from the Internet to farm better crops after a decade without decent cereal harvests.

Unlike other residents delving into the trending agroforestry wave, some two farmers Priscillah Ongari and Nicholas Magoma have stood out to be different from others venturing in banana husbandry and horticultural farming respectively. 

"In the past , we only knew we could cultivate tea, maize and beans for both commercial and domestic use. Banana was not regarded a serious crop but the numerous educational programmes from the Internet taught me that bananas can be profitably cultivated," said Priscillah.

Nicholas, 65 says he rakes Sh 2,500 from a bag of capsicum at Kisii market and he swears the profits he gets is much more compared to what he got from cereals. "We have wasted years on crops that didn't favor us because everybody in the region was doing the same thing,” she said. According to her, she makes Sh 2000 from a bunch of bananas she claims grows solely and requires minimal care like weeding and supporting the trunks.

"Jobs are getting scarce by the day and those that are available pay terribly. Instead of our youth wallowing in poverty, they should consider using the beautiful knowledge they got from school, and the information available on the Internet, to set up profitable farming ventures ;' she said.

Nicholas believes that as much as the amount of land in the region is diminishing due to an increasing population, the pieces still available are enough for 'great farming:

"The youth on the other hand, have libraries and schools on their mobile phones. If they put this knowledge to proper use, they can end up making Kenya the bread - basket of the world:' He concluded .