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Chapter 3

Organic Resource Management in Smallholds of Central Kenya

Lucy W. Gichinga and Jane M. Maluvu 

Smallhold farmers derive their organic resources largely from within their farms. The most crucial factor is how farmers identify those resources and decide on appropriate approaches to effectively utilize them. The farming system produces different by-products from various farm enterprises. These by-products are important resources and when well processed and strategically applied result in much more efficient nutrient cycling and livestock-crop interactions (Lekasi et al., 2001). Farmers must mobilize human labour and knowledge required to collect, transport, process, store and apply the resources on the farm. Activities such as composting are labour intensive, and subject to other factors such as bad weather, lack of space and financial resources. Small scale farmers also face competing demands for food and income which lead them to engaging in farming enterprises that best meet these needs.

In this chapter, we present a case study of how Lucy Wanjiku Gichinga, a smallhold farmer in Central Province of Kenya, manages organic resources generated within her farm (Figure 1) and how interactions with other interests in the agricultural and  rural development communities have influenced her farming strategies. Lucy practices mixed enterprise agriculture involving dairy,  poultry and crop production, agroforestry, small-scale milk processing and marketing. The farmer has established dairy and poultry units, grows green vegetables, fodder, maize, bananas and trees on 1.5 ha. The farmer’s strategy is to raise poultry and dairy animals that generate useful organic wastes and farm income. She integrates crop production and agroforestry into the system in order to utilize wastes arising from the livestock and poultry enterprises as organic inputs, but also utilizes residues from the crop and tree production as animal feed, mulch and compost. Chicken feed waste is used to feed the cattle, while cow dung is used to make fuel briquettes for heating the poultry (Table 1). Vegetables, milk, eggs and broilers are sold to raise income to cater for family needs and sustain farm production.

Table 1. Sources and application of organic resources within a smallhold farm in Central Kenya.

Application of Organic Resources

Chicken waste. Poultry droppings and feed waste are valuable resources on the farm. After every six weeks, the broilers are slaughtered, their feed waste, droppings and bedding are collected from the chicken houses and stored in water-tight bags in a cool-dry place. The waste is later screened to separate feed waste from droppings and saw dust. The screened feed waste is added to animal fodder as concentrate and fed to dairy animals. Supplementation of animal feed with chicken feed waste results in significant increase in milk production (Lekasi et al., 2001).

Dairy animals fed with chicken feed waste produce feaces and urine with higher concentrations of plant nutrients, especially nitrogen and phosphorus. When this manure is mixed with other wastes during composting, they greatly improve the quality of manure compost, resulting in improved crop yields. The separated chicken droppings and sawdust may be used in composting or applied directly to the field. Chicken droppings are used mostly to grow green vegetables in the farm (Figure 1). 

Livestock waste. The zero grazing units at the farm are constructed in such a way that allows for easy separation and collection of cow dung, urine and feed waste. Animal manure is applied differently depending on the needs at the time of disposal. First it is mixed with other farm wastes to make compost (Figure 2). Just before the rains, it is applied directly to the field prior to ploughing. At times, fresh cow dung is mixed with water and applied as liquid fertilizer in the field. Lack of labour sometimes forces the farmer to allow animal urine and fresh cow dung to flow directly from the dairy units to the crop fields. Although less efficient, this method still provides nutrients to crops. As an alternative to managing loss of manure and other crop residues, the farmer has prepared a compost pile that is supplied with adequate water, frequently turned and covered by shade from grevillia trees. The compost pile is located adjacent to the animal pens (Figure 2) for ease of transportation of crop residues, feed waste and cow dung to the pile and compost.

Agro forestry, Crop and Fodder Production

Integration of trees into the farming system ensures supply of fodder, fuel wood for cooking and heating of the chicken units, and litter that is used as mulch or mixed with other farm wastes to prepare compost (Figure 3). Also, as agroforestry leaves drop litter, it is added to the soil to improve the soil organic matter resulting in improved crop and fodder production (Figure 3; Rocheleau et al., 1998). The main tree species grown include Grevillea robusta (Figure 3), Sesbania sesban, Calliandra calothyrsus, pawpaw, avocado and guava. These trees are grown in hedgerows and live fences. The trees are also harvested for human and animal food, wood fuel and fencing. The farmer maintains a home garden surrounded by these trees where kale, spinach, pea and bean are grown for sale. Other crops grown in the farm include maize and bananas. Besides the produce, the crops generate residues that are used as animal feed, mulch and also for compost production.

Excess compost and chicken manure is occasionally sold to neighboring farmers who have smaller land sizes that cannot support sufficient composting and livestock operations. Due to planned and frequent use of compost and manure, production of napier grass (Penesetum purpureum) as the main livestock feed has been sustained. During dry seasons, the farmer sells surplus napier grass to other farmers at KSh 15 for an area of grass covering 1m². Planting of napier grass is preceded with application of compost, referred to as the Tumbukiza planting method. By this method, an average of two wheelbarrows of compost (≈100 kg) is applied per 1 m² “hole” in order to supply the plants with nutrients and maintain soil moisture. Surface applied compost is later incorporated into the soil during weeding to enhance nutrient supply to the napier grass.

Production of bananas is a more recent enterprise. The farmer planted tissue cultured varieties provided by the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI). This variety has a short maturing period and high yields. The bananas are planted with compost, which is also often applied to the growing plants. The bananas are intercropped with kale, maize, beans, napier grass and grevillea trees. All the intercrops perform particularly well due to the small stature of the banana variety and the pruning regime which maintains 3 or 4 pseudostems per banana. Banana leaves and prunings are also used for mulch, animal feed and compost. The farmer sells dry banana fibres to artisans for use in weaving handicrafts. Banana production has become an essential farming activity because of its high price and its ability to supply the household with food and organic inputs.

Other Resource Management Activities

In order to sustain chicken production and improve waste management in the farm, fuel briquette making was initiated at the farm (Figure 4). The briquettes are made from charcoal waste (dust), fresh cow dung, soil, dry plant leaves and grass. These ingredients are collected and mixed in proportions of 3:2:1:1 and water is added to make kneading easier. The paste is cut out into cylindrical fuel briquettes and dried in the sun for three weeks. When ready, the briquettes are stored in a dry place and used along with charcoal to provide heating in the poultry units and for cooking. Six briquettes ignited with some charcoal heats the chicken house for up to 12 hours. The same quantity of charcoal alone would burn for less than one hour. Assuming 1 kg of charcoal will burn for one hour, then for twelve hours the farmer needs up to 12 kg of charcoal, and the jiko has to be refilled every hour. Assuming a cost of KSh 15 per kg of charcoal, the farmer will spend KSh 144 per day to heat the chicken units. Given the relative minimal cost of preparation of briquettes, the service provided by six briquettes saves a substantial amount of cash that the farmer would otherwise spend on heating the poultry units.

Composting is another major waste and residue management activity that is undertaken at the farm. Animal waste, feed waste, household waste, crop residues, tree litter, weeds and grass are regularly collected and piled in a compost heap. Fresh materials are added at various intervals as mature compost is separated and applied to the filed. Compost is applied at planting and to the field prior to weeding. The farmer intends to experiment with vermicomposting, and hopes to shorten the composting period by use of the commercially available “activators”.

Sustaining Farm Production

Crop, dairy and fodder production is sustained in the farm through learning and applying various organic resource management strategies (Figure 5). During the dry seasons, crops and napier grass are irrigated and mulched. Irrigation water is provided by borehole and performed thrice weekly. Application of sufficient compost at planting, supplemented by manure additions before weeding, greatly improves water holding capacity of the soil while supporting faster and better growth of crops. The sale of fresh milk and processed milk products, vegetables, napier grass, eggs and chicken meat ensures a constant flow of income to the farm to cover daily farm and household costs. Their main dairy products include yoghurt, sour milk and cream. The farmer belongs to a women group that operates a small dairy shop in Nairobi as a means of obtaining better prices for their milk.

Membership in a farmers association and a savings society has helped the farmer to participate in training and agricultural events, which have formed a major source of knowledge and skills applied in the farm. The farmer has attended training activities organized by Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Zero Grazing Society of Kenya, Kenya Institute of Organic Farming, local churches and community-based organizations, and events organized by the Forum for Organic Resource Management and Agricultural Technologies (FORMAT) (Figure 6). The farmer also benefits greatly from farmer-to-farmer visits. Skills learned from these interactions include dairy farming, milk processing, packaging and marketing, vegetable production, fodder production and management, composting and manure management, soil fertility management and agricultural waste management. The farmer accesses credit from Pride Africa and Cooperative Bank of Kenya for the purchase of inputs for the dairy, crop and chicken enterprises. The rates of interest for the loans from Pride Africa are considerably lower than those charged by commercial banks. The organization does not require any securities for the loans as long as the farmer is regular in repaying the loan. In 2001, the farmers’ association was registered as a self-help in Kiambu district and has been working with various research and development organizations to promote agricultural production in the area. For three consecutive years, the farmer has won awards for “innovation and community service through organic resource management” during the national events organized by FORMAT between 2000 and 2002 (Omare et al., 2003).

Conclusion

Farming for business is a concept that smallhold farmers must better pursue in order to achieve their expectations of higher living standards. Diversifying and integrating farming enterprises and targeting production for the market are the most dependable ways of survival in smallhold farming. Efficient and innovative utilization of available organic resources can greatly improve and sustain production in a smallhold farming system (Figure 7). Farmers need to be better trained and provided information on the various management approaches. Organizations both belonging to the public and private sectors must work more closely with small-scale farmers, and to learn from them as clearly many farmers have discovered important solutions to problems experienced elsewhere. Marketing produce is a major constraint to many small-scale farmers because they are not well organized and positioned to compete with established enterprises. Access to credit has to be improved to enable farmers diversify into various income generating farming enterprises.  But these constraints can be overcome as evidenced by the profitable innovations practiced at Gichinga farm and elsewhere!

References

Lekasi, J.K., Tanner, J.C. Kimani, S.K. and Harris, P.J.C. 2001. Managing Manure to Sustain Smallholder Livelihoods in the East African Highlands. HYDRA Publications. Kenilworth, UK.

Omare, M.N., Mwaura, F.M. and Woomer, P.L. 2003. FORMAT III: Consolidating Gains in Organic Resource Management. Forum for Organic Resource Management and Agricultural Technologies. Nairobi, Kenya. 17 pp.

Rocheleau D., Weber, F and Field-Juma, A. 1998. Agroforestry in Dryland Africa. ICRAF. Nairobi, Kenya.

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