Uasin Gishu deputy governor Daniel Chemmo has advised farmers to ensure they test the soils in their farms to avoid using wrong fertilizers when planting crops.
Speaking in Eldoret in a function to sensitize farmers on the importance of testing soils before using fertilizers, the Deputy Governor, said right fertilizers in farms will help in increasing the production.
Chemno reiterated the need for every farmer to know the acidity level in their farms saying it will ensure right fertilizer is used for maximum productivity.
The Deputy Governor lamented that most farmers were using wrong farm inputs when planting leading to low productivity
“Farmers need to test their soils before deciding the type of fertilizer to use in planting and top dressing as this is the only way we will get maximum productivity,” Mr. Chemno said.
He noted that maize and wheat production in the county had dropped by over 50% since 1980’s due to the high soil acidity levels that had been caused by the use of fertilizers with high acid contents.
Chemno said the current maize production per acre piece of land is 20 bags compared to 40 bags that were harvested in the 80’s with wheat production dropping from 20 bags per acre piece of land to the current 10 bags on average.
“Soils in this region has a lot of acid because in the past farmers have been using fertilizers with high acid levels and this has led to a decrease in production,” the Deputy Governor noted.
His sentiments were echoed by the county Agriculture department Executive Cyril Cheruiyot who advised farmers to ensure they use low acid fertilizers in their soils to improve on productivity.
“We need to use fertilizers with low acids as this will not only boost our production but will also help reduce acidity in our soils,” advised Mr. Cheruiyot
Cheruyoit added that, soil test will also tell what specific types of nutrients a farm needs in order to develop healthy crops.
