STORYMOJA

With good policies and proper information reaching the marginalized we will save the situation.If we train our rural farmers to COMMERCIALIZE AGRICULTURE it will be viable.

With good policies and proper information reaching the marginalized we will save the situation.If we train our rural farmers to COMMERCIALIZE AGRICULTURE it will be viable.

If we also improve in training rural forks o Organig farming

If we also improve in training rural forks o Organig farming

The most efficient way to tackle food problems should be in two fronts.One encourage productivity and two ,effective distribution.The latter has to do with efficient transport network, just imagine a country like Cameroon which is the bread basket for central Africa, has got only 10% of tarred roads more over about 80% link just the major cities to encourage maybe urban transport and businesses.The farm to market roads are seasonal which means inaccessible during the rainny seasons .How do farmers get products to markets when they have got just about 3 months in a year to use the roads.The harvest peroid may not coinside with this period,which is usually the case.Don`t we think this should be a global concern, if we have to curb with food problems, by using the regional approach.
How does this relate to agricultural productivity? No man will like to be left in isolation or ostracized from social activities.The rural milieu is much of a jungle.Youths normally migrate to cities to get those things they are deprived of in the village. Rural exodus will increase if nothing is done on this light. When available labour force is in place, the application of technics to improve productivity can be done. It is very difficult for farmers to use the implemented technics because they are very familiar with their old cultivation system and it has become a routine and part of social life, as the farmers group themselves in social meeting groups where they shear many things incommon including even food ,drinks and finances.How then do they deviate from this.More over this groups are made up of the elderly or younger people who have inculcated the elderly ideas and for those who dare to adopt the morden system will not belong or duel amongst men.What about the young man who was ostracized from men`s societal affairs because he decided to cultivate pepper and other food crops rather than the cash crops that the men do. It is an issue to get psychologist,sociologist,demographers,geographers, agriculturalist, including researchers of various capacities to participate.

The most efficient way to tackle food problems should be in two fronts.One encourage productivity and two ,effective distribution.The latter has to do with efficient transport network, just imagine a country like Cameroon which is the bread basket for central Africa, has got only 10% of tarred roads more over about 80% link just the major cities to encourage maybe urban transport and businesses.The farm to market roads are seasonal which means inaccessible during the rainny seasons .How do farmers get products to markets when they have got just about 3 months in a year to use the roads.The harvest peroid may not coinside with this period,which is usually the case.Don`t we think this should be a global concern, if we have to curb with food problems, by using the regional approach.
How does this relate to agricultural productivity? No man will like to be left in isolation or ostracized from social activities.The rural milieu is much of a jungle.Youths normally migrate to cities to get those things they are deprived of in the village. Rural exodus will increase if nothing is done on this light. When available labour force is in place, the application of technics to improve productivity can be done. It is very difficult for farmers to use the implemented technics because they are very familiar with their old cultivation system and it has become a routine and part of social life, as the farmers group themselves in social meeting groups where they shear many things incommon including even food ,drinks and finances.How then do they deviate from this.More over this groups are made up of the elderly or younger people who have inculcated the elderly ideas and for those who dare to adopt the morden system will not belong or duel amongst men.What about the young man who was ostracized from men`s societal affairs because he decided to cultivate pepper and other food crops rather than the cash crops that the men do. It is an issue to get psychologist,sociologist,demographers,geographers, agriculturalist, including researchers of various capacities to participate.

Environmental conservation for maximum food security seems the real answer to the top most challenge in the marginalized African community.Apart from the other serious problems in the African community,I do believe that with appropriate measures we’re able to save the situation and hence save mankind which is surely facing extinction.

SUSTAINABLE FARMING IN RURAL AFRICA
Rural and marginalized Africa enjoys existence of large farms, manpower and variety of food crops. These include maize, beans, sorghum, bananas (matoke) cassava, soyabeans, cowpeas, pigeon peas, millet, finger millet and many more. The main challenge in rural Africa is to sustain and develop food production.
The Large farms have been neglected since they are being taken care by the old folks, youth having fled to search for well paying jobs in the cities. The wide variety of food crops has reduced to beans and maize. The change in eating Culture has contributed to this. Sorghum, millet, cassava arrowroots sweet potatoes, cowpeas, pigeon peas and others are being looked down upon as primitive food crops. Yet the amount of rainfalls being received in some areas cannot support beans and maize farming in large scale.
The lack of viable seeds, pests, storage, and proper means of transport, market for agricultural produce and proper farming skills and practices has been the contributing factor to food insecurity in rural Africa.
In general Agriculture has been neglected by the government and given little or no support
i. Seeds
The availability of the right seeds for right season and right soil will gear the farmer into right direction. Viable seeds can be made available by the government through work for food programes or subsidized prices .The NGO`s can also come in through communal projects and avail the seeds to farmers.
Malawi today they have plenty of grains because the government played a big role in helping the farmers.
ii. Fertilizers
Organic manure (Animal Droppings) is readily available in rural Africa but very few use it. Proper use of fertilizers whether artificial or organic should be applied in farming. Use of fertilizers will lead to increased yield but if applied incorrectly can lead to poor soil PH and hence affecting the yield.
iii. Pests control
Government through the agricultural officers should come up with proper planning to provide pesticides and even spray the farms at vegetative, flowering and fruit forming stages. The NGOs can support the government in crop care and this can also create employment at rural level for the youth. Many governments today in Africa are looking for ways to create employment for the youth. Why not invest heavily in food production? Actually farming today is seen as a practice for the aged and illiterate folks.
iv. Storage.
Due to poor storage methods available to rural farmers the little that is harvested is destroyed by weevils and moulds. This can be solved in two folds.
• Stored grains be treated
• Government collect grains from farmers and in return avail materials to farmers to construct proper stores

v. Transportation and marketing of the produce.
By opening up the farming areas the farmers will be able to access markets for their produce. The ministry of Agriculture should also be relocated from the main cities to rural farming areas. They will be able to connect well with the farmers effectively.
Government should also give subsidizy to millers to manufacture millet, sorghum and cassava flour. The ministry of health should educate the population on proper diet this will reduce over reliance on rice, beans and maize as the stable foods.
NGos to help the farmers to access the best prices for their surplus produce, this will eliminate the middle men who exploite the farmers.
vi. Irrigation schemes
This can be facilitated by the government through the ministry of Agriculture and ministry of Water through digging of boreholes and provision of equipments for irrigation severe arid regions. In these areas people are majorly pastoralists and have lots of idle time (wasted time).

SUSTAINING RURAL FARMING IN AFRICA.
After eliminating all the short falls affecting the food production, the big plan is how to maintain and develop the farming in the rural areas.
This shifts the goal from food production to income generating farming. Most farmers in rural Africa are occupied for only 6months in a year. The other six can be utilized profitably if farming is sustained.
Food production can be supported well by the following.
• Fruit farming – paw paws, grafted mangoes, oranges passions, bananas and avocadoes.
This will bring income to support the farmer in buying fertilizers, paying school fees etc
• Poultry farming- This will provide
- Manure
- Meat
- Eggs
- More income
- Job opportunities
• Dairy farming
This falls into place without much trouble, cows will get their food from the farm and the additional income will enable the farmer to meet the expenses incurred in maintenance of dairy farming. This can be done on small scale basis, 3-5 cows
In return the farmer will get – milk, manure, income from the milk and employment.

• Cattle, Goats and Sheep Ranching
With the above 3 projects in place, the farmer can easily venture into ranching. The land is available. The farmer having savings from the other projects will be able to get help from micro-financing institutions to buy animals and rear them for six months and sell at profit.
This will provide
- Job opportunities for youth
- Meat
- Manure
- Income
- Etc
All these process/ stages in sustaining and developing rural farming ion Africa will create
? Jobs for the educated youth.
? Stop rural- urban migration.
? Congestion in the slums will go down.
? Crime rate will go down.
? The government will also have more revenue collected from the farmers
? Food production security will be enhanced
? Healthy working nation
? Etc.

Rachel Kalumu Mwangangi
P.O. Box 60594 – 00200
Nairobi
Kenya
0720538181, 020-2325585
kalumuh@yahoo.com.

SUSTAINABLE FARMING IN RURAL AFRICA
Rural and marginalized Africa enjoys existence of large farms, manpower and variety of food crops. These include maize, beans, sorghum, bananas (matoke) cassava, soyabeans, cowpeas, pigeon peas, millet, finger millet and many more. The main challenge in rural Africa is to sustain and develop food production.
The Large farms have been neglected since they are being taken care by the old folks, youth having fled to search for well paying jobs in the cities. The wide variety of food crops has reduced to beans and maize. The change in eating Culture has contributed to this. Sorghum, millet, cassava arrowroots sweet potatoes, cowpeas, pigeon peas and others are being looked down upon as primitive food crops. Yet the amount of rainfalls being received in some areas cannot support beans and maize farming in large scale.
The lack of viable seeds, pests, storage, and proper means of transport, market for agricultural produce and proper farming skills and practices has been the contributing factor to food insecurity in rural Africa.
In general Agriculture has been neglected by the government and given little or no support
i. Seeds
The availability of the right seeds for right season and right soil will gear the farmer into right direction. Viable seeds can be made available by the government through work for food programes or subsidized prices .The NGO`s can also come in through communal projects and avail the seeds to farmers.
Malawi today they have plenty of grains because the government played a big role in helping the farmers.
ii. Fertilizers
Organic manure (Animal Droppings) is readily available in rural Africa but very few use it. Proper use of fertilizers whether artificial or organic should be applied in farming. Use of fertilizers will lead to increased yield but if applied incorrectly can lead to poor soil PH and hence affecting the yield.
iii. Pests control
Government through the agricultural officers should come up with proper planning to provide pesticides and even spray the farms at vegetative, flowering and fruit forming stages. The NGOs can support the government in crop care and this can also create employment at rural level for the youth. Many governments today in Africa are looking for ways to create employment for the youth. Why not invest heavily in food production? Actually farming today is seen as a practice for the aged and illiterate folks.
iv. Storage.
Due to poor storage methods available to rural farmers the little that is harvested is destroyed by weevils and moulds. This can be solved in two folds.
• Stored grains be treated
• Government collect grains from farmers and in return avail materials to farmers to construct proper stores

v. Transportation and marketing of the produce.
By opening up the farming areas the farmers will be able to access markets for their produce. The ministry of Agriculture should also be relocated from the main cities to rural farming areas. They will be able to connect well with the farmers effectively.
Government should also give subsidizy to millers to manufacture millet, sorghum and cassava flour. The ministry of health should educate the population on proper diet this will reduce over reliance on rice, beans and maize as the stable foods.
NGos to help the farmers to access the best prices for their surplus produce, this will eliminate the middle men who exploite the farmers.
vi. Irrigation schemes
This can be facilitated by the government through the ministry of Agriculture and ministry of Water through digging of boreholes and provision of equipments for irrigation severe arid regions. In these areas people are majorly pastoralists and have lots of idle time (wasted time).

SUSTAINING RURAL FARMING IN AFRICA.
After eliminating all the short falls affecting the food production, the big plan is how to maintain and develop the farming in the rural areas.
This shifts the goal from food production to income generating farming. Most farmers in rural Africa are occupied for only 6months in a year. The other six can be utilized profitably if farming is sustained.
Food production can be supported well by the following.
• Fruit farming – paw paws, grafted mangoes, oranges passions, bananas and avocadoes.
This will bring income to support the farmer in buying fertilizers, paying school fees etc
• Poultry farming- This will provide
- Manure
- Meat
- Eggs
- More income
- Job opportunities
• Dairy farming
This falls into place without much trouble, cows will get their food from the farm and the additional income will enable the farmer to meet the expenses incurred in maintenance of dairy farming. This can be done on small scale basis, 3-5 cows
In return the farmer will get – milk, manure, income from the milk and employment.

• Cattle, Goats and Sheep Ranching
With the above 3 projects in place, the farmer can easily venture into ranching. The land is available. The farmer having savings from the other projects will be able to get help from micro-financing institutions to buy animals and rear them for six months and sell at profit.
This will provide
- Job opportunities for youth
- Meat
- Manure
- Income
- Etc
All these process/ stages in sustaining and developing rural farming ion Africa will create
? Jobs for the educated youth.
? Stop rural- urban migration.
? Congestion in the slums will go down.
? Crime rate will go down.
? The government will also have more revenue collected from the farmers
? Food production security will be enhanced
? Healthy working nation
? Etc.

Rachel Kalumu Mwangangi
P.O. Box 60594 – 00200
Nairobi
Kenya
0720538181, 020-2325585
kalumuh@yahoo.com.