Browsing: Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)

Costs of Farm Inputs still a headache for Africa

In the months of May to July, Ololung’a market in Narok County has always been a busy spot with various agricultural activities happening in this maize-producing area. However, this year, everything seems relaxed and just a few tractors are packed by the roadside.

The rains have not been as promising and stretches of farms lie idle, un-ploughed. Pareiyo Oloomunyak, has always planted maize on his 17-acre farm. However, this year, he has reduced the area under production as the cost of ploughing and farm inputs has almost doubled.

He expects a reduced harvest but also prays for better payments from the sales he will make. He purchased a reduced number of bags of fertilizer which he sparingly applied to his farm against the advice of agricultural experts. “You find us using less fertilizer than recommended because we still want our crops to have a little boost, and maybe supplement with …