The slopes of the volcanic ranges in Southwestern Uganda have for centuries been a sure bet for farmers to produce yield ten times the seed. About three decades ago, however, the rate of soil fertility decline in the area alarmed farmers as output started to dwindle by the year, bringing the current ratio of seed to yield to a meagre 1 to 3.
Agronomists in Kisoro say this soil fertility decline and subsequent poor harvest is due to among other factors; soil PH imbalance largely occasioned by the introduction of artificial fertilizers and pesticides which boast quick, short-term benefits but pose more risk to the soils in the long run.
Mr. Peter Iraguha, an agronomist operating in the Gisozi – Mgahinga area says Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) and sustainable farming practices such as use of organic fertilizers, pesticides, green manure and nitrogen fixers have far-reaching benefits not just for better yield but also minimizing effects of chemical contact as concerns humans and animals especially the gorillas in the Mgahinga National Park and the Virunga Massif as a whole.
“There are a couple of artificial fertilizers on the market which our farmers buy quite expensively to boost their production. However, apart from the fact that the production has generally gone down since their (artificial fertilizers) introduction, these chemicals leach into the surrounding water bodies and are consumed by humans and the animals. That’s why our people need to be equipped with better solutions that can revitalize the soils and reverse the fertility decline organically,” Mr. Iraguha says.
Mr. Iraguha was one of the facilitators at the just concluded Climate-Smart Agriculture Cross-Border workshop held at Rwereri Community Enterprise Center in Gisozi – Kisoro on Tuesday July 23rd, organized by Rwanda-based Red Rocks Initiative in partnership with Nature Guardian, a Ugandan climate change-focused news outlet, funded by the DANIDA Fellowship Center and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.
Held under the theme “Strengthening Climate Resilient Agriculture through Cross-border Collaboration between Uganda and Rwanda,” the Kisoro workshop followed the inaugural event hosted in Musanze – Rwanda on Friday July 19th 2024.
The initiative is aimed at empowering farmers in the Virunga Massif with Climate-Smart Agriculture techniques that foster resilience, sustainability and maximum production – in a sector that’s hugely affected by effects of climate change – while also safeguarding the environment.
The better part of the workshop was a field visit to Mr. Emmanuel Nshimye’s model garden where 34 attendees were practically taken through farming techniques such as permaculture – farming methods that use the natural components of an ecosystem for self sufficiency and sustainability, seed spacing in Irish potato growing, manure mixing for diversified nutrients, crop rotation for organic nitrogen fixing, ridge tillage to counter soil erosion, and using bamboo for land demarcation as opposed to eucalyptus or other less productive plant species.
While it is no secret that some of the farmers ditch organic farming methods – which in many cases take longer to bear fruit – for the artificial quick fixes, Mr. Iraguha says sticking to practices that mimic the workings of the natural ecosystem requires patience and sacrifice but brings forth better results as regards countering soil fertility decline.
“We have had cases of a farmer going to their garden to spray and at the end of the day, they are sick themselves. This is an immediate side effect of the chemicals they inhale, their protective gear notwithstanding. This is the same for other aspects of the ecosystem, the little soil fauna that die, the bees, the buffaloes that usually invade people’s gardens, the gorillas and the humans. We want the farmers to do what’s best for the environment as they try to make a living off of it,” he adds.
According to Mr. Sam Dusabe from Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA), who handled the Integrated Pest Management session, initiatives such as the Climate-Smart Agriculture Cross-Border workshop present an opportunity for farmers to come together and share knowledge, do benchmarking while also learning from experts sourced from various line entities – which would otherwise be an impossible feat for an individual local farmer.
Mr. Dusabe noted that availing farmers with knowledge on prevention and early detection of pests and diseases is the best guard against the use of artificial chemicals which have proved to do more harm than good especially in the Virunga area where not only humans but also the endangered mountain gorillas’ lives are at stake.
The less chemicals used in the soil and on plants, Mr. Dusabe says, the better.
“For example, there is something called green manure. These are plants, especially legumes that farmers plant in the gardens particularly to be incorporated back into the soil before they yield. Legumes like peas are good nitrogen fixers. Compare paying Shs 150,000 for an artificial fertilizer pack and investing about Shs 30,000 into planting peas to create green manure; the latter is more beneficial considering its various uses; building soil organic matter, fixing nitrogen, building humus and proving ground cover among others,” he said.
Mr. Dusabe also emphasized the use of organic pest repellants such as plants planted around gardens to ward off ants, rats and other pests. He underscored the importance of the myriad of living organisms in the ecosystem noting that each plays a vital role and therefore should not be killed but rather deterred from accessing where it’s not particularly needed.
He cautioned farmers on the need to keep vigilance over their gardens to be able to detect possible diseases and pests early enough and seek professional intervention or employ mitigation measures immediately.
The workshop also highlighted CSA practices for pre-planting including soil sampling to determine what crop species grow where, what nutrients are present or should be added into the soil and seed selection among others. Farmers also learnt about post harvest handling techniques such as separation of cracked grain or diseased tubers from the desired ones to prevent storage pests and keeping dry grain in clean containers to keep mold at bay.
One of the farmers who participated in the workshop, Mr. Ben Kwizera, noted that learning about the various good practices in CSA is vital especially in Kisoro where land fragmentation is rampant.
“Over population has over the years forced families to share out land, apportioning small pieces to the members. With Climate Smart Agriculture practices such as permanent and vertical gardening, individuals are able to maximize production on the available piece of land. Techniques like drip irrigation helps farmers to grow vegetables all year round, a major solution to the devastating effects of climate change such as prolonged dry seasons,” Mr. Kwizera submitted.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) states that Climate-Smart Agriculture aims to; sustainably increase agricultural productivity, adapt and build resilience to climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
