VIHIGA, Kenya (PAMACC News) - The Integrated Land and Forest Ecosystem Management project (ILFM) was implemented in Vihiga, Kakamega and Nandi Counties to encourage local smallholder farmers to intensify food production on their farms so that they don’t encroach on Kakamega and Nandi Forests.

The project, which was implemented through support from AGRA and the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) among other partners saw farmers adopt farming of African Leafy Vegetables, use good agronomic practices on their farms, and plant agroforestry trees as a way of protecting the forest biodiversity.

And now, given the huge success of the project, where hundreds of households are now into growing of the African leafy vegetables, Vihiga County Governor, H. E Dr Wilbur Ottichilo has intensified the campaign to ensure that the county becomes the net producer and exporter of the vegetables to major urban areas and to other counties across the country.

In an exclusive interview with PAMACC News the governor said that in the past three decades, Vihiga County was known to be a place for a variety of indigenous vegetables. But this glory was almost getting lost, and he is determined to revive vegetable farming among smallholders in the County.

 Why is the County Government of Vihiga keen on promoting farming of African Leafy Vegetables above other crops?

 A. Promoting of the African leafy vegetables is one of our flagship projects in Vihiga County, and we are working in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Social Services because if you get into history, the people of Vihiga are known as some of the farmers with diverse varieties of indigenous leafy vegetables for several years. Our people are known to eat all types of vegetables including those that are considered as shrubs or weeds among other communities.

If you go back in recent history, when the commuter train used to used to pass through Luanda, our biggest export to Nairobi was traditional vegetables. Personally, I was educated though farming of these vegetables. Every Monday, my mother travelled to Nairobi, and upon arrival, buyers were always waiting at the train station. So she sold them upon arrival, then waited for the return train later in the day.

Where did this glory disappear to?

In the 80s and early 90s, modernisation came in, and people started changing their diets to grow and eat exotic vegetables such as kales and cabbages which are easier to prepare, while others turned to meaty diets. In my youthful days, we ate meat only during Christmas and chicken only when a very important visitor appeared. Otherwise we ate indigenous vegetables all year round.

As a result of modernisation, vegetables such as indelema (vine spinach), omurele (jute mallow), emiro emilulu (bitter flavoured slender leaf) among others started losing popularity. But the truth is that those elderly people who kept eating such vegetables remained very strong with very long life expectancy.

How can the county reclaim the lost glory?

The 2017 manifesto for this county recognises the African leafy vegetables as one of the most important crops, and it is something that must be promoted. This is because it has now come to pass that we need to go back to such vegetables. What we thought was a rich and modern lifestyle has turned out to be a major health hazard. People who fancy meaty diets have developed so many health complications.

As a result, there is a reversal of the equation all over the country. Just recently, people thought that eating traditional vegetables was for the poor. But today, those who eat the African leafy vegetables are perceived as healthier people who care about their diets. It has suddenly become a fashion for people to eat vegetables especially in urban areas.

Consequently, the demand for the indigenous vegetables has gone very high. Even in the supermarkets, the traditional vegetables have a higher demand.

The beauty with these vegetables is that they grow organically without use of any kind of fertilisers, and they are often resistant to common pests and diseases.

How are we going to change the mindset of farmers who are always keen on growing maize and beans?

The culture of maize and beans in this county is something I have been fighting against for the past five years. With our small pieces of land, maize farming is not a viable.

Under the World Bank funded project on value addition known as National Agricultural and Rural Inclusive Project (NARIGP), we have been able to start a campaign against maize and beans, encouraging farmers to invest in agri-business. With horticulture, one stands to make more money because most vegetables are ready after just three weeks.

We have also been working with AGRA and KALRO on another project known as Sustainable Land & Forest Management (SLFM), through which we have been promoting the farming of African leafy vegetables.

Through these two projects, we have made tremendous success because hundreds of households have now embraced the traditional vegetables, and are now making much more money than they used to make before.

Do you know how many tons of indigenous vegetables are produced as a result of these campaigns?

One thing I know is that the production has increased many folds. But at the moment, we do not have a structured formal system that we can use to document our production.

So far, we are asking the farmers to register with cooperatives. Through these, we will be able to start formalising our vegetable business.

From your knowledge, how much can one make from growing indigenous vegetables on one acre piece of land compared to maize?

The difference is huge. Take for example, common cowpea, which matures in less than 30 days and can be harvested for three months before replanting, you will not make less than Sh100 thousands, to be on the conservative side. This can be repeated three times a year, which translates to Sh300 thousands.

But with maize, grown using several farm inputs, you will probably harvest 10 bags, with a gross income of Sh50 thousands, going with the prevailing market prices. This can only be done once in a year.

What is your message to smallholder farmers in Vihiga County.

What I can tell my people is that in this county, maize farming is unsustainable, the soils are tired, and that the best thing is to completely switch to high value crops that can earn better income, and then they can buy maize from the market.

Times have changed, and we must move with time. The error for subsistence agriculture is gone, and what we are advocating for is agribusiness through high value horticulture.