STATUS OF WEED CONTROL AND HERBICIDE USE BY SMALL COMMERCIAL VEGETABLE GROWERS IN KENYA

Reports from the government and other development partners on the status of agricultural production indicate that small scale farmers are major actors in agricultural productivity.

It has been established that over seventy percent of the country’s agricultural production occurs in small farms; from tea, coffee, vegetables and fruits among others.

At the moment, farmer’s fortunes are being changed by the increased demand for vegetables for the local and export market caused by a ballooning population in urban areas and shortages due to extreme environmental changes.

Unfortunately small vegetable farmers lack technical information on the use of herbicides and other technological innovations that are available to large scale farmers.

Many small farmers rely on manual methods of weeding like; the use of hoes or ox-driven ploughs, therefore they can’t effectively control weeds when they increase the area dedicated to vegetables.

This backbreaking custom of using Iron Age implements, limits the productivity of small vegetable farmers. Farmers are unable to control weeds during the critical first 3-4 weeks [when there is rapid weed growth] during the rainy season.

As vegetable production areas have continued to increase, labor supply has decreased due to urban migration of the educated youth. The youth move to urban centers for better paying jobs or to do small trading rather than work in the fields where the pay is meager.

This has led to inadequate supply of labor for weed control and increased labor costs during the peak labor requirement period when some farmers are still sowing and weeding their first crop.

Small commercial vegetable farmers have realized, vegetables are a high value crops; they are considering other methods of weed control rather than limit the area planted to vegetables.

Some are now using herbicides to control weeds in vegetables with varying levels of success. A study was conducted in three divisions in central province; known for vegetable production.

The survey was conducted in; Kabete, Lari and Kinangop divisions because intensive commercial vegetable growing is practiced. All farmers in the areas owned 1.5 to 2.5 hectares.

During the study, the following herbicides were used by farmers

1. Afalon –used to control weeds in coriander, onions, carrots

2. Sencor-used to control weeds in tomato

3. Stomp-used to control weeds in cabbages

4. Gramoxone-used in fallow land

Farmers said that herbicides helped them expand the area planted to under vegetables. Farmers said they often weeded 3-4 times before each crop matured and was ready for harvest thus they would not be able to afford labor for hand weeding.

When asked how they came to know how the herbicides are used, most of them said they were taught by other farmers. Some of them said they were taught on herbicide usage by the vendors of the product.

This finding indicates that there is a need for extension officers to educate farmers in the areas. Unfortunately this may not be realized because the government rarely employs extension officers.

There is a need for farmers to organize themselves in community based organizations to take advantage of the few extension officers available. The NGOs involved in rural role need also to take a proactive role in assisting farmers.