The Mountain Times :- We've Got you covered

From right the Executive Director of the Alliance for Science Dr Sheila Ochugboju and her collaborator from the AATF Dr Sanni Kayode and other stake holders during a hybrid rice variety field day held at Nderwa section of the vast Mwea irrigation scheme Kirinyaga County during a farmers field day.

Rice farmers have been urged to embrace and adopt emerging agricultural technologies if they wish to reap economic gains from their labour .

The farmers were have also been encouraged to stop dependency of over recycled seeds and instead shift to the hybrid varieties in order to attain food sufficiency .

According to the Executive Director of the Alliance for Science Dr Sheila Ochugboju, the hybrid varies had proved to be early maturing, drought and disease resistant besides adoptable to various ecological zones.

“With all these characteristics and traits it is our considered scientific option that the way out perennial food shortages and endless loses of money to failed crops, adoption of hybrid seeds is the way out of this un-ending quagmire ,”the crop expert told Mwea rice farmers.

A section of a demonstration for the hybrid rice varieties at Nderwa section of the vast Mwea irrigation scheme Kirinyaga County carried out by the Alliance for Science in collaboration with AATF ,the ICOSEED and local farmers where a field day has been held for crop growers to obtain first hand information

Speaking at Nderwa section of the vast Mwea Irrigation scheme where hybrid pioneer farmers are located , the scientist assured the farmers as an Alliance they were committed to coming up with ideal varieties which were not only early maturing but high yielding for maximum profits .

Added the crop expert “ we will always through scientific innovations come up with varieties that can cope with emerging challenges especially now that we are experiencing climate change. Such varieties we come up with must certainly be adoptable to the climate change to ensure our farmers do not experience loses.

Ochugboju further cautioned farmers not to listen to propaganda which certain politicians were churning out meant to persuade them (farmers), to reject GMOs yet this science was the answer to global food problem.

The superior grain quality of the hybrid rice crop farmers at Nderwa section of the Mwea irrigation scheme Kirinyaga County farmers have harvested this season. The grain is long , aromatic and high yielding courtesy of crop scientists from the Alliance of Science and their collaborators ,the AATF

“If you listen to this propaganda , these politicians will be happy to encourage impartation of cheap food stuffs which you still can grow right here . I plead with you to accept to change to modern scientific farming or else you will be at your peril, “ she cautioned .

The scientist being an African scientist from Nigeria where these technologies are being used wondered how she could be used as a puppet of the West to mislead her own farmers.

“I come from a rural village where rice was a preserve of the elitists but upon famers embracing the emerging technologies any one can have a rice meal as frequent as he or she wishes.

Such new hybrids rice varieties are AH 18003,AH 18004,AH 18007 and PWAN Gold plus whose yields are three times above the traditional Mwea pishori whose aroma makes it the most preferred by consumers .

“Where an acre of pishori variety produces only 20 bags of harvest the hybrid rice varieties can produce up 40 bags which is double where the overproduction covers the cost of seeds and inputs leaving the farmer with a high profit margin , “ said Sanni Kayode the Director AATF Hybrid Rice and Leader , Alliance for Hybrid Rice of Africa who was also present .

Jannet Wambui and Lewis Kariuki were a case of successful rice farmers from the area who have since adopted the hybrid rice varieties .

The two farmers who gave testimonies of their success in attaining high yields at the shambas urged other farmers who were still doubting to visit them before they harvest the produce this week and see the difference.

Janet Wambui a successful hybrid rice farmer at the Mwea irrigation scheme Kirinyaga County giving her testimony on the numerous advantages of these varieties the Alliance for Science has come up with due to their high yields ,disease resistance besides other advantages.

The Alliance has partnered with the Integrated Community Organization for Sustainable Empowerment and Education for Development (ICOSEED) which works hand in hand with the farmers at the grassroots level for ease of adaptation of the technologies.

ICOSEEDs Chairman Mugo Makanga and its Chief Executive Officer Patrick Muriuki assured the farmers and the Alliance of their full commitment into ensuring the introduction of the hybrid rice varieties brought about full revolution of the sector for their (farmers) economic wellbeing .

Muriuki said ICOSEED and NGO with a national touch was headquarter at Kutus town of Kirinyaga County and with a capacity to reach all the farmers at their convenience.

ICOSEED'S Chairman Mugo Makanga whose NGO is a key collaborator with the Alliance for Science talking to the media about the newly introduced hybrid rice varieties at the Mwea irrigation scheme Kirinyaga County during a field day held at Nderwa section within the scheme

Of the rice cultivated in the country , Mwea produces about 75 per cent while the national consumption demand is 720,000 metric tons per year against less than 100,000 tones local production hence the scientific intervention by the Alliance , AATF and ICOSEED have embarked on to close up the wide gap.