HUMAN WILD LIFE CONFLICT FORCE FARMERS TO TREE FARMING

KEFRI forester Geofrey Kimani educating locals on the best commercial trees that can grow well in Kwale county during a field day at Maphombe . Photos by Anthony Mwachiro

It’s the joy of every farmer to smile all the way to bank after harvesting and sell of his/her produce after a long wait in preparing the crops from cultivation, planting to maturity.

However this might not be the same story to many people bordering game reserves and national parks in the county as cases of wild animals destroying crops are almost normal in each planting season.

In Kwale County, farmers are now strategizing and are now venturing to commercial tree farming as an alternative to crop farming.

Speaking in Msambweni during a field day organized by Kenya forest research institute (KEFRI) to sensitize locals on importance on venturing into tree farming as a commercial venture at Maphombe in Mivumoni location, farmers raised concern over the limited space.

Speaking to Kilifian at the sideline of the event, Rashid Ali, the senior village chairperson at Mivumoni location, raised concern over the importance of ensuring that human wild life conflict is arrested in the county to boost food security.

“I believe tree farming is a great deal as a substitute to planting food crops which some time are destroyed, however there is need to sensitize the locals on how to properly invest in this venture as well as plant other crops in the same piece of land.” He noted.

According to the farmers, trees are beneficial after a long period of time and there was need to have the locals have other alternative for the ever biting hunger.

Ali admitted that tree planting has now been a venture that had been adopted worldwide and stressed on the need to have proper structures to have all locals in the county practice without interfering with their normal crop firming activities.

The senior village chairperson up lauded the effort by KEFRI officers in instilling education on the best tree species of trees that are productive in the area and have great potential in the market.

According to statistics at KEFRI about 34 hectors have been covered with trees in Kwale County between 2012 and 2013 through funding from the Kenya Coast Development Programme (KCDP).

Bakari Hamza prunning a casaurina tree during a field day

 

Sources revealed that the programme was meant to improve the ground cover in coast region as part of the government’s policy to have 10 percent ground cover in the county.

Addressing farmers during a field day held at Bakari Hamza’s firm foresters from coast’s KEFRI in Gede noted that there was need to have farmers’ plant more than one tree type to avoid total loss in case of fall in price on the market or even disease outbreak.

Led by Geoffrey Kimani revealed that Kwale County despite many farmers having embraced casuarinas tree, other species had great potential in the area.

“Our researches have found that we have other types of trees that you can plant in this area among them Melia Volkensii (Mukau), Mvule, casuarinas, mwarubaini and other indigenous trees need to be planted.” Adviced the forester.

Similar sentiments were echoed Phelister Riziki, a forester, who called on the need to have farmers prune their trees to enable them reap maximum benefits particularly those aiming to produce timber.

“not necessary for one to plant trees on the whole firm but the fact that land has become scarce one can plant on their boundaries which despite acting as fence will give you benefit in the near future.” She revealed.

Riziki revealed to Kilifian that about 68 farmers have ventured into commercial tree farming with farmers in Shimba hills mostly planting Tectona grandis, Lunga lunga planting more Melina aborea and in Mivumoni where over 50 percent of the farmers are found have been planting other species among them Melia, Casuarinas among indigenous trees.

Officials in the forest research institute, stress on the need to have locals living in dry lands to invest in low risk activities that are adoptable to climatic conditions in the area.

Melia Volkensii (Mukau)

Research information leaflet at KEFRI dubbed, “Investing in trees”, by Akula Mwamburi and Josephine Musyoki, reveal that high value trees are a sound investment in dry lands and can act as financial reserve to be used in times of need.

Research reveal that Melia (Mukau)which is an indigenous tree found in arid and semi arid areas of Kenya, and other parts of Ethiopia, Somalia and Tanzania, has high timber value.

“The timber is close grained, termite resistant and mostly used for making high value furniture, window and door frames, rafters and poles” says the leaflet.

The Kenya forest research institute under the sponsorship of KCDP is implementing a program that aimed are improving the environment in coast region with officials insisting on the importance of providing technical and business information on tree planting intended for business minded dry land agricultural entrepreneurs.

Among the crop that is promoted in this project is Mukau which according to the officials at KEFRI, the tree can be harvested at the age between 12-15 years.

According to the Investing in Trees, document, a hector of Mukau has an average 250 high quality trees at maturity and about 3 million can be raised a single hector.

It also reveal that spacing should be 5m apart and can be intercropped with other crops, however they warn that, “the crop is sensitive to shade and should not be intercropped with tall crops like maize in the first season after planting it (Mukau).

Mukau is a growing fast tree and can grow to a hieight of 1.4 m in one year hence possible for intercropping after one year.

Seeds

Forester at warn farmers against buying of seeds and seedlings that might not fit the required standards.

According to Kimani, there was need for farmers to get seeds from only certified agents among them Kenya forests services and KEFRI among other farmers trained by other government stakeholders.

“With such seeds and seedlings you are assured of disease free and have the best of the same. While you select seeds from trees in your firms it’s advisable not to take seeds from trees in a row but pick randomly as some might have been affected.” Noted the forester.

KEFRI's disemination officer, Grace Njenga, distributing prunning equipments to farmers

At the same time framers in the area raised their concern over destruction of their seedlings by livestock in the area particularly goats.

However, Athman Ali Mfunga, an assistant chief at Mivumoni, called on livestock farmers to take care of their animals and warned them of strong penalty in accordance of the law when found guilty of destroying others firm produce.

“We have been involving all the locals in sensitization meetings on the importance of living peaceful in our area and such acts can result to conflict. We call upon livestock farmers to respect others land and ask for permission before grazing.” Said the administrator.

However Christine Musyoki, a farmer at Shimba hills, thanked the cooperation between all stakeholders in ensuring that the project by KCDP through KEFRI in aiming to improve the locals livelihood after crop firming proving to be a hard task due to destruction from wild animal.

According to her, idea of teaching farmers how to maintain the trees and giving them pruning equipments was a great recommended as not all farmers could afford to buy the pruning saw and secateurs.

End