Fred Odhiambo, a youth from Rongo city in Migori County has been practising herb farming in his forty-square meters natural farm for medicinal values.
Odhiambo, a trainer by occupation and the Director of Natural Inexperienced System whose herb enterprise initiative is my farm, my meals, my well being and my wealth. He mentioned that he was motivated to start out herb farming in 2018 to faucet on the underdeveloped enterprise and assist Kenyans stay a more healthy life.
He says that he began planted the herbs when he realized the returns have been significantly better than his earlier vegetable enterprise.
Odhiambo says that his forty-square meter farm has 43 completely different herb crops that takes between two and half to seven months to mature. The farm has herb crops like Moringa aloe vera, ginger plant, peppermint, beetroot, yellow dock and Artemisia plant (malaria plant).
He says that a few of these natural vegetation assist to normalize blood strain enhance wound therapeutic and eradicate constipation. He additionally notes that the herbs assist in blood circulation, stop colds and coughs, and aid heartburn.
Odhiambo notes that he has additionally planted greens like spinach as a herb due to its medicinal worth. He’s encouraging Kenyans to all the time embrace spinach of their weight-reduction plan because it aids in weight reduction, promotes eye well being, and wholesome bones. The surplus spinach is offered to vegetable distributors in Rongo city.
He explains that these herbs stop quite a lot of illnesses which are persistent like diabetes and hypertension which have turn into an issue to our well being and which has drained quite a lot of Kenyans monetary sources in the course of the remedy course of.
He acknowledges that natural farming can clear up quite a lot of well being issues as a result of the crops grown are pure and free from poisonous chemical substances and fertilizers which are often used. He notes that the vitamin obtained from his herbs will assist lots of people stay a more healthy way of life.
Odhiambo blends and packages herb juice which he sells in Migori, Nairobi and different neighbouring Nyanza Counties. One liter of blended herb juice prices Sh 150. His every day revenue ranges between 2,000 to three,500 which he says is nice return.
“I do promote seedlings to native farmers, including to my income. I additionally practice farmers on do natural farming and herb planting due to the fervour and the self-satisfaction I get from enterprise,” mentioned Odhiambo.
The farmer notes that he has gone for numerous coaching periods to reinforce his agribusiness expertise. He says that the abilities acquired will assist enhance his herb enterprise in addition to be capable of practice different farmers on the identical.
“I used to be sponsored by One Imaginative and prescient, a Migori Primarily based Non-Governmental Organisation to attend the Kenya Local weather Change Innovation Middle (KCCIC) coaching on entrepreneurship and mentoring programmes”, mentioned Odhiambo.
Odhiambo says that his educating occupation has helped him practice different farmers on make the most of small land sources to generate wealth by natural farming. He’s encouraging Kenyans to all the time develop their very own natural meals as a method of residing a more healthy life.
Odhiambo is advising the youths to start out with the little area they’ve and make the most of the alternatives of being entrepreneurs and self-reliant. He says his imaginative and prescient is to arrange a cooperative to allow many farmers to learn from his herb enterprise in addition to natural farming.
Mr. Glen Watson, a donor to Natural Inexperienced System and one of many representatives of the Denmark Worldwide Non-Governmental Organisation working with Kenya on environmental points in Lake Victoria says that Odhiambo’s natural herb mannequin enterprise was scalable and top-of-the-line farming practices that may be emulated by Kenyan youths.
He factors out that he determined to assist the Natural Inexperienced System enterprise points of farming and advertising and marketing. Mr. Watson explains that the farming expertise utilized on the farm might be utilized elsewhere and due to this fact, it needs to be inspired. He notes that when Odhiambo turns into a profitable farmer and a mentor, many youths stand to learn.
Watson says that the Odhiambo’s farm is barely forty meters sq. but it was producing past its capability. He famous that the farming mannequin in Odhiambo’s farm was the most effective as a result of the herb vegetation have been stabilizing the soils and serving to to mitigate soil erosion.
By Geoffrey Makokha
