(24 Jul 2024)
KENYA SOIL HEALTH
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
LENGTH: 7:05
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Machakos, Nairobi, Kenya – 11 June 2024
1. Various of farming crops
2. Various of farmer Benson Wanjala watering crops
3. SOUNDBITE (Kiswahili) Benson Wanjala, farmer:
"Every acre used to yield 15 bags. However, starting in 1998, the yield began to decrease. This made me question if something was missing. I then suspected that the soil minerals had diminished."
4. Various of Wanjala working on his land
5. SOUNDBITE (Kiswahili) Benson Wanjala, farmer:
"I was advised to apply manure, but I wasn’t keeping cows at the time. Since I was wondering why the yield had reduced, I decided to move to Nairobi and start farming vegetables."
6. Various of Wanjala examining soil on his farm
7. SOUNDBITE (Kiswahili) Benson Wanjala, farmer:
"My vegetable yield also began to decrease, and I suspect it is due to the increased amount of chemicals in the soil. I have no choice but to use fertilizers, as I need to make money to support my children."
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Muranga, Kenya – 27 June 2024
8. Close of fruit hanging from tree, soil scientist Priscilla Wakarera, chief executive at soil health management company Rhea, seen between leaves
9. Various of Wakarera supervising and carrying out soil testing
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Priscilla Wakarera, chief executive, Rhea:
"We have very high soil degradation as a result of accumulation of fertilizer metals in the soil due to overuse of specific types of fertilizer. And what this does is it that it changes the soil pH to acidic, and when the soil pH is acidic, the plant is not able to absorb the available nutrients in the soil."
11. Various of Wakarera carrying out soil testing
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Priscilla Wakarera, chief executive, Rhea:
"The lack of soil data has led to the wrong use of chemical fertilizers and also the overuse of chemical fertilizers in a bid to increase yield. And it’s having an opposite effect from what is required."
13. Various of Wakarera at work
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Priscilla Wakarera, chief executive, Rhea:
"The farmers that are using chemical fertilizers now are maybe two generations into using chemical fertilizers and before they weren’t using it. So, they don’t have the data that would then inform them on how to use them. And who brings the chemical fertilizers? It’s the companies that sell them, so their agenda is to push as much chemical fertilizers for sale."
15. Various of Wakarera and her team at John Mburu Gitu’s farm, examining fruit, checking soil
16. SOUNDBITE (Kiswahili) John Mburu Gitu, farmer:
"For my first harvest, I managed to get 1,100 kilograms. After conducting soil testing on my farm, my yield increased to 1,800 kilograms."
17. Various of soil testing on Gitu’s farm
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Nairobi, Kenya – 14 June 2024
18. Various set up shots of Elizabeth Atieno Opolo, food campaigner at Greenpeace Africa, in her office
19. SOUNDBITE (English) Elizabeth Atieno Opolo, food campaigner at Greenpeace Africa:
"If these microorganisms are killed, then clearly it’s like saying that it’s a human being without an immune system. It’s like a lifeless body. So, that is what our soils are like right now. They don’t have structure, they don’t have enough microorganisms in the soil to help in nutrient cycling, so we have soils, but our production continues to go down."
20. Various of Opolo in her office
21. SOUNDBITE (English) Elizabeth Atieno Opolo, food campaigner at Greenpeace Africa:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Muranga, Kenya – 27 June 2024
22. Wide of farms
Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/
You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/ae6e5453932d4246b67b0dae65a8c24d
Author: AP Archive
Go to Source
News post in July 29, 2024, 6:04 am.
Visit Our Sponsor’s:
News Post In – News
