Farming in Kenya; Merits and Demerits. (mixed farming)
Having a Variety.
Mixed farming is a common practice in the world today. Farmers using this system have to divide their farms into different sections. Diversity is what promotes the vast variety of crops farmed by mixed farmers. Mixed farming in Kenya can be practiced on both large farms and small farms. It will however require more labor input by the farmer on large-scale farms.
Mixed farming is good because you can diversify your crop according to current and underlying conditions; finances and weather.
TYPES OF MIXED FARMING IN KENYA.
Mixed farming exists in different forms; according to,
- Weather and seasons,
- Market Prices,
To save on resources, mixed farmers interchange ventures from time to time because of either weather or market prices. For example; tomatoes may be in good demand from May to September, hence a mixed farmer will have to plan ahead to plant tomatoes or any other crop to be ready for the high demand period when the prices are very good.
During the horticultural season, most mixed farmers invest in horticultural crops.
CREATES JOBS FOR THE YOUTH.
The youth are encouraged to engage in mixed farming since they are inexperienced. Mixed farming provides an avenue for an average youth to test out different farming ventures depending on the financial ability of the youth.
ADVANTAGES OF MIXED FARMING.
- It provides source of income for the farmer.
- It provides the farmer with a cushion for high investment risks.
- Mixed farming enhances the usability of farm land hence nothing is being lost.
- All resources used in mixed farming can complement each other.
- Farm land is always in rotational use.
- Mixed farming always keeps the farmer busy.
- With mixed farming, the farmer is self-sustainable, hence requires less external inputs, i.e fertilizers and pesticides.
DISADVANTAGES OF MIXED FARMING.
- Overuse of farmland makes it weak and causes soil degradation. There are processes that are put in place to maintain the fertility of land used in mixed farming, for example crop rotation.
- It is difficult for a farmer to control all the activities of a mixed farm hence requires to come up with a labour force to assist him to run his or her mixed farming venture.
