Still waters run deep. This is the term that best describes Vincent Chelule, the farmer we chose to feature in this quarter’s issue of The Sower. Chelule as he is popularly referred to as hails from Chesoton village in Njoro sub-county, Nakuru County. At forty-five years of age, he remains an inspiration to not just his neighbors, but to farmers around the country that he gets to interact with. Chelule is the true definition that, it doesn’t matter where you start but the progress you make through the years.
We arrive at Vincent’s home at around eleven o’clock in the morning and his day is already at its peak. He has just completed an interview with a team from the Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO). “I have been multiplying seed for KALRO and that’s why they came to pay me a visit”, he informs us as he bids them goodbye and ushers us in. Chelule may be soft-spoken but his work is far from it.
How It All Started
We delve into where he started and how far along, he has come in his farming journey and as a writer, I can’t help but delight in how willing he is to share his story. “I completed high school in the early nineties and since I did not want to stay idle, I decided to embark on growing wheat on two acres of land which belonged to my parents”, he begins. Though he had absolutely no training in agriculture, he managed to harvest fifteen bags of wheat per acre. “Back then, crop disease like rust was not very common, rust was unheard of and though I did not even use fertilizer, my harvest of fifteen bags an acre was impressive to me.” He says
He continued with wheat farming while alternating with maize until 2001 where he felt he wasn’t where he wanted to be in his Agri venture, and he took a break from cereal farming for ten years. Why ten years, we ask. From 2001 to 2011, he discovered that at times, he had been making losses. His math was just not adding up. He took the break as a learning curve where he would attend seminars, shows, and training sessions to learn as much as he could in matters agriculture. During this period, he planted Boma Rhodes grass which was also a profitable venture for him at the time. He was the first farmer in his region to grow grass for commercial purposes. Unfortunately, more people were inspired by his commercial grass farming and many of them embarked on the same. This resulted in an oversupply and the prices per bale took a dive from sh200 per bale to sh70-100.
He restarted again in 2011 on two acres of land and in the first harvest, he managed to produce 20 bags, a great improvement from the ten bags he had been producing. Greatly motivated, Chelule managed to obtain more land and was now cultivating a total of five acres, 2 for wheat and three for maize in 2012. He produced 25 bags per acre and was happy with himself.
In 2013, KALRO and East Africa Productivity Programme (EAPP) took him on a two weeks training in Njoro where he got training on seed multiplication. He got very interested and took up the challenge of multiplying seeds for KALRO. He started with wheat seed multiplication where he would produce not less than 30 bags per acre on his 5-acre piece of land. This time, he smiled all the way to the bank, having made Ksh 695,000 from his first seed multiplication venture on just five acres. Armed with this new-found motivation, Chelule increased his total acreage to fifteen and continued multiplying wheat seed for KALRO and reaping the benefits. Alongside wheat seed multiplication, Chelule also planted maize and enjoyed a bumper harvest of forty bags per acre. “The harvest was a record set in this area, I even broke my store”, he says amidst laughter.
The Secret To Harvesting 40 Bags of Maize an Acre
We ask what his secret to harvesting forty bags of maize an acre is and this is his answer, “Land preparation is very important. I plough my land immediately after harvesting while leaving all the crop residue on the soil.” “For example, when I harvest wheat in October, I plough my land after harvesting, covering all the wheat residue in the soil. When it is just about time to replant, I use a weed control spray for any weeds and thereafter I harrow the land in preparation for replanting. “He goes on. Chelule has observed how a lot of farmers make the mistake of over ploughing their land and leaving the soil exposed which he says results in the soil losing critical moisture.
A lot of farmers make the mistake of using fertilizer blindly before testing their soil. I would attribute my continually improved production to having tested the soil and using fertilizer based on the soil nutrient deficiency identified by the soil test results.
In 2016, Chelule continued with seed multiplication for KALRO this time on 20 acres of land. “Working with KALRO has been very beneficial to me because of the support they have given me. Growing seed for them is also a great venture as we work on contractual terms that guarantee me a ready market for the seed”. “I do not even need to store the seed wheat as they (KALRO) take it away immediately after harvesting. I sell a kilo of processed seed wheat at 40kshs which translates to 3,600kshs per ninety kg bag of seed wheat.” He explains. Processing means eliminating any impurities and uneven seed size.
In 2017, Chelule grew wheat on twenty acres of land. “I planted through the broadcast method and since I was confident in the quality of my soil, I did not use any fertilizer. I still managed to harvest twenty bags an acre which I was happy with.” He says. After doing his calculations, Chelule still made a good amount of money in profits. Chelule attributes his success to having his soils tested and understanding the type of nutrients the soil requires.
This year, Chelule plans on using canola as green manure. “Once it (canola) flowers, I will harrow the farm and use it as green manure”. He is hopeful that this will produce great results. “My plan is to also continue with seed multiplication for KALRO”.
Working with CGA
Chelule is a member of the CGA county platform in Nakuru. The County platform brings together farmers from different wards where they undergo capacity building on various levels including peer to peer learning. CGA also sets up demonstration farms and learning sites together with different input companies where farmers get to learn what seed varieties and other inputs work best for their regions. “I have benefitted a lot from Working with CGA, the frequent training, they give us has further opened my eyes to viewing farming as a business.”
Advice to other farmers
Chelule’s advice to other farmers is for them to first test their soils and apply the required nutrients. He also encourages farmers to take advantage of available contract farming opportunities as it guarantees a ready market and better prices.
Chelule views Agriculture as a great empowerment opportunity when farmers take it seriously. “By viewing agriculture as a business, I have empowered myself economically and socially just from agriculture. The training I have acquired has also helped me network and share ideas with other farmers who I still interact with. “He says.
Through proceeds from cereal farming, Chelule keeps growing economically from owning a tractor which he hires out for an extra income, a car which has eased his movement and even the construction of a bigger and better house for his family.
‘’Sometimes farming can be a gamble and farmers need to hang in there and not give up. Some seasons will be good and others bad, but they need to hang in there.” He says.
The short Land lease tenures in Kenya remain a great challenge for farmers in Kenya and Chelule urges stakeholders to address it.