KEEPING SAFE WHILE FARMING DURING COVID 19. By Tembe Kenneth

As the world is faced with the challenges posed by corona virus, it is evident that food security will be greatly compromised. This is expected to be severe especially for countries that rely on Agriculture for their economic growth.  Already many households are facing food shortages and lack of essential nutrients such as those from vegetables that would otherwise boost their immunity. 

It is imperative therefore that households start kitchen gardens during this period inoder to cover up the deficit in supply occasioned by the pandemic. Use of simple technologies such as keyhole garden, sack planting and use of recycled plastics will go a long way in providing households with fresh and nutritive vegetables. Moreover,  the current rains will reduce the cost of production especially for those who depend on metered water supply. 

Some of the vegetables that can do well and within a short period of time  under kitchen garden include onions, spinach, kales, coriander, tomato, lettuce and indigenous vegetables such as cowpea (kunde), amaranth (terere),  black night shade (managu), spider plant (Sageti), crotalaria (mitoo), mustard collard (kanthira) among others. Let's take the opportunity to be a step a head and cushion ourselves against hunger and malnutrition.