Farmer finds solution to weeds with home-made machine

Every year, many Kenyan farmers toil for months only to see their crops yield little or nothing due to the weeds menace. Traditional hoes and expensive chemicals, which most farmers rely on for weed control, are not effective.

But in Suba district, Homa Bay County, one man has come up with a solution. Alex Odundo, 39, has invented a semi-motor-powered weeding machine to control weeds and boost food production.

‘‘I came up with the machine after encountering so many challenges of unwanted plants in my farm. Weeds take light, water and nutrients away from the crops,’’ says Mr Odundo.

He says weeds have become a nightmare to many farmers since they shelter pests which attack crops. Last year, Mr Odundo says he lost maize in his two-hectare land after unknown weeds attacked his farm.

He says his home-made machine can eliminate the most stubborn weed called striga. The weed normally attaches itself to the roots of maize and sorghum plants, takes nutrients away from maize, reducing crop yield.

With an initial capital of Sh100,000, Mr Odundo made his first weeding machine last year. Now, he hires it out to many farmers in the region at Sh3,000 per week.

The fuel-powered machine is designed in such a way that it can eliminate the weeds in between the crops like maize and sorghum, which are spaced between two to three inches in rows.

The engine of the weeding machine drives an alternator that produces electric power and the power stored in the battery in turn drives the motor connected to the wheels.

Tobias Otieno, one of the farmers who uses the weeding machine says it is cost-effective and efficient.

‘‘Initially, I had to use hoes intensively for several weeks to complete my 10 acres under sorghum ,’’ says the 69-year-old farmer.

With the shift to the machine, Mr Otieno says he is now able to reduce the workload and cost of labour. Using the machine, one hectare of maize can be cultivated in an hour but for those using hoes it can take even weeks to complete a 10-acre maize plantation.

Mr Odundo says with the modern weeding technology, 80 per cent of crops are harvested as compared to using hoes where farmers get only 30 per cent since the weeds compete with crops, reducing production.

The weeding machine consumes eight litres of petrol enough for cultivation of one hectare of farm land.

Mr Odundo is banking on the weeding machine to help farmers ensure constant food supply, given that agriculture is the major contributor of Kenya’s economy accounting for 35 per cent of the gross domestic product.