Vegetable and flower farmers are wiping out voracious pests through a unique sex trap that tricks the destructive male diamond moth pest and traps it, reducing cost on the prohibitive conventional pesticides. This comes at a time when horticultural farmers are struggling accessing the lucrative European market due to allegations of their produce having pesticides […]
Horticultural farmers fight voracious pest with sex trap Read More »
Quick returns and ready market for watermelons is seeing Central Kenya farmers ditch coffee, a long time darling, with some farmers reaping upto Sh200,000 from watermelon on the same acreage that had coffee. Macharia Ngari, a farmer in Mukurwe-ini District, Nyeri County, says that he first planted the crop on an acre in 2008 on
Farmers ditch coffee for watermelon on quick returns Read More »
The fortunes of French beans farmers in the country have been raised with the introduction of new varieties that have uniform maturity eliminating the tedious harvesting schedules that comes in stages consequently leading to improved yields and lower costs of production compared conventional bean varieties in the market. French bean is one of the vegetable
Breeders unveil superior French bean variety Read More »
A researcher is exploring various methods of increasing soil nutrients to Kenya’s tired soil including burning human waste at higher degrees and mixing it with urine in what is seen as a cheaper alternative to conventional fertilizers whose prices have hit sky high. Leilah Krounbi a Ph.D. candidate in the field of crop and soil
Heated human waste to heal Kenya’s sick soil Read More »
An agronomist has introduced a cheap way of steaming soil, killing over 90 percent of bacteria and other disease causing organisms in the soil which are responsible for the increasing wilt diseases among greenhouse farmers costing them fortunes. The steaming doesn’t affect the nutrients in the soil. The introduction of the greenhouses which are famously
Agronomist steams soil to fight ‘the HIV of soil’ Read More »
A passion in tea blending coupled with experience in serving various tea blends to international guests has seen one Kenyan entrepreneur ride on growing demand in Germany where the beverage is becoming a favourite in meetings, corporate and casual. Rachel Mwakazi has had more than two decades experience selling different commodities to Germans but at
Kenyan mum finds market in German’s love for Kenyan tea Read More »
A degree in nautical technology was the first step in a journey that would culminate in a flower export business that has lifted the fortunes of the Nubian community at Kibera slums, thanks to the efforts of Mr. Ibrahim Talib. Having gone to Egypt to further his studies, Mr. Talib created a good relationship with the
Entrepreneur creates flower market for Nubian community Read More »
A visit to his aunt for business idea became the light bulb moment for Alex Ombuto who has found a fortune in cassava root which he adding value in making crisps, snacks and nutritional porridge in a business venture with a Sh480,000 annual turnover. Being out of job where he used to be a casual
Former casual labourer creates cassava value addition empire Read More »
A 30 year old entrepreneur has delved into fertilizer business providing affordable environmentally friendly fertilizer to smallholder farmers at a time when lack of fertilizer is blamed for dwindling yields. Marion Atieno Moon a business graduate quit a lucrative job to start her company Wanda Organic an indigenous company that has come up with novel
Graduate creates low cost bioorganic fertilizer Read More »
Timothy Kiongo has grown maize, beans and soya in his one hectare piece of land for the last 50 years. Every harvest he gets 25 bags of maize, but since 2010 he is lucky to even get five bags per hectare. Timothy is among thousands of smallholder farmers in Kenya who have been hit hardest
Smallholder farmers bear the brunt of weather change Read More »