December 2019

Avocado harveting

New study: Kenyan avocado farmers can increase income by 39 per cent exporting to EU

Kenyan avocado farmers can boost their income by up to 39 per cent by exporting the fruit to the European market. According to the International Food Policy Research Institute, a Washington-based research institute and partners on their research report issued yesterday, a dozen of Hass avocado variety that sells for about Sh3.5 in domestic markets …

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Daniella Munene CEO of Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya

The introduction of the Kenya Food and Drugs Authority Bill has shown why we need impact assessments for all legislation

Our parliamentarians are sometimes required to rule on some challenging proposals, with the private members’ Kenya Food and Drug Authority (KFDA) Bill a prime example from 2019: yet as opinions now unite around abandoning the idea of a joint medicine and food safety regulator, the bill has raised some clear lessons. Above all, it has …

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fish farming

Farmer finds seine nets safer than hook and bait in fish pond cropping

Patrick Omoro, a small-scale fish farmer from Homa Bay County has adopted seine nets in fish pond cropping saying hooks killed much of his young fish during his first year in farming. “Using hook and bait in cropping and harvesting fish reduces quality and eventual profit,” said Omoro According to him, hooks have baits at …

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coffee plant factory

Baringo farmers eye export market with 1.2 tonnes capacity coffee milling plant

 Coffee farmers in Baringo County could soon forget market challenges following the establishment of a 1.2 tonnes per hour coffee milling plant which is set to provide an edge in the quest to advance direct export of coffee to the Korean market. The Sh100 million modern coffee milling plant at Katimok in Baringo North Sub-county …

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multipurpose tractor

Hand-pushed multipurpose tractor saves farmers Sh1000 tillage costs

Dismantled hand-pushed multipurpose tractor. Photo: Zablon Oyugi. Agriculture Technology Development Centre (ATDC) has introduced a cheap hand-pushed multipurpose tractor which may save small-scale farmers more than Sh1,000 per acre in tillage costs. Ronald Bosire of ATDC said the ‘walking tractor’, whose cost may be equivalent to three bulls, requires minimum skills to operate and can be …

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rabbits1

Thika company urgently looking for rabbits to meet rising meat demand

A Kiambu County based firm is looking for more than 1,000 rabbits per week from farmers to meet its growing demand from the suppliers as festive season meat orders starts gaining momentum. Supermarkets and other small meat outlets have placed orders at the Thika-based company, Rabbak, to deliver meat and life rabbits. The firm, which …

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cassava tubbers

Kisumu’s Kilimani upmarket offers cassava farmer better prices for value-added products

Alex Ombuto, a cassava farmer from Kisumu County is earning up to Sh480,000 a year targeting residents of Kilimani estate in the county where the demand for the tubers is high. The electrical engineering graduate from Kisumu Polytechnic says that since he introduced the idea to the Kisumu residents, commercialisation of cassava has been tremendously …

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selina wamucii staff

EU moves to increase searches for pests on exports from Friday

A new EU plant health regulation ((EU) 2016/2031) comes into operation bringing rigorous new rules to prevent the introduction and spread of pests and diseases in the EU. Countries exporting fruit and vegetables to the EU must take action to ensure that all consignments are in compliance. Details on the new plant health rules, as …

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drying chilli1

Chilli exporters eyeing the Middle East to compensate Europe market

As the Codling Moth pest continues to impact negatively business in the European Union (EU), Kenyan chilli producers and exporters are now eying the Middle East in a bid to continue participating in export markets and grow their income. According to Ojepati Okesegere, chief executive at Fresh Producers Consortium of Kenya, over 90 per cent …

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