August 2021

Technology in agriculture

Microsoft to boost small-scale African farmer incomes through digital training

By George Munene Through Microsoft’s 4Africa initiative over 50,000 smallholder farmers and 50 cooperatives in Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, and Cote d’Ivoire will be equipped with digital skills and training that will help them boost their yields and incomes as well as modernise their supply chains. As digital tools such as cloud computing, computing systems, connectivity, …

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Integrating trees into farms offers extra income & regenerates soils

By George Munene Syntropic agriculture/successional agroforestry is an integrated farming approach that involves the growing of marketable fruit and wood trees coupled with productive agricultural food sources. It helps regenerate soil biodiversity without the application of any chemical inputs.  This farming model was originated by Swiss farmer Ernst Götschin. Settling in the 1980s in a …

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NCPB

NCPB opens storage facilities to wheat farmers to help mitigate losses

By George Munene The National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) will open its storage facilities to wheat farmers this season to help them avoid post-harvest handling losses. The move will also enable farmers to keep their produce in reserve, fetching better future prices when markets are not flooded and the amount of cheaper imports has …

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Coffee farming

Farmers develop disease & drought-tolerant coffee varieties through grafting 

By George Munene Grafting refers to the joining of the upper part of a plant (scion) to part of the stem and the root system (rootstock) of another plant. The horticultural technique is being employed by Kenyan coffee farmers to develop disease and drought-tolerant varieties. “Most coffee farms are inherited, therefore the trees grown are …

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youth agriculture

Sh 5.1B agribusiness fund calling for 2400 women & youth applicants

By George Munene The AgriBiz programme seeks to accelerate the engagement of women and youth in agribusiness. The Shs 5.1 billion initiative is looking to fund 2,400 women and youth-led agribusiness enterprises across Kenya.  AgriBiz is funded by the Danish International Development Agency(Danida) and European Union(EU). Counties considered by the programme are Machakos, Kisii, Uasin …

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pesticides

Farmers warn EU pesticide policy will cripple Kenyan agriculture

By George Munene Farmer lobby groups led by the Fresh Produce Consortium of Kenya, the National Potato Council of Kenya, and the Cereal Growers Association have warned that a report forwarded by The National Assembly’s Health Committee that recommends the Pest Control Products Board ensures products banned in Europe and the United States are not …

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