October 2021

FCC6 vUWEAc1Buq 1

200 Kenya agriculture students get 11 month Israel internship

By George Munene 200 Kenyan agriculture students will join Israeli Arava International Center for Agricultural Training, a center established to train agriculturalists from developing countries on advanced farming methods. The internship will encompass theoretical studies as well as practical training. Related News: Israeli AgriTech company brings digital irrigation to 500K Kenyan farmers Related News: Sh 5.1B agribusiness …

200 Kenya agriculture students get 11 month Israel internship Read More »

images 8

Kichawi Kill offers farmers first biological control of deadly striga weed

By George Munene Kenya has launched the first commercialised biological herbicide, Kichawi Kill, that decimates the deadly parasitic Striga weed and improves maize yields by 50 per cent.   The herbicide was developed by Toothpick Company Limited, a social enterprise based in Kakamega in conjunction with KALRO Katumani. Proof of concept tests ran for 12 years …

Kichawi Kill offers farmers first biological control of deadly striga weed Read More »

ManureAmiranKenyaAgronomistWycliffeObwogeByLabanRobert.JPG

Pig rearing helps Kakamega farmer break down organic waste to manure

A Ka­mega County farmer has cut or­ganic fer­til­iser costs in maize pro­duc­tion by rear­ing three pigs, which are help­ing him break down or­ganic waste into ma­nure. Wyc­liffe Ochango said con­vert­ing or­ganic waste into ma­nure by nor­mal de­com­pos­i­tion takes months, but the pigs are ‘cata­lys­ing’ the pro­cess. “In­stead of wait­ing for one to three months for …

Pig rearing helps Kakamega farmer break down organic waste to manure Read More »

potatoes 20060407 02

Meru potato farmer doubles earnings through innovative storage

By George Munene Meru farm­ers are mak­ing premium earn­ings from the dif­fer­ence in their rainy sea­son, which means they can de­liver pota­toes when they are most scarce and prices are highest. Whilst in most parts of the coun­try long rains run from April to late May those of Kibiri­chia, Meru County last from Oc­to­ber to …

Meru potato farmer doubles earnings through innovative storage Read More »

images 7

High feed costs leave Kenya reliant on fish imports

By George Munene According to the government, expensive feeds and poor quality fingerlings leave Kenya well short of meeting it’s domestic fish consumption needs. Fisheries Principal Secretary Francis Owino said this has delayed implementation of the Sh15 billion Aquaculture Business Development Programme which was meant to increase local fish production by over 60 per cent. …

High feed costs leave Kenya reliant on fish imports Read More »

download 11

Certified potato seeds double farmer’s yield

By George Munene “From an acre of farmland applying the right agronomic practices, certified seeds should harvest a minimum of eighty 50kg bags and can yield up to 200 bags,” says Enoch Rugut an extension officer at Egerton University’s potato multiplication center. Rugut explains that using seeds disseminated between farmers as planting material you are …

Certified potato seeds double farmer’s yield Read More »

images 5

Government promises tea farmers better prices next year with new reforms

By George Munene Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya has promised small-holder tea farmers a better pay next year once all reforms undertaken by the government take hold in the tea sector.  “There’s been a steady rise in the prices of tea at auction while plans are underway to lower the cost of production, transportation and …

Government promises tea farmers better prices next year with new reforms Read More »

images 4

Nakuru farmers get avocado, macadamia markets & cheap loans from new program

By George Munene Over 4,000 small-holder farmers in Nakuru will receive low cost financing and subsidized farm inputs as well as access to processing companies and exports markets for avocados and macadamia after their county government inked a deal with American NGO One Acre Fund, and Apollo Agriculture–a Kenyan agricultural lender. The project will target …

Nakuru farmers get avocado, macadamia markets & cheap loans from new program Read More »

b brahma img

Mariakani breeder capitalises on Brahma chicken rarity in Kenya

By George Munene On his farm at Mariakani, Kilifi County, 52-year-old Ab­dulrahim Morodhi has turned his chicken keep­ing hobby into a luc­rat­ive ven­ture. The re­tired ac­count­ant keeps a vari­ety of exotic, or­na­mental and in­di­gen­ous chicken but has ma­jored in the rear­ing of Brahma chicken. Hav­ing sold most of his ma­ture birds due to the grow­ing …

Mariakani breeder capitalises on Brahma chicken rarity in Kenya Read More »