By George Munene Scientists from the International Potato Center (CIP) have shown that the use of thermal imagery to measure the water stress of potato plants and precise irrigation according to crop stress can produce good harvests with less water. At 70 per cent, agriculture …
Potato growers use thermal imagery to produce potatoes with less water Read More »
By George Munene According to a research paper published in December of this year (2022) dubbed “A review of the state of sugar cane crisis in Kenya” raising the cost of imported sugar, protecting local producers from sugar cartels, and lowering the cost of domestic production were identified as the key ways of reviving the …
Researchers advise raising import cost, dismantling cartels to revive sugar sector Read More »
By George Munene During the short to medium-term period, 2023/24-2025/26, Kenya’s Rural and Urban Agriculture Development (ARUD) sector plans on implementing 10 major programmes worth an accumulated Sh422 million in order to facilitate the attainment of food and nutrition security, agro-processing, employment creation and utilisation of the blue economy. Released today–30th December 2022– as the …
Govt earmarks Sh422 billion for 10 agri programs between 2023 & 2026 Read More »
By George Munene The 2022 October to December short rains were the fifth consecutive below-average rainy season as Kenya’s historic drought persists. According to USAID’s Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWS NET), at the end of November, cumulative rainfall is less than 70 per cent of the 30-year average across most of the country, with …
Oct-Dec short rains 55-70% lower as Kenya enters 5th drought season Read More »
Cattle population in Kenya’s semi-arid regions has sharply decreased by more than 26 per cent in the past 30 years, and a new study attributes this to the constantly rising temperatures due to global warming, and reduced or unpredictable rainfall patterns. The Pathways to Resilience in Semi-Arid Economies (PRISE) study, jointly funded by the …
Study shows climate change reduced cattle by 25% in semi-arid Kenya Read More »
Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI), a not-for-profit inter-governmental development and information organization, has devised an e-learning course that will enable farmers to gain skills and methodologies required for the field-based diagnosis of pests and diseases. The practical e-learning course dubbed, PestSmart is the first in a series of new and unique e-learning courses …
Free e-learning course trains farmers to tackle crop pest increasing yields Read More »
The horticulture sector is ranked as the fastest-growing sector in the agriculture industry in Kenya; however, produce from Kenya has faced rejection at the entry point of key export markets with Kenya being placed under the radar by the European Union as one of the countries with 10 per cent maximum residue levels. According to …
Ways of avoiding rejection of horticultural export produce Read More »
A group of farmers from Western Kenya has started processing among others sossi yogurt, flour, and beverages from soya beans as a solution to the smaller quantities of their products which were going to waste due to rejection by a high volume buying company. The farmers pooled together under the Mumias District Federation of …
Mumias farmers value add rejected soya beans to earn additional income stream Read More »
Beekeepers can cheaply and easily keep off crawling insects that invade their beehives in search of food by smearing on the hives’ posts grease mixed with Vaseline (petroleum jelly) and curry powder rather than using grease alone which is not fully effective. According to Ezekiel Mumo, Project Officer at Bee Care Apiaries International Limited, using …
Beekeepers keep off crawling insects with grease, jelly and curry mix Read More »
Small scale farmers can avoid farm milk spoilage by observing high quality hygiene standards so as to prevent rejection of milk by dairy processors. The International Livestock Research Institute in June 2017 released a research showing high levels of aflatoxin in Kenyan foods such as meat, milk and maize. The ILRI study established that …
