Farmers in Nyando, Western Kenya are shifting from maize farming and ordinary livestock keeping to climate smart agriculture that helps them adapt to the changing climate. The rough and dusty road leads us to John Obuom’s homestead in Kowalla village Nyakach district, Kisumu County. Obuom has taken up rearing of gala goats and Red Masaai sheep …
Farmers shift to goat farming to withstand climate change Read More »
A veterinary officer in Mwingi area of Eastern Kenya is training farmers in the arid area to mitigate against changes in weather through pasture preservation technology with over 60 farmers now comfortably taking care of their animals. Dr Jim Katu who received scholarship by Australia Awards Africa Fellowship in Agriculture Livestock Course decided to return …
Vet schools farmers of arid Mwingi on pasture preservation Read More »
Renowned biologist Josan Salk once said that there would be no life on earth within 50 years if all insects disappeared. Salk’s conclusion stems from the fact that more than 85 per cent of global vegetation requires insects for pollination, something that makes the bugs a key factor for continued crop production. Yet, and sadly, …
Farmers forced to purchase bees as pollinator population dwindles Read More »
Small holder farmers, who account for 90 per cent of the agricultural output in Africa, are extremely poor, because of poor market information for their produce, a study by the Agricultural Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) say. The report revealed that 85 per cent of smallholder farmers lack information and connectivity to lucrative markets …
Lack of market information impoverishing smallholder farmers Read More »
As the long rain seasons starts, 83-year-old Muia Kusenga is removing the accumulated silt from the trenches to create space for collecting run-off water from the nearby road for later irrigation. Kusenga, who has dug more than 10 trenches in his farm in Machakos County, says the water helps him in irrigating the fruits for …
Trenches enable Machakos farmer harvest run-off water Read More »
While other people look at doves and pigeons as lad’s pets, a Rift Valley farmer is tapping into the growing market for the flowery birds to make tens of thousands per month close to 20 years after starting small. Dennis Chege makes between Sh90,000 and Sh120,000 a month from his two farms in Eldoret and …
By George Munene Yara East Africa’s Kenya manager William Ng’eno has announced plans by the giant fertiliser manufacturer to partner with local farmers enabling them to earn from carbon trading. “We have an initiative around regenerative agriculture where farmers will be able to signup and earn carbon credits from good practices they will be implementing …
Yara announces carbon trading plan for local farmers Read More »
Millions of farmers in Africa are now harvesting two to three times more grain compared to 10 years ago thanks to improved availability of and access to high yielding, high-quality seed according to estimates by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). In a publication tracking the work of the Programme for …
Better seeds help African farmers see higher yields and incomes Read More »
A characteristic feature of Kenya’s smallholder agriculture is the dominance of primary production. This normally involves production of low volume of produce at the individual farm level for subsistence and subsequent marketing of surplus in raw or semi-processed form. Limited on-farm and off-farm processing of agricultural produce has translated to low prices, fewer job opportunities …
How to improve smallscale farmer produce and earnings Read More »
A group of farmers from Machakos County is improving on-farm production and marketing of their produce thanks to intercountry benchmarking, an idea that has seen the farmers visit three countries within the East Africa region to learn from their fellow farmers about good agronomical practices. Machakos Farmers Ambassadors which was formed in 2014 with 200 …
Cross-county benchmarking enables Machakos farmers increase production and marketing Read More »
