February 2024

Charcoal dust improves farmer yields, saves cost & bolsters soils

Through mixing inorganic fertiliser and charcoal dust, farmers in Oyugis, Homa Bay County have been able to improve their crop yields, cut down on fertiliser use and bolster the long-term health of their soils. According to agronomist David Winyo, charcoal dust serves as homemade biochar that provides potassium crucial for root development in crops. It […]

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To sell or not to sell?: The battle over muguka seedlings

For muguka growers in Embu County, Christmas usually comes late. This is because the often hot and dry January to March months bring good tidings with the price of the stimulant climbing to as high as Sh1,200 a kilo. Despite muguka being as popular as it has ever been– biting economic times have seen many

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Value addition & tech: The 24yr old looking to revolutionise Kenya’s beekeeping value chain

At only 24 years old, Stanley Ngeli Somba, proprietor of Ngeli Foods is well on his way to revolutionise the beekeeping value chain in Kenya. The Strathmore University graduate currently produces half a tonne of multiflora honey every four months. While he previously sold this as regular plain honey, he has begun processing it into

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Busia looks to 5X maize production through subsidised tractor services

Busia County has unveiled new state-of-the-art tractors which will subsidize the cost of land ploughing at a rate of Sh2500 per acre, which will help increase grain production from the normal 2-5 bags per acre to 15-25 bags. This will help achieve the goal of economic revitalization through agriculture mechanization. Speaking during the official unveiling

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Entrepreneurship program seeking innovations in sustainable agriculture

The Kenya Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program is seeking innovations in sustainable agriculture dedicated to tackling challenges in precision agriculture, supply chain, and waste management. Supported by Joule, Eni School of Entrepreneurship, and E4Impact, the program is dedicated to nurturing the next generation of agribusiness innovators passionate about leveraging technology and modern practices to revolutionize the agricultural

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Sugar snap, snow pea farmers enjoy more than doubled record prices

“If you are looking for a good market for sugar snaps and snowpeas, now is the time to start planting. They’ll take 60 days to mature and you will begin harvesting in April. This will ensure you are ahead of the curve and your produce is ready at a time of scarcity as most farmers

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Kakuzi offers free maturity testing as avocado export season announced

Kakuzi PLC has welcomed the opening of the Avocado Export season announced by the sector regulator with an offer to provide free maturity testing services to smallholder farmers. Following the notification issued early this week by the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) through its Horticultural Crops Directorate (HCD), harvesting avocados for export will now be

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Price fluctuation, middlemen price distortion & imports critically affecting farmer sales

Price fluctuations from season to season (80%), price distortion by middlemen, and competition from imports are the main challenges critically affecting the marketing/sale of farm produce. According to farmers sampled for the January 2024 Agriculture Sector Survey, price distortion by middlemen which was cited as a concern by 52 per cent of farmers occurs from

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KALRO introduces 2 rice varieties, new planting technology to farmers

The Kenya Agricultural Livestock and Research Organization (KALRO) is trialing two new rice varieties, 08FAN10 (Mkombozi) and CSR 36, set to be released for wider use by farmers in June. The new varieties which were developed in conjunction with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the Lake Basin Development Authority (LBDA) can double the

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Farmers reduce crop loss, raise incomes, through early warning SMS alerts

Smallholder farmers in Kenya, Ghana, Malawi, and Zambia who received Pest Risk Information Service (PRISE) SMS alerts are benefitting from reduced crop losses and higher incomes compared to farmers who did not. PRISE was developed in 2017 using earth observation data by the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International development charity (CABI). It allows farmers

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