Crops

Govt projects bumper 40M maize bag harvest owing to subsidised fertiliser

From reported early maize harvests, the government projects that the country will have a great harvest of over 40 million bags for the long rains season alone. This is more than the entirety of the 2021 production year (36.7 million bags). State officials say this owes greatly to the government’s subsidised fertiliser program that has …

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JKUAT researchers encourage farmers to grow hybrid Chinese millet

Researchers from the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) and the Chinese Center for Agricultural Resources Research (CARR) are sensitising farmers on efficiently cultivating and managing the nutritious, high-yielding, drought, and disease-resistant Chinese hybrid foxtail millet.  The millet variety takes about half the time to ripen compared to most local varieties and adapts …

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Kenya releases drought-resistant purple-fleshed sweet potato

The International Potato Center (CIP) and the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) have released the drought-resistant KC Sweet Purple sweet potato. Originally from Ghana, the purple-fleshed, climate-resistant, and nutritious variety was previously named TU-82-155. “Recognizing its immense potential in contributing to food and nutrition security, CIP and KALRO collaborated to bring this game-changing …

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Western Kenya Students Boost School’s Self-Sufficiency Through Tomato Sales

Students at Chisare Secondary School of Western Kenya are earning their school income with the sale of tomato plants in a classic example of how agriculture is helping schools sustain themselves. Students receive training in how to improve the quality of their produce and learn how to grow high-value crops, such as tomatoes. The school’s …

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Drought-Resistant Pigeon Pea: A Game-Changer for Farmers in Mbeere, Eastern Kenya

Farmers in Mbeere, Eastern Kenya, have embraced drought-resistant pigeon peas as rains become unreliable, a crop that also assisted them in doubling their incomes and yields due to growing markets. Maize Disappointments and Rising Costs Drive Farmers towards Pigeon Pea Traditionally, the farmers heavily relied on maize. However erratic weather patterns coupled with the ever-rising …

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Kenyan Soils Rejuvenated by Mucuna Bean’s Nitrogen Fixation

A unique bean variety is helping fertilize degraded soils due to its nitrogen-fixing traits. Mucuna beans are capable of fixing 150kgs of nitrogen for every hectare. Kenyan soils are currently ranked amongst the worst due to exploitation and overuse of conventional fertilizers. Soil Regeneration Through Abundant Organic Matter: Mucuna not only fixes nitrogen but also …

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Maximizing Crop Yields: How Farmers in Kenya Achieve Year-Round Harvests with Maize and Chicken Pea Rotation

As cropping seasons determine what yields farmers will get due to the amount of rain, farmers are alternating maize cultivation with chicken pea and ensuring bumper harvests throughout the year. While the maize and other legumes are water guzzlers chicken pea uses low moisture.  A project introduced to farmers by International Crops Research Institute for …

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Msambweni farmer produces certified coconut seedlings to meet acute shortage

A farmer named Mwinyi Amir Bendera, hailing from Kinondo in Msambweni, Kwale County, has taken a proactive approach to address the shortage of clean coconut planting materials faced by his colleagues and institutions. By focusing on seedling production instead of traditional subsistence farming, Bendera aims to provide high-quality seedlings to meet the growing demand. This …

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Siaya traditional vegetable farmers triple income through cooperative society

Traditional vegetable farmers in Siaya have tripled their income from Sh15 to Sh48 per kilogram after joining a cooperative society to market their produce. Initially, farmers in the region sold their produce individually with reduced bargaining power according to a report by the Kenya Agricultural Productivity Project. After forming the Siaya Local Vegetable Producers Value …

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