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Thorn melon

Kirinyaga farmer turns low-grade eighth acre into Sh190,000 thorned melon money spinner

A Kirinyaga farmer is earning Sh190,000 from his eighth-acre plot every four months after pivoting from growing low-earning bananas and sugarcane to thorned melons. Stanley Thuranira has set aside an eighth of his four-acre piece of land in Kutus to grow the African thorned melon. Towards the end of August, September, October, and early November […]

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silkworm

Silkworm feeding on drought weed opens year-round earnings for semi-arid farmers from world’s hottest textile 

The introduction of silkworms feeding on drought-tolerant castor plants has opened year-round earnings for farmers in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid areas from the world’s most in-demand textile. Castor plant leaves provide the perfect food for Samia ricini or Philosamia ricini silkworms which make eri silk. According to the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) information

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Stevia

World’s top stevia buyer braves it back to Kenya, after crash with novel crop

Kenyan farmers could soon be producing stevia– a high-earning herb with the fastest growing market in the world– for export as the leading global stevia producer is rumoured to be returning to Kenya. FarmBizAfrica reveals the tough journey that collapsed three partners’ first foray into the Kenyan market. The global stevia market has grown by

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Castor

Makueni company recruiting 500 farmers in arid Ukambani to earn from drought-tolerant weed

An intermediary for Italian Energy company Eni is recruiting 500 castor farmers in arid Ukambani to earn money from growing the drought-tolerant weed that thrives in ‘unusable land’ and has a three-month earning timeline. According to the International Energy Agency, castor seeds are pressed for biofuel whose demand is set to increase by a third

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Brewer’s sorghum growers take flight to better-paying contracts

Sorghum farmers are earning up to 15 shillings more a kilo after switching from growing the grain for East African Breweries Limited to being contracted farmers for seed producers.  On her 10-acre farm in Nkubu, Meru County, Jacinta Nkirote grows various varieties of sorghum and cowpeas for the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO).

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Consumers chase healthier replacement for sugar vaulting stevia market above all other herbs

The market for Stevia is set to increase at three times the pace of most other herbs and spices in the next five years as consumers demand a natural and healthier replacement for regular sugar which causes high blood pressure, weight gain, diabetes, and liver disease.  According to a HealthFocus International 2024 study, for 56

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