While E. coli is among the leading causes of illness from the consumption of unsanitary raw vegetables, new evidence shows that diseased or pest-ridden crops have significantly higher levels of bacteria. There is also growing evidence that it can get into plants making it impossible to get rid by washing or cutting off the spoilt […]
Pest-damaged vegetables poisoning Kenyans Read More »
The continued spread of four potato diseases has led to a 62.5 per cent decrease in Kenya’s per-hectare potato production from 22.4 tons in 2008 to just 8.4 tons in 2022. This is despite the increased availability of improved potato varieties and access to information on the best agriculture practices. With a global average output
Four diseases decrease Kenya’s potato yield 62%, decimating food security Read More »
First reported in Kenya in 2020, the invasive apple snail has quickly become one of the leading pest concerns for Mwea rice farmers reducing yields by 14 per cent and incomes by 60 per cent. The spread of this highly invasive pest which affects paddy-grown rice could have dire consequences for rice production and food
Rice snail cuts farmer incomes 60% endangering Kenya’s food security Read More »
As farmers protest across Europe, blockading cities, smashing through police barricades, and dumping manure, European politicians are falling over themselves to promise increased trade barriers against African food and agriculture imports. But how is it that locking out Kenyan horticulture, South African oranges, and Tanzanian sunflower seeds has become such a burning issue for Africa’s
Striga hermonthica or the Purple Witchweed is the single most important cause of poor maize yields, particularly in western Kenya, eliminating 60 to 100 per cent of cereal crops. This is because the parasitic plant germinates quickly, and is easily dispersed. Its seeds also withstand extreme conditions and lie dormant in the soil until a
Factsheet: Understanding and Controlling Striga– Kenya’s cereal killer Read More »
The European Union (EU) has increased checks on cut roses from Kenya and Ethiopia to 25 per cent owing to fears of introduction into the EU of the false codling moth (FCM). This follows discussions in Brussels between the European Commission and the 27 EU Member States on the risks posed by imports of cut
EU increases checks on Kenya, Ethiopia roses to 25% on false codling moth fears Read More »
Affecting seven in ten wheat growers and causing up to 100 per cent in losses, wheat leaf rust is the single most devastating disease or pest for wheat growers across Kenya. “I’m just from looking at ten blocks of land and have seen an emergence of wheat rust in eight of them. It is near
Factsheet: Tackling wheat leaf rust– Kenya’s most devastating wheat menace Read More »
The Locust Pesticides Management System enhances locust management and reduces the risks of pesticides to humans and the environment. When the desert locust upsurge of 2019-2022 occurred in Kenya, Esbon Agira was deployed as a base manager in Marsabit County, north of the country. His work involved surveying desert locusts and provided information to the
Foot and mouth disease sometimes referred to as hoof and mouth disease is an infectious and fatal viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals, including domestic and wild bovid. The virus causes a high fever for two or three days, followed by blisters inside the mouth and on the feet that may rupture and cause lameness.
Factsheet: Understanding foot and mouth disease Read More »
In slowing the wearing out of the wooden posts of cheap greenhouses, one innovator is applying used engine oil to deter termite pests and extend the life of the farming structures to more than six years. Termite pests, which feed on wood, destroy farm structures by chipping the parts buried into the soil. Raphael Ngari
Used engine oil deters termites destroying farm structures & crops Read More »