farming practices

Report highlights abundance of hazardous pests on Kenyan plates

Leave a Comment / Pest Control

According to a report by Route to Food Initiative, Kenyan tomatoes and kale are the leading agricultural commodities with pesticide residue exceeding safe food limits Maize, wheat, coffee, potatoes, and tomatoes were found to require the largest volumes of pesticides, with a heavy reliance on Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs). It further highlighted that 34 per …

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Chicken dipping eradicates 90% of external parasites

Leave a Comment / Pest Control

A Nakuru County hatchery entrepreneur has resorted to dipping her chickens in pesticide suspension, a method which she says kills more than 90 percent of external parasites. Mary Njeri, the owner of Poultry Farm Hatchery, said chicken shake off powder pesticides, making them less effective in controlling the blood sucking external parasites. The agripreneur uses …

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Molo farmer intercrops potatoes and peas, to earn all year round

Leave a Comment / Smart farms

A farmer in Molo is growing potato seeds and intercropping with garden peas, in a classic crop rotation model that not only improves soil fertility but also ensures her of an year round source of income. Having traditionally relied on potato seeds from the previous harvest for planting,  Ann Chepngeno couldn’t understand why her yields …

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Farmers question use of North Rift season for issuing subsidized fertiliser

Leave a Comment / Smart farms

According to the Central Bank of Kenya’s July Agriculture Sector Survey farmers have raised concerns about the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) using the North Rift planting season as the benchmark for issuing subsidized planting and top-dressing fertilizer.  They argued that regions are not homogenous and there could be timing differences in planting and harvesting which …

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Fact Sheet: Tackling the Growing Problem of Heat Stress in Livestock

Leave a Comment / Smart farms

Smallholder farmers in the developing world should be implementing cheap and readily available solutions such as silvopastoralism, the provision of sheds, and crossbreeding to tackle the growing problem of heat stress in livestock. It is estimated that seven per cent of global cattle is affected by heat stress, a number that could rise to 65 …

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Former Cop Harvests Improved Milk Yield & Profits from Guatemala Grass

Leave a Comment / Feed, Yields

Evans Muugu, 63, is no ordinary farmer. The retired police officer has struck gold in Guatemala grass, an alternative fodder crop that withstands Napier stunt and head smut diseases. The fodder is fed to livestock to improve milk production. Muugu retired in 1982 before working as a security guard in various city hotels in Nairobi …

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Using Dhania to Attract Beneficial Insects, Reduce Pesticide Costs

Leave a Comment / Pest Control

As most farmers in Kenya grow coriander or dhania for the vibrant urban and rural market,  one peasant is using the crop to ‘seduce’ pest eating insects, which have saved him pesticide costs. Ladybird insect, which is easily attracted to the dhania, feeds on aphids, white flies, mites, among other soft-skinned pests attacking crops. Worst …

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Drought Tolerant Crops Project Assists Arid Farmers Get Bumper Harvest

Leave a Comment / Smart farms

A drought tolerant crops project in the vastly dry Mtito Andei area is assisting farmers sow and reap from the desert with farmers earning upto Sh100,00 from sale of crops that would ordinarily not even sprout in the area. Mary Kyalo one such farmer has been planting pigeon peas, maize and beans, but often times …

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Farmers advised to harvest produce in July to reduce post-harvest losses

Leave a Comment / Smart farms

Headed into July, near to below-average rainfall is expected over the Highlands West of the Rift Valley, Lake Victoria Basin, Central, and South Rift Valley, conditions conducive for harvesting. Farmers in these areas are advised to take advantage of the dry spells expected within the month to harvest their produce and reduce post-harvest losses.  Climate …

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Training farmers as extension workers boosts farm yields 200%

Leave a Comment / Smart farms, Uncategorized

Through the pioneering use of professionally trained farmers known as Village Based Advisors (VBAs), Farm Input Promotions Africa (FIPS) Ltd, a Kenyan nonprofit founded in 2003, is disseminating critical agricultural information that is increasing farmer yields by 30 to 200 per cent depending on the crop, farming system, and context. This is securing the food …

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