In cutting down the irrigation water requirement, one Kitui County farmer has resorted to growing vegetables in sacks to meet domestic needs. The 90kg sacks host between 10 and 15 kales grown at the top as well as on the sides.Festus Mutemi mixes the soil with sawdust to reduce water loss after irrigation. Three litres …
Vegetable sacks enable Kitui farmer meet domestic needs Read More »
Smallholder farmers in Kenya are increasing maize yields and have reduced production risk by 30 per cent thanks to a conservation agriculture project. Declining soil fertility in recent years, increasing soil erosion and droughts due to climate change, have dipped farmers’ yields which has contributed to a rise in poverty and hunger. Maize is a …
Kenya farmers grow yields and income with conservation agriculture Read More »
Ezekiel Mumo is running his own beekeeping venture in a two acre farm at Masinga in Machakos County earning him about Sh58,000 per month which he uses to settle his bills and pay his school fees as opposed to over-relying on his basic monthly salary. Mumo started beekeeping as fun at ten years old when …
Beekeeping side-hustle earns Masinga youth Sh58,000 monthly Read More »
Research has shown that disposed aloe vera peels can be used as a natural insecticide to safeguard staple foods from insects. Dr. Debasish Bandyopadhyay, a physiologist at the University of Calcutta, and his colleagues showed how aloe vera peels can act as a natural insecticide, staving off insects from crops such as maize or millet. …
Research shows aloe vera peels useful as natural insecticide Read More »
President William Ruto today announced the commencement of the second phase of the government’s agriculture subsidy program with the price of a 50-kilogram bag of fertliser now retailing at Sh2,500 down from Sh3,500. He pointed out that yesterday, Tuesday, a record 34,000 bags of this subsidised fertiliser was sold to farmers. For the coming short …
President announces Sh2,500 fertiliser price, outlines bright future for agriculture Read More »
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 …
Fact Sheet: Tackling the Growing Problem of Heat Stress in Livestock Read More »
Mwingi farmer Charles Kalili has tripled his livestock herd from 20 to 63 goats, and sheep from 20 to 52 after building a water pan to harvest water for his animals. In February 2017, the farmer bought the animals from the International Livestock Research Institute at a cost of Sh200,000 only to find out that …
Mwingi Farmer Triples Livestock Herd With Water Pan Read More »
Better access to irrigation for farmers is key for climate change adaptation. Until recently, irrigation had never taken off in Africa for multiple reasons from poor maintenance planning to lack of inputs and market access. Many donor and government-funded large and small-scale irrigation schemes lay dry after a few years of exploitation. Water experts estimate …
The Key Role of Improved Irrigation for Climate Change Adaptation Read More »
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 …
Former Cop Harvests Improved Milk Yield & Profits from Guatemala Grass Read More »
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 …
Using Dhania to Attract Beneficial Insects, Reduce Pesticide Costs Read More »
