Smart farms

: 10 May 2022; Hits: 3919

Innovation sees Zambian farm become Africa’s leader in aquaculture

firstwave aquaculture

By George Munene

“When we first started the company in 2015, our minds were fixed on fish production, however, getting adequate fingerlings became an issue, meaning we had to figure out how to spawn our own. Getting quality feeds was the next major hurdle we faced, this necessitated another pivot to include feed production. Lastly, we realised our consumers weren't getting the cost benefits we offered retailers to remedy this we adopted a direct-to-customer marketing channel,” explained FirstWave Group Co-founder Tembwe Mutungu.

Originally based in Zambia’s Lake Kariba, the company has capitalised on the opportunities across the fish production value chain and is now one of Africa’s leading aquaculture firms, supplying 35 million tilapia per year.

It has expanded its production operations to Lake Victoria, Uganda, running vertically-integrated companies that cover fish production, distribution, and retail of fish and aquafeed in Southern and Eastern Africa.

With Kenya’s annual fish deficit estimated at 400,000 metric tonnes and Chinese fish imports totaling Sh2.2 billion in 2019, FirstWave’s success could provide a blueprint for entrepreneuring Kenyan farmers.

For Tembwe this represents a supply deficit that will continue to grow as wild catch (fish from rivers and lakes) alone cannot keep pace with Africa’s fish demand. This presents the continent’s aquaculturists with a great opportunity

“We are looking to follow the chicken production curve, i.e have our fish stock convert feed to product in the fastest time possible. Despite this, we are only working to develop and improve local fish strains and not import fish genetics which might interfere with the indigenous ecosystem,” said Tembwe.

Across agricultural production sub-sectors, he highlights that fish provides the most sustainable and competitive protein sources, with a kilogram of fish feed producing more protein than you'll get from any other livestock. Half as better as chicken, three times better than pigs, and eight to ten times better than cattle.

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: 08 May 2022; Hits: 3813

Zero-grazed cattle at 80% less risk of ECF

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A study by the International Livestock Research Institute ILRI is advocating for zero grazing system to contain tick borne diseases as it emerged that free range systems exposes livestock to ticks-increasing the chances of contracting diseases.

“Animals subjected to zero-grazing systems had 80 per cent lower chance of contracting ECF than in farms where there is no tick control,” noted the study. Researchers put 548 zebu cattle under surveillance and assessed their infection and clinical status every five weeks.

The disease is caused by protozoa known as Theleria parva, East Coast Fever is transmitted by the brown ear tick, Rhipicephalus appendiculatus. According to ILRI, one cow every 30 seconds with the lives of more than 25mn cattle at risk in the 11 countries of sub-Saharan Africa where the disease is now endemic.

Last year researchers from ILRI and the Kenya Agricultural Research institute (KARI) launched a vaccine to control East Coast fever. Kenya’s Directorate of Veterinary Services conducted the trials of the ITM vaccines giving it a clean record on safety and effectiveness.

“East Coast fever continues to cause major economic and social losses to families in eastern, central and southern Africa. Of the 46mn cattle in this region almost half are at risk from this disease,” observed Phil Toye and Henry Kiara, two ILRI scientists that have been involved in the vaccine research that has spanned more than four decades.

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: 08 May 2022; Hits: 4417

Siaya farmers penetrate export market with little known flower

morbydick palnt

Frustrated with the poor returns from the traditional farming of cereals, farmers in Siaya have discovered a goldmine in morbdick, a plant they have traditionally relied on to cure flu and cold and whose demand in the international flower market has soared tremendously in the recent past.

Morbdick, a tiny yet leafy plant featuring small buds that hold its seeds is a feral herb used for curing common cold. The juice crushed and squeezed from its leaves, when thrown into a stuffy nose prompts a person to sneeze out the flu virus.

However farmers in Siaya have recently cashed in on the growing demand for flowers abroad to sell the morbdick plant which is now being used to fill the gaps in bouquets featuring its more famous plant cousins like roses or carnations. The farmers are now earning between Sh15 and Sh75 per branch depending on the season the plant matures.

According to the morbdick farmers, organized into a 30 member group named Komolo, some clients abroad grade the branches according to the number of buds it has between the first 70 centimetres, while others grade them according to the branch thickness and leaves it contains. The balls which cluster together in branches are considered too, when making a bouquet.

The farmers have already had their high times on the sale of leafs during mothers day, Valentines day and Christmas when they couldn’t even meet the huge demand. However the demand for the flowers has been at an all time low during summer and spring months when the international customers opt to use variants of the plant.

Agricultural officers in the area say that majority of the Nyanza area favours optimum growth of the plant due to soils in the area which have relatively low acidic levels. To increase production of the plant, local agricultural officers have teamed up with the Ministry of Agriculture, the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute and a group of university lecturers to train farmers on how to plant the crop, cultivation procedures, the maintenance, cost effective integrated pest management practices and how to create a bouquet with Morbidick.

The group has however only managed to export 10,000 in every two weeks against a set target of 300,000 weekly due to skeptical farmers who have shied away from embracing the alien plant. Awareness trainings have therefore been organized in the province to increase the number of farmers in the group from the current 30 to 1000.

Farmers are also organizing how to buy their own cooling plant which they say will increase the production levels of the plant and insulate them from brokers who have been cashing in on the lack of storage space by the farmers to buy the plant at a cheap price.

The morbdick farmers are also placing their hopes on the timely completion of the Kisumu Airport expansion programme arguing that introduction of cargo flights to international destinations is likely to allow them to frequently export therefore increasing their revenue base.

Farmers found respite in the plant after having struggled to get returns from maize, beans and sweet potatoes which have been doing badly in the area. Decreasing stocks of fish in Lake Victoria where most of them relied on for small business and the increasing number of fishermen in the area who all compete for the dwindling fish stock have pushed all but the hardiest of farmers from the lakeside, setting the stage for Morbidick.

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