Smart farms

: 22 October 2021; Hits: 5693

Hybrid Super Napier grass yields 4× regular varieties

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By George Munene

The hybrid Super Napier grass is amongst the fastest growing animal fodder crops attaining a height of 2.4 meters in just 60 days after planting, growing to 3.7 meters in another month's time when it is ready for its first harvest.

Dubbed the ‘king of Napiers’ an acre of super Napier or Pakchong1 yields 180-200 tons of biomass in a year. After the first harvest subsequent cutting is made every 60 days four to five times a year

The grass has a healthy crude protein content of 6-18% dictated by planting conditions and management level. This is especially crucial for milk production in dairy cows.

Its sweet taste coupled with its being smooth, lacking the short itchy hairs common with traditional Napier varieties makes it highly palatable to livestock as well as being easy to handle for farmers.

Both the cut and carry as well as silaging methods of feeding can be employed. Having water-soluble carbonate 18 there is no need for additives in storing it as silage. It is however not recommended for haymaking owing to its high moisture content.

Pakchong1 is a perennial deep-rooted plant that is long-lived lasting eight to nine years once it is sowed. The grass’ stems need to be cut to ground level to allow for the regrowth of tillers. They have a high leaf to stem rate with 6–8 cm broad leaves.

Super Napier exhibits all weather-friendly growth, is drought-resistant and can grow in any region irrespective of wet or dry seasons. Agronomic practices such as irrigation when soil moisture is low and manuring creating organic matter-rich growing conditions spur regrowth.

The grass ought to be grown in furrows made loose by watering. Cuttings are planted 90 cm * 60 cm apart then covered with one to two inches of soil. 10,000-12,000 stems can be planted on an acre then regularly irrigated and manured to enhance germination.

Super Napier is a hybrid Napier Grass developed by crossing ordinary Napier with pearl millet by Thai livestock nutritionists.

To order Super Napier grass in Kenya; 0715124053

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: 22 October 2021; Hits: 4799

High feed costs leave Kenya reliant on fish imports

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By George Munene

According to the government, expensive feeds and poor quality fingerlings leave Kenya well short of meeting it's domestic fish consumption needs.

Fisheries Principal Secretary Francis Owino said this has delayed implementation of the Sh15 billion Aquaculture Business Development Programme which was meant to increase local fish production by over 60 per cent.

Kenya signed a financing agreement in 2017 with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to finance the Aquaculture Business Development Programme.

The project sought to increase fish production from the current 400,000 metric tonnes annually to at least 600,000 metric tonnes.

With each farmer currently estimated to produce an average of 50kgs annually the government admits the programme is well behind schedule.

Nick Hutchison, Unga Group Limited Managing Director pointed to exorbitant taxes imposed on food production as one of the reasons for expensive feeds. He further noted that fish and animal feeds are far cheaper in Kenya's neighbours.

This has meant that despite fish farming's obvious potential, most farmers have been unable to bear the cost of quality feed to boost their fish farming enterprises.

Along with lowering the taxes levied on feed producers, Hutchison offered that with guidance from the requisite technical bodies the country can allow production of GMO foods which will lower food costs.

To reduce the costs associated with fish farming, The Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) advise farmers to incorporate Black Soldier Fly larvae as an alternative animal-based protein ingredient in local fish feed formulations. This is done with assistance from KMFRI with the larvae replacing omena (fishmeal), the main ingredient in fish diets.

“Cost associated with fish feeds is key in determining whether farmers will stay in business. Fish feeds take over 50 per cent of the total operational costs and farmers must get it right,” said Aquaculture nutrition research scientist Dr Munguti.“

Kenya's 2019 budget policy statement, estimated the country's fish demand to be 500,000 tonnes. The numbers of fish captured from natural water bodies have been on a steady yearly decline owing to overfishing, illegal fishing, and cold weather necessitating a move to boost the reserves of farmed fish in the country.

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: 21 October 2021; Hits: 4375

Farming "fallback" option bears dividend for Nandi livestock farmer

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By George Munene

Nicholas Kibet readily admits that he fell back on farming as a last resort. After taking a failed stab at politics in 2017—the 29 year old resident of Kapsabet town had been a candidate for the member of county assembly seat—he’d spent most of his savings and in his own words; ”Maisha ilikuwa imekuwa ngumu.”

One thing he still had though was land, and farming with its low barrier of entry provided him with an opportunity to build from having five chickens to now a flock of more than 200 and some 70 doper sheep.

He supplies 10 chicken daily to a local restaurant, and hatches on average 100 chicks every month. He also sells at least two rams each for between Sh8000-10,000 every month.

His reasoning for opting for pure kienyeji chicken: “The local demand for kienyeji chicken is insatiable; they are hardy—resistant to most diseases and thrive fed on a little In the way of commercial feeds.”

For his 200 mature birds he says, eight kilograms of feed is all he needs for them in the morning before free ranging them on his one acre farm for the rest of the dayHis mature bird are fed on layers mash, two 50 kilogram bags at a cost of Sh5000 last his 100 birds one month .His chickens reach three kilograms at a timely six months when he sells them in bulk at a local hotel for Sh700 or for Sh1000-900 to individual buyers. Chicks, more than grown chickens are the real money makers he says: one-day old chicks go for Sh100, two-month-olds for Sh250-200 while four month old sell for Sh450-400. A 50kg chick mash bag goes for between Sh2,000 and 2,500 and feeds 100 of his chick for a month.

“In all the years I have been raising kienyeji chicken, given they are well vaccinated and regularly dewormed the only cause of disease I can think off is housing them in an unclean, unaerated coop. Deworming at the first month and every two or three months is paramount too, given free ranged chicken go about ingesting most of everything they come across,” Nicholas advices. His routine vaccinations constitute Newcastle at three weeks and fowl pox on the first month.

His sheep project he says was birthed from the success of his poultry business. “Whatever profits I made from my chicken, I made sure to save some Sh10,000-5,000 every week which Id earmarked as starting capital for my sheep business; with the success of the poultry side of things it was far easier to start up he says.

Starting off with three indigenous sheep he’s just finished construction of a new modern shed housing 70 sheep, 40 of which are pure-line dopers. “The doper is hardy, is a light to moderate eater consuming about sven kilograms daily and a fast maturer that gathers weight quickly. Compared to other breeds its mutton also doesn’t have any characteristic sheep’s smell making it a favourite for consumers.” “The market appetite is certainly there,” he says. With standing orders from as far as Nairobi for one day old sheep at Sh3000; thus far, the business is proving more than a good bet. He grazes his sheep on forest land supplementing them with bhoma rhodes hay and 5 kilograms of dairy meal twice every week.

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