Smart farms

: 08 April 2016; Hits: 11186

Farmer earning handsomely from strawberry leaves

Farmers in Central Kenya who have been cultivating strawberries for export have discovered an equally lucrative market for the strawberry leaves they used to discard, but which are now emerging as a crop in high demand. The strawberry leaves are being bought by decorating and florist firms in Thika and Nairobi, with farmers now being overwhelmed by the demand for the leaves.
Ready market with good prices
Members of the Mbari ya Mboche farmer Self Help group in Kandara area of Thika District have now come together to sell the leaves, with the venture proving so successful that some farmers have now focused on only growing the strawberry plant that produces more leaves than berries. Single branch of the plant goes for Sh1.50, with farmers tying them in bundles of 100 branches that sell for Sh150 each. In one week the flower and decoration companies request over 30,000 such bundles, this is what has driven farmers to form groups specializing in the leaves.
READ ALSO: The flourishing strawberry market in Kenya
Cultivation
The cultivation of strawberry plant does not need much land and the plant grows vegetatively, ensuring the production of many leaves. A farmer only needs to cut the bottom of one branch, plant it, water it for the first week and within two more weeks the plant starts producing leaves. After another three weeks, the leaves are ready for harvesting. One such plucked and planted branch can produce about 30 more branches in a month.
Hanna Ruthi, one of the farmers at the Mbari ya Mboche farmer Self Help Group is now mixing both the strawberry plants that produce the berries and the variety that produces the leaves on her half acre piece of land. When the berries do not produce much the leaves never disappoint. “If you want maximum leaves you cannot go for the variety that produces both berries and leaves. You have to invest in the one that produces more leaves. That’s why I grow both varieties,” she said Hannah
They harvest the leaves in the same way tea is harvested, tie them together in bundles and meet at the market place where flower companies inspect the leaves for quality before buying them. The money is paid to the treasurer of the group who then pays individual farmers according to the quantity delivered.
High demand I the market
Timoth Oloo from Omega florists in Kasarani Nairobi, one of the major buyers of the strawberry leaves, said the demand for bouquets, which was traditionally limited to offices, churches and events, has now moved to individuals, with demand for the flowers for home decorations growing tenfold in the recent past. This is what has been fuelling the need for the strawberry leaves, which he said are an important component of the bouquet due to their shape and smell. “Right now the farmers in Thika are only producing half of what we need. That’s why we are encouraging them to train more farmers and now intend to increase the price per branch by an additional Sh1 as an incentive for them to produce

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: 08 April 2016; Hits: 9015

Why soil testing is necessary for high productivity

Similarly, plants require elements such as potassium and sodium ions which are key in transportation of food.

Phosphorus, manganese or iron deficient soils will have a crop that does not depend much on these minerals to do well.

A farmer would only know which fertilizers and the quantity required to boost the element through chemical laboratory analysis.

SoilCare Africa is one of the international companies offering the service locally.

MacMahon says it is recommended that the process is done after every two to three years, or whenever a farmer wants to grow something new. It is also worth taking the samples for testing whenever crops look ‘weak or sickly’.

“Using SoilCares technology, a soil test takes 2 hours. This is compared to other soil testing technologies which take up to 2 weeks,” she said.

A farmer can use random, zigzag or other approved methods to pick soil samples before taking them to the laboratories.

The company has laboratories in Meru, Uasin Gishu, Bungoma and Nairobi counties. There are three laboratories in Bungoma, which were purchased by the county government.

Soil testing will cost a Bungoma farmer Sh800, while a fees of Sh1,300 is applicable in other places.

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: 07 April 2016; Hits: 14559

Ducks hatching for guinea fowl more profitable

A Murang'a County farmer is enjoying more profits by letting ducks incubate and take care of guinea fowl keets, allowing for the later bird lay eggs for sale.

Peter Munga says ducks are ‘loving and caring’ incubators and foster mothers. A duck can hatch 100 per cent keets and chicks of other domesticated birds. A good mother duck can hatch up to 30 eggs at once. Keets are young ones of guinea fowl.

“I started with ducks. But the passion I have for exotic birds lured me into guinea fowls. I started with eggs, which the ducks helped me hatch.”

“For high percentage hatching, the guinea fowl eggs have to be introduced as soon as the duck starts plucking feathers in readiness for incubation,” he said.

Ducks are also good brooders. And the secret, he says, lies in the incubation time-the chicks create a special relationship with the foster mother before hatching.

Munga says guinea fowl eggs are smaller than those of chicken or duck. This makes their hatching easier.Eggs hatch after 28 days, but in delayed cases, they can extend to 30 days.

Two ducks give rise to about 60 keets, which he will brood artificially for the first two weeks to ensure they get enough warmth. And he can use two ducks to incubate and raise 60 youngones.

“Ducks give good warmth to keeps. They are natural habitats of warm regions like the coast.

The keets can also be reared in a brooder where a farmer would fix an upper and lower to ensure sufficient warmth.

Contrary to guinea fowls, ducks are hydrophilic. This presents a challenge to raising keets, which cannot stay in water like their foster mother.

“I place clean and disinfected stones in the water supplying containers. The keets will step on the stones and drink water safely. The mother will enjoy the water, but cannot swim or wad in because of limited space,” he said.

Letting the ducks incubate and raise keets gives the guinea fowl time to lay more eggs, which can reach 90. One egg sells at Sh100. This means he will earn at least Sh9,000 from eggs alone.

He sells mature guinea fowls at Sh2,000. He has kept his stock at between 20 and 30. He has not met the demand of the market even when he raises the birds to 100 at a time.

These birds are cheap to rear. Besides commercial feeds, he gives them millet, sorghum and maize.

He has expanded his agribusiness to include rabbits, turkeys and gooses.

He can be reached on 0712021956.

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