Smart farms

: 19 January 2018; Hits: 10821

Factory gives Nyanza farmers free lime for soils

More than sixty five farmers in Nyamira and Kisii Counties in Nyanza region have benefited from free lime application provided by the lime factory, Homa Lime Company, to reduce acidity in their farms. Lime is a valuable soil amendment that raises soil Ph and helps plants flourish by improving the quality of soil.

According to results from a soil testing process conducted by Homalime officers in mid-January in the two counties, soils in the region have a Ph level of 3.9 to 4.5 which is too acidic for growth of maize, the major crop cultivated by farmers in the region.

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Research by YaraMila Fertilizer Company indicates that maize thrives well in soils with a pH level of 6.0 to 7.2. Maize has a poor tolerance of soils with less than 5.2 pH levels as this hampers root development and slows the development of the plant.

“Our sample analysis of soils in these counties proved that farmers have applied too much DAP fertilizers’ making the soils acidic,” said Josiah Mbaka, the sales coordinator of Homalime in Kisii and Nyamira.

“We are therefore conducting free soil testing in selected farms where farmers have complained of poor yields so as to determine the quantity of available nutrients and apply the recommended lime quantity,”

Lime application Nyamira.jpg

Farmers applying lime to a selected farm in Nyamira County. PHOTO/MILTON ONGERI

More than three quarter of the farmers in the region have recorded decreasing yields over the years owing to the high acidity levels of soils attributed to leaching, soil erosion, application of too much fertilizers and mono-cropping.

“Farmers in these locations usually harvest a maximum of only 15 bags per acre, season in season out and this is one of major reasons why we partnered with soil experts to correct this problem,” said Milton Ongeri, the coordinator of farmers in the region.

In addition to free lime application, the farmers also benefited from free maize seeds courtesy of Seedco which were used for demonstration in selected farms. Each farmer received 1.5 kilograms of the seed to be used for experimental purposes in the section where lime was applied.

Sample statistics from Trans Zoia County reveal that maize farmers have doubled their yields from an average of 15 bags to 38 bags per acre after applying lime in their farms in the 2017 planting season. In this, the farmers have been motivated to continue cultivating the crop which they had nearly lost hope in and have contemplated venturing into other types of farming.

Homalime can be reached on +254 706 032 109

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: 18 January 2018; Hits: 22852

Mombasa farmer rears ornamental birds on worm-diet, halfs costs

Turky hatching guinea fowl eggs-Lucy Ngugi.JPG

Ornamental birds farmer, Lucy Ngugi, inspects duck and guinea fowl eggs being incubated by a turkey at her farm in Kiambu County. She uses turkeys to hatch guinea fowl eggs. PHOTO BY LABAN ROBERT.

A farmer in Ukunda, Mombasa County is rearing over 229 different ornamental birds such as guinea fowls on a partial free range system. Valerine Achieng spends approximately Sh15, 000 per month on feeds against Sh30, 000 she would be spending over the same period if she caged the birds all time earning her Sh80,000 to Sh100,000 annually.

She cages the birds but occasionally lets them out in intervals throughout the day to avoid interbreeding. This allows them to feed more by themselves and find some greens.

RELATED ARTICLE: Rare birds earn farmer Sh15million yearly

“I do not spend a lot of money feeding these birds because from time to time they fend for themselves ensuring that they do not mix up. I normally feed them on pellets, ordinary chicken mash and kitchen remains before allowing them to look for some grasshoppers and vegetation from the surrounding,” said Achieng.

She rears fifteen brahmas, six araucanas, seven australorps, seven chabos, three seremas, eleven speckle sussexs, wyandottes, rhode island red, kuchi, pekin bantam, dutch bantam, polish bantam, guinea fowl, Rowen, guinea fowl and turkeys among other birds.

She sells a pair of Brahma at Sh10,000, a pair of Araucana at Sh6,000, a pair of Chabo at Sh8,000, a pair of Serema at Sh8,000, Speckle Sussex Sh5,000 and Wyandotte Sh5,000.

RELATED ARTICLE: IT consultant finds fortune in rare birds

Ornamental birds are mostly reared for beauty rather than eggs and meat. They are also small in size hence they need small amount of feeds to sustain. Bantams for example consume between 60g and 80g per day while a laying chicken requires between 120g and 150g of feeds per day.

Lucy Ngugi chose to rear bantams on partial free range within her quarter acre farm. “The bantams require less space, therefore, more economical to rear. The space of one chicken is fit for two bantams. They can be raised in poultry house or on free-range. Their life is simple,” said the Kiambu County farmer, who lives along Thika Road.

“They also take only four to five months to mature although they face a longer dry spell laying 150 eggs a year as compared to chicken which lay 250 eggs over the same period.”

RELATED ARTICLE: Bantams are cheap profitable birds to rear

Regardless of their size, Ngugi sells a-five-month-aged pair of the birds at Sh6, 000 while the eggs fetch Sh50 on the minimum.

Other ornamental birds such as brahma goes for Sh10,000, araucana Sh6,000, chabo Sh8,000, serema Sh8,000, speckle sussex Sh5,000 and wyandotte Sh5,000 in the current market in Kenya.

This is higher than the price of indigenous chicken which retails between Sh800 and Sh1500 depending on the weight and age.

Another farmer, Kimani Njahu, rears wild ornamental birds in his Makongeni home in Thika sub-county. Within his 40m by 70m plot of farm he rears crested cranes, parrots and peacocks which he bought from a friend living in Nairobi’s Utawala.

“With a capital of Sh74,000 I bought a pair of each of these birds from a friend in Nairobi. I further used Sh10, 000 to build a poultry house where I shelter the birds,” said Njahu.

“I always let them out later in the day to walk around and feed more by themselves. This is also an opportunity to attract buyers who walk around admiring them.”

Unlike chicken, the ornamental ones do not need regular vaccination and consume less feed, this make them more profitable.

A pair of parrots goes for Sh6, 000, he sells a mature crested crane at Sh60, 000, turkey at Sh6, 000 each, four-month old crane birds at Sh45, 000 and a duck at Sh1, 500.

“To rear the birds, one needs a permit from Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) which costs Sh1, 500 and is renewed annually,” said Njahu.

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Tuesday, 25 May 2021 Hello,kindly asking to visit the farm.Thanks in Advance.

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: 16 January 2018; Hits: 14193

Quality seeds and ready market gives hope for Kitui ‘ndengu’ farmer

N26 Green Grams Variety.jpg

The N26 green gram variety.

A farmer from Kasiokoni area in Kitui is hoping to increase his green gram yields from 500kgs per season to 900kgs thanks to the N26 green gram variety developed by Dryland Seed Limited (DSL) to adapt to dry climatic conditions.

John Nzau, who owns a one and half acres farm, has been planting uncertified seeds leading to low yields. He is one of the farmers who last year benefited from the Kenya Red Cross (KRCS) agency and the county government partnership where the two parties launched Ndengu Revolution food security project targeting 200,000 small holder farmers in Kitui County.

“I am sure that the new seeds that can withstand our harsh weather conditions will lead to the increase of my yields by March and April, the planting season when we expect rainfall,” said Nzau.

“I have been planting seeds I bought from a friend which I keep on replanting every season and the produce have been decreasing with time.”

The N26 variety matures within 60-65 days after planting and is tolerant to harsh climatic conditions such as Kitui’s hot semi-arid condition with annual rainfall ranging between 300mm-1050 mm.

According to the county government, ndengu revolution is appropriated for the region because it has the best soils for growing the crop which does not require a lot of rainfall.

RELATED STORY: Green grams sprout in arid Makueni

Towards the end of last year KRCS issued 200 tonnes of certified green gram seeds worth Sh50 million to the farmers.This was part of the agreement where the county government paid Sh250 for each farmer while KRCS topped up the balance of the other Sh250 for 2kg of the seeds which costs Sh500.

The county government expects increase in production and cash in the coounty. A kilo of N26 green gram seeds can yield 90kg which can further produce 36m kilograms and when sold at Sh100 per kilogram gives a total of Sh36b in one season.

To further help farmers like Nzau, the humanitarian agency has set aside Sh500m to buy the produce which is locally known as ndengu in Kiswahili from local farmers to shield them from exploitation by unscrupulous middlemen.

According to KRCS’s secretary general, Abbass Gullet, there is high demand for Kenyan green grams in Asian countries, including India, China, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan among others.

“Dealing with brokers who mostly come from Nairobi has been a problem. They dictated the price of our produce after making us feel desperate thus selling just to avoid missing the market,” said Nzau.

“It is encouraging that our county government will also assist us access agricultural extension services and technical advice from agricultural experts, upping yields.”

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