Machinery

: 05 May 2017; Hits: 10949

Farmers pump water free with bicycle

Farmer cycling a bicycle to shell maize. Photo courtesy. Another innovator has come up with a bicycle to pump water within farms.

Small-scale farmers may no longer incur water pumping costs with the modification of a bicycle to push water from one point to the other without electricity or fuel.

Cycling at between 50 and 70 cascades per minute pushes 20litres to 30 litres from a well, depending on the depth.

The only requirement for the machine, which has been innovated by Anthony Kibui, is one to be physically fit to cascade the pedals to power the motorised pump to puch water.

Water from wells, tanks and other reservours required expesnive labour to move it to the farm for irrigation. As farmers strive to bring don the costs of production to maximise ptofits, the innovator said alternative sourcs of energy are required.

Instead of spending money in purchasing fuel to power a pump or paying electricity bills, cycling delivers the water tot h required points for use at no costs.

“Pumps are extensive to maintain. Making profits starts with minimising production costs. That is why I thought of coming up with a one-time cost device that eliminates the unnecessary bills after the initial purchase,” Kabui said.

Kabui uses a centrifugal water pump, which is run by rotating the pedal of a bicycle. The power generated through the pedaling is used to lift the water and push it through a pipe to where it is needed.

The pump's shaft is connected to the auxiliary rim of the back wheel, which has a V-shaped belt. During cycling, power is transmitted between the front gear wheel and the back sprocket. The power generated is also exchanged through the bicycle chain, the auxiliary rim and the pump shaft with the V-belt.

“The rate of lifting depends on the gradient from the source of water. drawing water from a well, or reservoir will not be the same as doing it from a river or pond. Similarly, the diameter and length size of the connecting pipe influences the speed of getting the water from one point to the other,” he said.

Pipes with smaller diameters would allow for more water to pass per minute.

Apart from the technical knowledge required in fixing the belts and pulleys, the Biomedical and Processing Engineering graduate of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology says, the equipment needs no expertise.

Having tested, identified and corrected most of the shortcomings, the Kiambu County's Kahawa-sukari-based innovator looks forward to commercialising the equipment, which he will be making upon order from any client.

Kibui can be reached on +254700325000

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: 04 May 2017; Hits: 11725

Farmers ordering tractor services by phone

Tractor John Deere Mmarketer Vincent Omondi By Laban Robert.JPG

A tractor at the Thika Technical Training Institute. farmers can request tractor services via mobile phones. Photo by Laban Robert.

Farmers seeking mechanisation services can book regionally stationed tractor by opening a communication account via their mobile telephones.

Quipbank Trust Limited allows farmers to request for a given service via an SMS or its ‘TINGA’ downloadable app.

Through the app, farmers create accounts based on the service they are seeking, location as well as the size of the land.

To book, one sends the word ‘TINGA’ to 22150 via SMS. Upon receipt of the request, the tractor moves into the area for the service.

Standby tractor operators in various counties receive the instructions on the requested service before moving into action.

The services include ploughing, planting, spaying, harvesting, mowing, among others.

The service is already in Nakuru, Narok, Laikipia, Nyandarua, Kericho, Bomet, Meru, Trans-Nzoia, Uasin Gishu, Kiambu, Migori, among other counties.

The cost of buying and maintaining machinery is prohibitive for most farmers, who may want to bring more land under cultivation.

Despite banks offering up to 80 per cent machinery loans, hiring become the better option for the farmers, who may not buy every attachment implements, which may include sprayers, harvesters, disk ploughs, trolleys, among others.

READ ALSO: Farmers get 80% asset financing

Besides the high purchasing costs, the farmers have to meet maintenance costs from time to time despite the tractor lying idle after a given season if the accompanying implements aren’t available.

Farmers having idle tractors can make an extra coin by registering their machines, which are incorporated in the partnership programme.

Buying the implements – one at a time - after every season may help farmers who may want to hire their machines to the colleagues to earn more. This is, however, limited to those who can afford the tractor.

United Nations’ agency, Food and Agriculture Organisation, says farm mechanisation can boost farmer’s production by more than 40 per cent.

Operations with machines is fast, less time consuming besides being cheap at the long-run due to multitasking.

Some information was borrowed from Hortinews, a news website for farmers.

Call +154702893612 for help.

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: 13 March 2017; Hits: 18106

Tractor weeds a maize and potato acre for Sh200

tractor weeding James Mwangi UoN Expo By Laban Robert.jpg

James Mwangi with the Ultra-Power-150 Model B tractor from the KITI, The tractor requires about Sh200 to weed one acre of potatoes or maize. Photo by Laban Robert.

Small-scale farmers would spend less than Sh200 per season in weeding on acre of potatoes and maize with the new fuel-efficient mini tractor from the Kenya Industrial Training Institute, Nakuru.

The Ultra-Power-150 Model B tractor requires two litres of petrol to weed one acre. Currently, a litre of petrol retails at about Sh98. That means a farmer would incur Sh196 in fueling the machine for the one acre.

The cost of hand labour in weeding an acre of maize or potatoes is between Sh2,000 and Sh3,000- depending on the region and availability of the workers. The weeding may take more than two days also depending on the number of labourers.

The labour for running the machine for the one person running the tractor for the one acre is probably less than Sh1,000.

“Depending on the speed and the experience of the driver, the machine requires about two hours weeding one acre,” said James Mwangi, the driver of the tractor, during the 2017 Nairobi Innovation Week Expo.

The eight discs are adjustable to fit the inter-rows. As the tractor moves forward, the discs keep rotating while pushing top soil towards the potato ridges or the rows of maize and uprooting the weeds.

The attachment holding the discs is less than two feet high. This, therefore, means the machine can only be used in weeding maize on the first and second rounds. But for the Irish and sweet potatoes, it is used until harvesting.

The walking tractor can also be attached to a trolley and various light work tools for the farm in the farm.

Besides, it also helps farmers in harvesting cut-free sweet and Irish potatoes. Using ordinary jembes and hoes cause causes cut harvests, which fetch low prices in addition to a shortened shelf-life as the injuries allow for entry of microbes.

The eight discs are grouped into four on either sides tailing the about two and half feet high wheels.

Depending on the preferences of the farmer, the discs can be adjusted to a given angle to achieve desired results.

The tractor is one of the unique machines used in weeding.

The machine costs Sh250,000.

Mwangi can be reached on +254714679569.

The institute can be reached on +254738233765/ +254714579276/ +254774944615.

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