Machinery

: 05 September 2016; Hits: 13049

Machine helps one farmer shell eight 90kg sacks of maize a day

One farmer can shell up to eight sacks per day with the help of a cheap manual machine from the Agricultural Technology Development Centre in Kilifi County.

Kea Bakari, a field officer at the Mtwapa-based centre, said the Manual Maize Sheller shells between 70kg and 90 kg per hour.

“The maize must have limited moisture to avoid loses of grains to crashing. A farmer can confirm dryness by crashing sample grain with the help of the teeth. Dry maize crashes with a cracking sound. The pieces scatter and a powder is seen upon careful scrutiny,” Bakari said.

If a farmer shells 90kg per hour, they can get up to eight sacks in a day. To shell one sack of 90kg, it may require two people in a day.

He machine reduces the cost of labour for the process besides fastening the process to allow for proper aeration of the harvest for storage or marketing.

In quickening the process, other farmers pack the maize cobs in sacks before ‘beating’ them with rods. The rods cause wearing f the sacks, which should be used for storage.

The machine has fingerlike projections which remove the grains from the cob as it moves down. The chamber allows the maize cob to move round while exposing the grains to the projections.

It has a handle which is rotated in a clockwise direction and when the grains are free, they are channeled into a receiving sack below the one metre-high stand.

The holding tray and the manual machine cost Sh6,000 while the stand goes for Sh3,000.

A farmer with one acre of maize can shell the entire harvest of about 32-35 bags of 90kg in four days.

Interested famers can get the machine by contacting ATDC on +254722764503 or any nearest Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation.

PHOTO: Kea Bakari running the Manual Maize Sheller during the Mombasa International Agricultural Society of Kenya Show on September 3, 2016. The machine shells 70kg to 90kg per hour. Looking on is a farmer who visited the ATDC stand to learn more. PHOTO BY LABAN ROBERT.

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: 09 July 2016; Hits: 15217

Multipurpose tractor helps farmers harvest potatoes without cuts

Potato farmers can now harvest their crops without injuries, which accelerate rotting and reduced selling lifespan, with the new cheap hand-pulled multipurpose tractor from the King-Bird machineries.

The company’s Marketing Manager Caleb Michael said the tractor also known as the Power Tiller enables farmers deal with post-harvest losses arising from cut potatoes.

“More than 20 per cent of potatoes go bad after harvests because of cuts, which allow for entry of destructive micro-organisms. The potato harvester component goes deep from the start of the ridges to loosen the soil, leaving the produce behind for collection,” he said.

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Harvesting

Injured potatoes go bad in three to seven days while whole ones can last for three weeks. But if some procedures are followed in curing, their shelf-life can be extended to seven months.

The finger-like projections of the machine go deep into the soil without getting into direct contact with the tubers.

As the name of the tractor suggest, Power Tiller, which consumes six litres of diesel per acre, has three sets of cultivation blades.

Multipurpose

The four-group dry-land blades open up hard land while deep-tillage sheers break hardpans while mixing the upper and lower soils for uniformity of texture and nutrients.

The 152kg machine has more specialised blades for tillage of fields, where tough grass and other weeds are thriving.

Open groove helps farmers in making drills for sowing crops like beans. This attachment also enables the farmers make ridges for potatoes.

Affordable

“Small-scale farmers want to buy a cheap machine that allows them execute multiple operations. In addition to making work easy, it has to be cost-effective as well as affordable. That is why the machine costs Sh95,000,” Michael said.

A farmer can mount a water pump for irrigation and other uses in addition to a trolley for carrying luggage. A spray pump for application of pesticides, herbicides, and other chemicals can also be attached.

Interested farmers can reach sales persons on +254728487522, +254728498427 and +254724107459.

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: 04 July 2016; Hits: 28434

Cheap walking multipurpose tractor for small-scale farmers

Agriculture Technology Development Centre (ATDC) has introduced a cheap hand-pushed multipurpose tractor which may save small-scale farmers more than Sh1,000 per acre in tillage costs.

Ronald Bosire of ATDC said the ‘walking tractor’, whose cost may be equivalent to three bulls, requires minimum skills to operate and can be used in various farm tasks.

“The walking tractor is a 10 horsepower machine. It consumes between five and six litres of diesel to till one acre. Based on the current cost of Sh74 per litre of diesel, a farmer will require between Sh360 and Sh440 to till one acre,” Bosire said.

This is thrice cheaper given that hand land tillage can cost up to Sh1,500 or more for one acre in some part of the country like Kisii.

Multipurpose fucntion

To carry out the various chores, the tractor has attachment areas on which varied machines can be mounted and dismounted according to need, Bosire said.

“The tractor seeks to solve challenges facing small-scale farmers who cannot afford big machines. It costs Sh150,000. It can pull farm inputs and outputs of up to half a tonne when attached to a trolley. It can also pump water as well as drive a chaff cutter, among other jobs that require power,” he said.

Bull and bigger tractor comparison

The cost of local bulls used in tilling land cost between Sh40,000 and Sh70,000 depending on the weight and region. Rearing them also may require more cash, especially if the bulls are for land preparation only.

Bulls will also require more than one person while working.

A big used farm tractor in Kenya that is in good condition costs more than Sh2 million.

Besides the two metallic locomotion wheels, the tractor has another rubber pair for terrains that do not require strong ground grip.

A similar tractor that was introduced into the country early this year by another machinery firm costs about Sh200,000.

The machine has two parallel bars with a handle used for direction. It also has stick shifts used to engage the various gears in respect to need.

Bosire can be reached on +254722545196.

PHOTO BY LABAN ROBERT.

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