Smart farms

: 29 September 2022; Hits: 2047

Why farmers should gradually introduce new feed to avoid fall in production

Chickens Mary Njeri Nakuru By Laban Robert 2

Farmers, who gradually introduce new feeds to livestock, have sustained yields during and after the transition period.

Instant change of feed brand for whatever reason shocks livestock like chicken, which go into production recess as a result of stress.

Nakuru County farmer Mary Njeri said poultry, especially chickens, drop eggs production almost immediately after the sudden change of the feed brand.

The farmer, w ho has more than 600 chickens, said the digestive system is interrupted after receiving ‘foreign food’ leading to stress.

Stress causes loss of appetite and even if there is no alternative, the chickens peck a few mouthfuls for survival.

“Chickens suffer from stress with a sudden change of routine. If they have been feeding on a given brands since they were one day old, abrupt change sends shock waves in the system of the bird, leading to abstinence or minimum feeding,” she said.

Feeds are sources of protein, carbohydrates and other nutrients required for production. Any reduced consumption is reflected in suppressed production.

Examples of chicken feeds are manufactured by Unga and Kay. If a farmer want to stop offering her chickens Kay and move to Unga, Njeri says the feeds have to be mixed in equal ration for more than one week as part of orientation.

An egg laying chicken consumes between 130g and 150g of feeds per day. If 50 chickens consume eight kilos of layers mash per day, four kilos have to be from Unga and Kay brands.

Chicken can take weeks to months to adjust to the new feed, a time tat they will not be laying or will be doing so with skipping.

The gradual introduction formula is also followed when weaning chicks from chick mash to growers mash and layers mash.

Price fluctuation is one of the major reasons driving farmers into switching from one feed to the other. Others do so as a cost-cutting measure as they pursue locally made varieties.

Njeri, who was a saloonist about five years ago, has leaned all this from the experience of handling hundreds of chickens from season to season.

The farmer ahs more than 600 chicks and chickens at her farm at Langa Langa Estate in Nakuru town and Njoro farm-about 20kilometres away.

Although she sells mature chickens, eggs, doves and pigeons, chicks are her main business. She uses chickens and incubation machines to hatch the chicks, which are sold at the age of one week, month, or as the farmer may request.

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: 28 September 2022; Hits: 1782

Proper planning doubles pea farmer incomes

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Poor timing and entry of middlemen in the supply chain are chopping off more than 40 per cent of the farmer’s earnings from snap peas despite the rise in prices for most agro-products.

Snap peas, snow peas and French beans are among Kenya’s leading fresh produce exported to the European Union, the US and other countries.

Although the export market is wide and paying well, Meru County farmer Julius Laban is selling snap peas to middlemen, who are paying dismally.

The brokers transport the produce to exporters in Nairobi.

Being a fresh product, holding it more can cause more losses, and this is pushing the farmer to dispose of the snap peas at Sh100 per kilo instead of the usual Sh250 for the same quantity.

With sufficient rain, Laban harvests at least 800kg from a 10m by 70m plot, which he says, should ideally earn him Sh200,000 in gross income.

Given the competition from other farmers, who flood the market, he has settled for a gross income of Sh80,000.

“Farmers have no choice when they cannot access high-end markets on their own. They take whatever the brokers offer. The export market for most horticultural products is flourishing, but this only benefits those who never worked hard in the farm,” he said.

Producing when every farmer is having the same crop reduces the price of the commodity as the buyers are spoilt for choice.

The price of commodities has been on the rise and only those who relied on irrigation benefitted from the high prices.

Snow peas take about eight weeks to mature. From the onset of the rains in March, the harvest is already booming. When the peas are in plenty, the buyers cut down on the price as the desperate farmers struggle to sell the fresh produce.

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: 28 September 2022; Hits: 1767

Agripreneur finds food fortification market for invasive weed

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One agripreneur is capturing the rising craze for healthy foods instead of synthetic mineral supplements by wadding into amaranth seeds, a crop fought by many as a weed.

While those growing the amaranth are doing so for harvesting the leaves for vegetables, Ann Muthoni has settled for the seeds, which she is converting into flour for sale.

Already, she is supplying the flour to supermarket and retail outlets across the country.

Muthoni has contracted farmers to supply the seeds for processing at the Nairobi Ruai factory, Annico Enterprise.

The plant produces one ton of amaranth flour daily in form of porridge flour, fortified maize meal, whole and buffed gains, among others.

The government of Kenya requires maize floor processors to fortify the products with nutritional elements in fighting malnutrition.

Nutritionists say amaranth is an immunity booster that is also a strong antioxidant. It is rich in iron, calcium among other major minerals essential for good health.

Iron deficiency leads to anaemia while low levels of calcium can cause weak bones and teeth.

This makes amaranth an appropriate delicacy for mothers soon after birth, for it would help them in replenishing lost blood.

Since babies may not consume amaranth vegetables, flour porridge supplies the calcium needed for strong bones and teeth formation.

Synthetic mineral supplements are available, but healthy conscious population is shifting its focus to the natural sources of nourishment.

Muthoni, nutritional expert learnt about turning amaranth seeds into flour for natural mineral supplements while in Sweden.

Before setting the company in 2008, she had to train farmers on the role of the seeds, and the possible markets she was preparing for them.

In leading by example, she also took up the farming.

The shying away from the propagation of commercial amaranth by most farmers in Kenya is no surprise. The global United Nations’ agency for fighting hunger, Foods and Agriculture Organisation report of 2010 says farmers resist change hoping the traditional crops will do well at some point. This is hurting productivity in the developing countries.

A case in point was that of farmers in South Africa refusing to abandon maize despite low yields due to depleted soils.

Instead of practicing crop rotation, intercropping with legumes and other varieties to boost production, they prefer what they are used to.

The same is the case in Kenya. Muthoni says the demand for the amaranth seed products is rising, but the farmers are yet to seize the opportunity. They are still stuck in maize production.

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