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: 17 June 2019; Hits: 6076

Company offers Kwale beekeepers training and market for their produce

the hive improved beehives Trainers taking farmers through on how to harvest honey. The Hive Group, a bee farming company to help farmers in Kwale County to improve on production and sales of bee products. Photo courtesy.

Hive Group, a bee farming and investment company has partnered with Kwale County government to help farmers in the area boost production of bee products such as honey, wax, and venom among others and further provide them with ready market by buying the products from the producers.

According to Hive Group CEO Christopher Nzuki, the company will kick start a 100 kit programme that will see 60,000kg of honey harvested per year. Each kit will have the capacity to harvest 600kg.

The company will buy the produce from farmers at Sh450 per kilogram. It will also offer training to the county staff and other designated officers to build their capacity prior to commencement of the programme.

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Davis Mwangoma, the county’s CECM said that the move will radically commercialize bee farming in the area creating a ready and steady market. He called on farmers to take up the initiative to meet the high demand for honey and bee products.

Speaking during the meeting, Governor Granton Samboja lauded the efforts and progress made and requested Qwetu SACCO representatives present to develop an asset financing product centred on the bee farming to enable the County Government partner with them and assist women and youth gain by venturing into bee farming.

County First Lady H.E Stella Samboja advised the Hive Group to incorporate women in the program to empower them.

Also present were CECM for Finance and planning Vincent Masawi and CECM Trade and Tourism Gertrude Shuwe.

RELATED CONTENT: Farmer courts bees to beat climate change

Hive Group can be reached on +254 706 349 748/+254 731 905 263 Email us This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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: 11 June 2019; Hits: 12297

John Deere offering brand new tractor models for the price of a second-hand pick-up

One of the barriers to entry in the commercial agriculture sector is the perception that the mechanized equipment needed to boost yields and profitability can be prohibitively expensive.

However, John Deere is shattering that belief with a new price campaign that enables both new-age and smaller farmers to acquire a brand new tractor for roughly the cost of a second-hand bakkie. In addition, for those individuals not being able to purchase a tractor, John Deere has the solution to assist these individuals get access to mechanisation through its S.M.A.R.T. program.

In an effort to break down the barriers, the global equipment giant is offering customers the opportunity to purchase a brand new 5055E utility tractor for R229,999 (Sh1.57m) including VAT while the more powerful 5075E model can be purchased for a VAT inclusive price of R323,150 (Sh2.22m) John Deere Financial, the company's financing arm, has also structured a financing solution that allows farmers to purchase these 55hp and 75hp models for just R3,999 (Sh27,431) or R5,460 (Sh37454) per month respectively.

"Although John Deere has traditionally been viewed as an aspirational and exclusive brand we actually have a very diverse customer base and product portfolio," says Stephan Nel, John Deere's Marketing Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa.

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John deere new model

"We've recently refreshed our position in Sub-Saharan Africa to support our vision of driving Africa's green revolution through a journey of collective power in the Ag space. Our messaging is that John Deere is for all farmers, big and small, and we believe that though the power of co-creating and collaborating, our farmers can achieve their greatest potential by overcoming the limitations they face".

With a 135-strong dealer network across Africa, John Deere is positioning itself for significant growth on the continent over the next three to five years where it anticipates greater opportunities from small and new age farmers working on small plots of land. John Deere has already pioneered an innovative contractor model in East Africa, which encourages farmers who acquire its tractors to service neighbouring farms by contracting out their mechanization services to surrounding communities.

"In addition, we've signed a collaboration agreement with Hello Tractor to enable anyone to book, either directly or through an agent, the services of a small contractor to work their fields, allowing them to benefit from increased yields and productivity."

John Deere's pricing specials on its 5055E and 5075E utility tractors run until 30 June 2019, or while stocks last.

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: 07 June 2019; Hits: 9794

Oil processing company looking for farmers to grow rapeseed

canola plant

Agventure Limited through their product, Pure Mountain Farm Oil is contracting farmers to grow Rapeseed also known as canola to boost the supply of the raw material to the company’s processing plants in Timau and additional factory in Nakuru.

The company which was started in 2008 has been working with groups of local farmers in Kenya aiming towards successful and sustainable agriculture among the growers.

“We contract willing farmers who grow the crop and we assure them of a ready market, something that has always been a worry among them making them shy away from farming certain crops,” said John Mwiki, Agventure Limited agronomist.

To work with the company, a farmer must willing and possess a piece of land production. They should also organize themselves in groups within a given location for ease of collection and transport after harvest.

The farmers should also be ready to comply with the company’s production regulations which include buying the seeds from the company’s recommended seed dealers and follow best production practices.

“Agventure requires high standards of rapeseed from the farmers for processing. In order to accomplish this, rotation of crops is paramount,” said Mwiki.

Rapeseed plant matures within three months. It is grown for its highly nutritious oil as it produces Omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids.

After harvesting the seeds are taken to the factory and tested against an in-house standard. The seed is then crushed using our Cold-Press crushing machine to ensure the oil does not exceed 40 Celcius at any point of production.

The benefit to this is that there is no breakdown of the vitamins and minerals naturally found within the oil. After crushing, the oil then passes through a number of filters before being bottled and packed by manually by hand.

“Some of our end products made from the seeds include herb infused cold-pressed canola oil, pure cold-pressed canola oil, chilli infused cold-pressed canola oil, honey-balsamic dressing and raspberry dressing among others,” said Mwiki.

RELATED CONTENT: Fledgling Canola market stalls on lack of seeds

To venture into the canola farming cultivating one acre of the farm will produce two tones within three months translating to eight tonnes per year per acre and a kilo of the seeds goes at Sh40.

“We encourage the farmers to grow the canola oil crop to shore up their income and boost our intake as a litre of oil requires four kilograms of seed.”

Rapeseed oil which is currently in high demand retails at Sh400 a litre, 200ml for Sh200 while a 500ml goes for Sh250.

Agventure Limited can be reached on +254 704 599 594.

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