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: 22 February 2018; Hits: 21865

Fact sheet: Seed suppliers in Kenya

One of the biggest factors holding back Kenyan agribusiness is the low uptake of high-yield seeds, developed over decades by research institutes and seed companies.

According to a research by the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service, the informal sector in Kenya accounts for about 60-70 per cent of most seeds planted by farmers across the country. These seeds are usually not certified therefore denying farmers the chance to maximize yields in their farms. The hardest hit areas include western Kenya and the Rift Valley regions, which form a bulk of Kenya’s bread basket.

Better seeds help African farmers see higher yields and incomes

Seeds, not Diamonds, will Make Africa Great

Alliance for a Green Revolution (AGRA) reports that on average only about 20 per cent of farmers in Africa use seeds of improved varieties.

However, the number and quality of seed suppliers is on the rise, giving farmers more options for sourcing better seeds. We bring you details of the region's leading seed suppliers.

Kenya Seed Company, Kitale

Kenya seed sells the following seeds; maize, wheat, sunflower, finger millet, rice, legumes, sorghum, pasture, indigenous vegetables and horticultural crops

Contacts

Tel: + 254(054) 31909-14, Mob: + 254 722 205 144, 726 144 856

E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Website: www.kenyaseed.com

Head of Marketing: Sammy Chepsiror – 0722 832132

Exports Manager: Beatrice Aiyabei – 0722679049

A farmer planting maize seeds

Western Seed Company, Kitale

Sells maize (hybrid and open pollinated varieties), peas, beans,sorghum, millet, sunflower, green gram and amaranthus seeds.

Tel: +254 705 505 505
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

East African Seed Co. Limited

Based in Nairobi with branches in Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Eritrea,Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia and DRC)

The company sells seeds for various field crops such as beans, bulrush millets, cow peas, finger millets, green grams, maize, peas, sorghum, soya beans, spinach, squash, artichoke,melon, broccoli, cabbage, corn, asparagus, carrots, cauliflower, celery, collards, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, leek, kale, onion, pepper, pumpkin, radish, tomato, turnip, Swiss chard and water melon, and herbs such as oregano, sage, thyme, parsley, fennel, dill, basil and coriander.

It also sells Sudan grass and Lucerne grass. Based in Nairobi, on Mombasa Road, with branches in Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia and DRC)

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Telephone: +254 722 207 747 / +254 734 333 161

Pannar Seed Company

Produces seeds for dry beans, grain sorghum, forage crops, maize, soybeans , sunflower and
wheat.
Pannar traces its roots to South Africa. In Kenya, it is based in South C Nairobi

Name: Pannar Seed (K) Ltd, Nairobi
Physical Location: Kaysalt Complex, Nkrumah Rd, Imara Daima
City: Nairobi, Kenya
Mobile:
Telephone: +25420820121

E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Cellphone: +254 72 1371680 / 73 3820161

Monsanto Kenya

It is an International company that produces high-yielding biotech seeds and crop protection solutions.
Sells corn, soybean, cotton, wheat, canola, sorghum and sugar cane seeds
Located at Tuskys head office complex, Mombasa Road

In addition to seed products, Monsanto offers a range of crop protection products including the world’s best-selling herbicide, Roundup® that is used by farmers, foresters, consumers and lawn-and-garden professionals.

Kenya – Africa Head Office
Monsanto Kenya
Westcom Point Building
Mahiga Mairu Avenue (off Waikyaki Way)
Westlands
Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: +254 730 705 000/1/2/4

Simlaw seeds

The company has a wide range of seeds that include cabbages; onions and tomatoes that are adaptable to various climatic conditions and adequately meet the local demand.

Other type of beans such as Red Kidney, New Rose coco, Kenya Early and climber bean varieties such as Kenya Safi and Kenya Mavuno

Contacts

General Manager
Kijabe Street - Near Globe Cinema Round about
P.O. Box 40042,
NAIROBI

Tel: +254 (20) 2215067 / 83

+254 (20) 2602191 / 93

Fax: +254 (20) 316619

Mobile: 0722 - 200 545 / 0734 - 811 861

Kibo Seeds

Sell seeds on behalf of Kenya Seeds Company in Kenya. Their range of products include maize, nuts, oil seeds and pulses

Located in Arusha Tanzania

Col. Middleton Street
P.O Box 25,
ARUSHA, TANZANIA
Tel:+255 (027) 2508179
Fax :+ 255 (027) 2503259
Cell:+255 785 555 112
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Tel: +255 (027) 2508179

Mt. Elgon Seeds

Sell seeds on behalf of Kenya Seed Company, for various field crops
such as beans, bulrush millets, cow peas, finger millets, green grams,
maize, peas, sorghum, soya beans.
Based in Kampala

Plot 11, Nakivubo Place,Nakivubo Road
P.O Box 23810 ,
Kampala, Wambui Rd,

UGANDA
Tel:+256 (414) 250544 / +256 752 250544
Fax :+ 256 (414) 253898
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

FreshCo Seed Company

Sells maize, vegetable, drought tolerant crops and tree seeds
Located on

Wambui Rd,

Off Kiambu Road,

Muthaiga,

Nairobi.

Mobile phone number: +254 712 110 849

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: 19 February 2018; Hits: 12355

Farmer makes Sh50,000 more a season from tomatoes by avoiding sales orders

Tomatoes photo by New Vision.jpg

Livingstone Ng’ang’a makes an extra Sh50,000 a season from selling his tomatoes in Muthurwa market in Nairobi and Daraja Mbili market in Kisii, as opposed to waiting for orders during harvesting time from local traders. The move has seen his earnings climb to Sh2.06m a season from Sh2.01m.

He started tomato farming in 2013 on his one and a half acre farm in Ng’arua village, Laikipia County producing five lorries of tomatoes carrying 72 boxes each per season. He ferries his produce to the market after getting tips on tomato price trend in the markets.

“When I am about to harvest, I normally find out the market price from brokers and compare the cost of transport against the profit of waiting on orders. If the difference is less than Sh500 per boxm then I would rather wait for orders from local traders to avoid transport cost,” said the 2017 Bachelor of Law (LLB) graduate from Mount Kenya University.

“However, I do prefer selling my produce in the market to waiting on orders from traders because they select only grade one to three tomatoes, which are bigger in size and desirable, leaving the smaller ones, which go to waste. When I sell at the market, I transport all my produce, including the smaller ones, which are also sold.”

This also helps him avoid unnecessary wastage as the sorted out small and undesirable tomatoes are left in the farm unsold something which can be avoided when all produce are taken to the market.

“When I take my tomatoes to the market I stand a chance of selling all of them including the small ones because of high demand as there are all types of traders who buy for their different customers.”

Ng’ang’a grows the Shanty F1 tomato variety. Five boxes of the 72 carry small tomatoes of grade four and five, which count as low quality, leaving 67 of high quality. A box of high quality tomatoes goes for Sh6000 while that of low quality fetches Sh2000 per box, earning him Sh2.06m per season in total.

RELATED ARTICLE: Tomato turns Western students into entrepreneurs

Besides, local traders do not have standard boxes for buying tomatoes. These boxes if fully filled with tomatoes beyond the limits produce two boxes of tomatoes when the traders reach the market earning them double profit.

“Traders from around who call for orders have bigger boxes than the ones used in the market. They pay Sh7000 per such big box but when they reach they divide it and produce two selling Sh6000 per box,” said Ng’ang’a.

To cope with the work load, the 23 year old farmer has so far employed four workers at his farm helping him with farming, weeding and finally harvesting.

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: 12 February 2018; Hits: 50299

Machakos farmer to make Sh600,000 a month from mushroom farming

Oyster Mushroom, Victor Kyalo.jpg

Sprouting oyster mushroom. A kilo of oyster mushroom goes for between Sh400 and Sh600 in the market.

Victor Kyalo, a mushroom farmer from Kathioko, Machakos County is expecting to double his income to Sh600,000 during this dry season by selling his produce direct to the market rather than via middle men who pay less by Sh50 reducing his profit by half.

According to mushroom market price trends by National Farmers Information Service (NAFIS), a kilo of mushroom fetches between Sh400 and Sh600 depending on the varieties but middlemen pay farmers Sh350 per kilogram denying farmers their full profit.

“Last year when I harvested my mushrooms for the first time a broker in Nairobi promised me a good market only to offer Sh350 per kilo after transporting the produce to him,” said Victor Kyalo.

Kyalo uses water from his 60-foot dug well to keep his mushrooms growing during this dry season. He ferries his produce to Nairobi to look for a bigger market through public transportation at Sh300 per trip.

“This is the second time I am planting this type of mushrooms. I planted five litres of spawns during last year’s November to December short rains and got Sh250, 000 after selling the crops in Nairobi but I have increased to 10 litres of spawns this time round to double my harvest,” said Kyalo.

RELATED ARTICLE: How to grow mushrooms for export

He learnt about mushroom farming from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) having paid to Sh10, 000 for a three day training session last year and he has since ventured in oyster mushroom farming having been encouraged by the first harvest.

He is using wheat straws as substrate and sand to grow the mushrooms in his 15x20 metres grass-thatched mud house. Since mushrooms have 80 to 90 per cent water content hence they need humid environment to thrive, sand helps Kyalo to retain water for a long time after sprinkling.

“There is many uses of water here and the little water we have especially this dry season must be spent well, that is why I use sand to moderate water lose as it keeps the room wet for a long time thus I have to use less water,” he said.

RELATED ARTICLE: Oyster mushroom cultivation

Mushroom house are supposed to be sprinkled with water throughout the day but Kyalo does this only three times a day, in the morning before sunrise, midday and in the evening after sunset. This he says keeps the room between 18 to 21 degrees temperature enough for the substrate to start colonizing and further sprouting of the mushroom.

He is now looking for serious buyers just before harvesting begins, about mid next month to avoid middle men whom he says denied him his full profit at a time he was expecting better sales.

He expects to harvest his mushrooms for a period of one month.

RELATED ARTICLE: There is clean money in mushrooms

Button mushrooms are the popular type grown in Kenya but oyster mushroom production is readily picking up because it is easy to grow, has higher yields and has more nutritional value than button according to NAFIS. Its low production cost makes it appealing to small farmers like Kyalo.

Kenya produces 500 tonnes per annum of mushroom against an annual demand of 1200 tons both in hotels and home consumption. This makes mushroom farmers confidence of finding market for their produce.

Victor Kyalo can be reached on +254708486882

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