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: 17 September 2021; Hits: 2349

EU project trains, links young farmers to export markets for in demand crops

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By George Munene

The Farm Africa Growing Futures project is helping over 4,000 young farmers in western Kenya acquire the skills to grow vegetables that are in high demand then linking them to domestic and international markets.

The funding is focused on western Kenya where 80 per cent of the unemployed population is under 35, with farming employing 70 per cent of the country’s rural population.

The youth aged between 18-35 years are trained to acquire technical assistance in horticultural production and agronomy, helping the farmers produce the quantity and quality of produce demanded by high-value buyers and certification schemes.

They are provided with access to agricultural technologies such as drip-irrigation systems, fertilisers, seeds, and pesticides.

The farmers are further linked to domestic and international markets through training to help them meet export markets’ standards. Once trained farmer groups then facilitated to secure export contracts guaranteeing a market for their produce.

Founded in 2011, Farm Africa is helping farmers in Trans-Nzoia and Elgeyo Marakwet Counties capitalise on the growing demand for produce such as French beans, mangetouts, kale, tomatoes, and cabbages.

“Growing Futures focuses on the youth who are unable to continue schooling and are interested in venturing into agriculture. They acquire technical skills on crop production as well as business skills on how to run their farms as a business,” explained the project’s coordinator Mary Nyale.

For Joseph Kiplagat, the project has been a godsend. After failing to secure an office job, the father of four ventured into agriculture.

Initially struggling to make ends meet while sorely growing maize, through Farm Africa, he shifted to cultivating a mix of vegetables which has enabled him maximise his profits.

The project which also operates in Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, and DR Congo is funded by supermarket chain Aldi UK. Medicor Foundation and UK aifd.

Farm Africa: 254 20 273 1664/ 254 721 576 531/ 254 734 721 208

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: 15 September 2021; Hits: 1719

Muranga French bean farmers balloon incomes with group contract farming

french beans

By George Munene

In Kandara, Muranga county, 25 farmers, who banded together as Golden Greengrowers to produce beans on contract for export, have been able to increase their farming acreage, benefit from economies of scale, and supply exporter Total Fresh with 8 to 10 tonnes a week of vanilla French beans.

The group, which is also now running an additional 100 outgrowers, has seen a marked improvement in the lives of its members since they came together as a collectivised operation in 2017. Before that, most of them were farming at a subsistence level, but by forming a group, they have been able to act as a large farmer.

As soon as they were benefiting from their collective large scale, they opted for contract farming, which means they do not need to worry about finding buyers once they have produced their products. They now sell their French beans at Sh60 per kilo, but they aim to acquire their own source of transport, which will increase their selling price to Sh100/Kg.

Augustino Muiruri, a horticultural consultant and the group’s field man explains that French beans need warm weather and well aerated soil with little hard pans in order to thrive.

French beans are a short-term crop, taking only 49-52 days to mature. This makes them low on maintenance, demanding little in labour costs as they only need to be weeded every so often; making it an ideal crop for many of the group’s young members.

Farmers need 8kg of seeds for an acre, that cost Sh1200. The seeds are sowed directly. Fertiliser is added and then they are manured. From then on, fertiliser is applied on the 3rd and 5th week. Watering is done thrice a week.

The main pests they have to deal with are whiteflies, cutworms, leafminers and thrips. Pesticides for all these can be purchased from accredited agrovets.

It has not all been smooth sailing though, said Muiruri, with harvests hit by some issues of poor leadership and with bulk purchases of farm inputs such as manure, fertiliser and chemicals. However, the group has surmounted its challenges to sharply reposition its members.

To get into contract farming, the group had to have at least 3 acres of farmland where it could rotate the crop to maintain a steady supply throughout the year.

Augustino Muiruri’s contacts: 0720 529035

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: 25 August 2021; Hits: 1957

Kenya to increase coffee exports to South Korea

coffee exports

By George Munene

Kenya is looking to increase its coffee exports to South Korea by 10 -11 tonnes.

"At South Korea's 2021 Coffee Expo there was an interest in additional orders of up to 11 tons of our coffee from Korean coffee cooperatives. This reaffirmed the market's affinity for Kenyan coffee," said Industrialisation Cabinet Secretary Betty Maina.

Speaking after Kenya's maiden appearance at the four-day event held in South Korea's capital Seoul, she added that the ministry was in talks with the Korean government to either remove or reduce the eight per cent tax imposed on Kenyan coffee.

The duty disadvantages Kenya's coffee exports, which compete with Least Developed Countries that enjoy duty-free access.

According to the Coffee report 2021, Kenya exported 46,333 metric tons of coffee in the 2019/20 coffee year-- the equivalent Sh 22 billion in earnings.

Kenya currently exports 12 per cent of its coffee to the East Asian nation.

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