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: 27 October 2017; Hits: 13003

Best wheat varieties for the dry areas of Kenya

Wheat Varieties Duma and Ngamia have been developed by the Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) for the dry areas of Kenya.

The varieties can be grown in areas with low rainfall with short growing periods like lower Narok, Kajiado, Naivasha, Mogotio and Machakos. Duma and Ngamia mature early and can yield up to 9 bags per acre. They have good resistance to rust diseases.

Wheat is a type of grass cultivated for its seed. It is a cereal grain which is a staple food in most African countries. The crop is the second most important cereal grain after maize in Kenya.

Duma wheat variety with a high disease resistance. PHOTO/JAPHET RUTO, FARMBIZ AFRICA

For best yields prepare land early, as soon as there is no more straw to graze. Use good quality seed that is disease free, of high germination and free from weeds and dirt. Buy your seed from trusted seed shops and plant early at the onset of rains. Use a wheat planter or plant by broadcasting.

If a planter is used, use l bag (50 kg) of seed per acre. If planting is by broadcasting, mix 1.5 bags of seed per acre with fertilizer and cover by giving a light harrowing. Use 1 bag (50 kg) of DAP fertilizer per acre if you are using a wheat planter and 1.5 bags if you are planting by broadcasting. Apply 12 wheelbarrows of farmyard manure per acre if it is available.

When planting by broadcasting use 1.5 bags per acre of DAP & seed. Ensure your land is well prepared and use clean seed to reduce weed problems. If necessary, apply a recommended herbicide like Buctril MC at the rate of 4 knapsack sprayers per acre. To each knapsack filled with water add 150 ml of herbicide. Apply Buctril MC when the crop has 4 to 6 leaves.

There is good disease resistance in these two varieties. Look out for attack by Russian wheat aphid. This is a small greenish insect whose damage includes purple or yellow lines on the leaves, curled leaves or bent heads.

Recommended pesticides include:

Name	Knapsacks per acre	Amount in 20L Knapsack
Metasystox	50 ml	4
Folimat	125 ml	4
Azocord	100 ml	4

Additional information obtained from KALRO Website

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: 24 October 2017; Hits: 5644

Heads of state push for new national accountability in driving African agriculture

By Boaz Keizire

As world heads of state met at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) last month, Africa was represented by several presidents, among them Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, Zambia’s Edgar Lungu and Rwanda’s Paul Kagame.

I was there too.

The rest of the world had its eyes on Donald Trump, Bill Gates and Angela Merkel leading several institutional and state presidents to an event that had great political import following Mr. Trump’s earlier dismissal of the UN.

But, amidst all the tension and accompanying political undertones, the African leaders nonetheless pulled away from the drama of the main assembly to hold a side-meeting, to which Mr. Gates was also invited, to engage on the state of agriculture in Africa.

Quuen F1 Cabbage variety at the 2017 Nyeri Agricultural Society of Kenya Show. PHOTO/JAPHET RUTO

In its own ‘back room’ way, far from the cameras and eyes of the media, that African side meeting at the UNGA was ground breaking, as the heads of state supported a measurement tool to achieve accountability in making the policy and many other changes, including investment, to stimulate the continent’s agricultural sector.

The potential for agriculture to usher in a wealthier future for Africa is enormous, but for an industry that is dominated by small holders, it requires the mending of filling of multiple gaps, all of which are making it harder for our continent’s farmers and agripreneurs to draw the full potential from our vast lands.

But for the heads of state to speak to the merits of measurement, country by country, and government accountability in delivering an agricultural transformation was a moment that I, personally, shall never forget. For me, it represents a milestone that many of us have worked long and hard for.

The agricultural scorecard idea was first mooted at the 2014 African Union Heads of State Summit in Equatorial Guinea, where African leaders agreed to a common set of targets for agricultural development and to a biennial review of progress made against these goals: in a commitment now popularly known as the Malabo Declaration.

The African Union Commission and the NEPAD Agency have been leading the review process through the collection of data on a set of 43 indicators from its 55 member countries.

With the findings of this first biennial review now set for presentation at the African Union heads of state summit in January next year, it was a wholly new experience, too, to hear Gates, one of the non-state world leaders and philanthropists at the meeting, comment on the enthusiasm for the scorecard concept, as he encouraged participants to move quickly to take advantage of the momentum created to secure support for the tool.

“I am really enthused about the call for a scorecard, as it can be very catalytic,” said Gates.

Gates’ sentiments were supported by businessman Dr. Strive Masiyiwa, who recommended quantitative tracking as a way for monitoring progress and encouraging best practices.

The agricultural scorecard draws its inspiration from the success of similar tools, like the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) Scorecard for Accountability and Action, which have seen countries across the continent act to eradicate the disease from the continent by 2020.

Between 2011, when the first ALMA scorecard was released, and 2015, some eight countries, including Cape Verde, Uganda and Ethiopia, reported a reduction in malaria incidence of 40 per cent or more, in a drop that has, in part, been attributed to the accountability framework that has been provided by the ALMA scorecard.

Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Amina Mohammed, who sat in for President Uhuru Kenyatta at the UNGA side-meeting, expressed her pleasure at seeing resources being channeled towards the creation of a similar tool for agriculture, indicating that it holds the promise of improving the state of the sector across the continent, “just like the ALMA scorecard helped ramp up efforts in the fight against malaria”.

AGRA president, Dr. Agnes Kalibata, one of the leaders that have been spearheading the development of the scorecard, also knows too well the importance of the accountability tool, which she hopes will, “build on and from the Biennial Review, but be designed for and by Heads of State to track progress and share best practices”.

Overall, the agriculture sector received significant attention throughout the five-day UNGA with many speakers declaring it as the shinning hope of revival for a continent that has long held the promise of world leadership in food production.

Anne Désirée Ouloto, the Minister of the Environment and Sustainable Development of Côte d'Ivoire, affirmed that the West African country’s outstanding GDP growth continues to be driven by agriculture, with agricultural transformation at the centre of its strategy for overall structural transformation.

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, Desalegn, also emphasised the importance of agriculture for economic growth and development in Africa, highlighting the need for new policies and investments to transform the sector.

“Agriculture has been a key driver for Ethiopia, and has made it among the fastest growing economies in Africa,” he said.

The response by various Heads of State and other world leaders to the prospects of a high-level agricultural scorecard now confirms that Africa is indeed ready for the second revolution, one which will emanate from our farm lands.

Boaz is a Head of Policy and Advocacy at AGRA and also a 2017 Fellow for the Aspen New Voices Fellowship

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: 13 October 2017; Hits: 7084

Kenya Government to buy 90 kg bag of maize at Sh. 3200 from farmers

Farmers in Kenya's bread basket of Uasin Gishu drying their maize in preparation for sale at the National Cereals and Produce Board depot in Eldoret

Kenya’s Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Willy Bett has announced plans by the government to purchase maize from farmers across the country at Ksh. 3200 from October 16^th 2017. Mr. Bett said that though the 2017 long rains were late in onset and with erratic tendency, a near normal performance of maize production was recorded in the high and medium rainfall areas. It is projected that 37.9 million bags, majority of these from smallholder farmers will be realized from both the long and short rains in 2017.

This represents a decline of 4.4 % of the long term average (LTA) of 40 million bags and a slight increase from the 36.9 million bags realized in 2016. The decline in overall production was attributed to reduction in area under maize by 5.1%, late rainfall onset coupled with long dried spells mid-season and Fall Army Worm invasion.

Harvesting of long rain crops started in earnest from July, but in some parts of Western and the North Rift, the harvesting is expected to commence from mid-October with peak harvest in November/December.

“The expected harvests from North Rift will move to replenish and further boost the needed stocks beginning from mid-October through to December, 2017 and also ease anticipated shortages” said Bett.

Bett also says the Agriculture Ministry in collaboration with Tegemeo Institute has conducted field technical surveys to determine the prevailing cost of maize production in the major maize growing regions of the Rift Valley and Western.

The Agriculture Ministry says that after critical analysis and harmonization of the cost of production, the cost of production of a 90 kg bag was determined to be Ksh. 2,257. Based on the cost of production and in consideration of farmers mark up of 35% (Ksh. 790 per 90 kg bag), the Strategic Food Reserve Board has recommended the produce for a 90 kg bag of maize be at Ksh. 3,000.

However, owing to the adverse weather conditions coupled with other numerous challenges such as outbreak of Fall Army Worm that farmers faced during the period, the government having evaluated the situation, has provided a rebate of Ksh. 200 per 90 kg bag of maize offered to the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB), over and above the Strategic Food Reserve Board recommended price.

Bett notes that drought and food security situation remains critical in the Arid and Semi-Arid Areas (ASALS) as rains were highly depressed and erratic. The most affected areas include Wajir, Turkana, Marsabit, Samburu, Tana River, Garissa, Mandera, Baringo, some parts of Kitui and Kajiado. The number of people affected by food insecurity has risen to 3.2 million people, with majority being found in the ASAL areas.

To cushion consumers, the government will continue providing subsidized maize flours at Ksh. 90 per 2 kg bag for the foreseeable future until maize supply stabilizes.

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