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: 23 May 2017; Hits: 9672

Tomato prices drop a month after rains

Tomatoes by Development in Rural areas accross the world.jpg

A woman walks past tomatoes. Tomato prices have started falling. Photo by Development of rural areas.

As consumers continue to pay high prices for various commodities in Kenya, the price of basic commodities may start dropping- two months into the rain season.

Tomatoes, whose price for instance shot to sell at about Sh7,500 per crate of 64kg in various towns of Kenya, has dropped to Sh2,500 in Nakuru.

Nakuru is one of the main farming regions in Kenya, with Subukia being the bedrock of tomatoes, cabbages, Irish potatoes, among other crops.

Nairobi, which in April paid Sh5,760 per 64kg crate of tomatoes is buying the same quantity at Sh5,120 on wholesale.

Mombasa, which paid Sh102 for every one kilogramme of tomatoes, is buying the same quantity at Sh78.

Eldoret town remains the most lucrative tomato market as the 64kg crate sells at Sh7,000 on wholesale. This price is more than twice what Nakuru is offering despite being a neighbour town in the Rift Valley.

Wholesalers in Malindi, a town in the Coast region, are paying about Sh55 per kilo according to the Agriculture and Food Authority commodity cost list of this week.

READ ALSO: Ripe tomatoes sold for 30 days

Tomato is one of the most popular horticultural crops consumed by almost all classes of people in as an ingredient in various cooked and raw delicacies.

Despite the spark of the tomato price t any time, consumption still remains high in the various classes of society.

In April, the cost of one tomato rose to Sh10. In some places like Ongata Rongai, four fruits cost Sh50 or more.

Besides Nakuru, Loitoktok town is also selling the tomatoes at a relatively cheaper price that most towns.

On wholesale, it costs Sh3,500 per crate of 64kg. Loitoktok is one of the main agriculture producing regions in the South Rift.

Loitoktok does not receive sufficient rain to support all-year round farming. Farmers have invested in irrigation to tap into the still fertile soil at this region, which has been traditionally a pastoralist region.

The price of milk is expected to come down in about two months after the pastures recover from the four-month long dry spell experienced from mid November last year to March 2017.

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: 23 May 2017; Hits: 7816

Kenyan traders resort to Uganda for cheaper maize

Loaders carrying maize . Kenyans are turning to Cheap maize from Uganda. Photo by The Star.

Kenyan consumers and traders are moving into Uganda in search of cheap dry maize to mitigate the effects of the consistent shortage that has caused the rise of the cost of the product despite the recently announced government subsidy.

Besides the smuggling from the neighbouring country, which is one of the biggest importers of Kenya’s products, records show that at least 2,790.98 metric tonnes of maize moved from Uganda to Kenya in the past six days.

This has been the trend for the past few months as Kenya started experiencing hunger.

According to the Regional Agricultural trade Intelligence Network, RATIN, the tonnes of maize were imported between May 17, 2017 and May 22, 2017.

The border of Busia was the main entry point into Kenya while Malaba and Lukhakhwa also handled a few tonnes.

The wholesale price of maize in Uganda tons is generally cheaper than in Kenya.

Maize is cheapest in Masindi town, where it is costing Sh3,969 per 90kg bag on wholesale. The retail price in the same town is Sh4,097.

The same quantity is selling at Sh4,087 on wholesale in the Ugandan side of the shared town of Busia. The retail price is Sh4,610.

In Kampala, the capital city of Uganda, the 90kg bag is selling at Sh4,225 on wholesale. In Soroti and Tororo, the maize is selling at Sh4,097 and Sh4,353, according to RATIN.

On average, the cost of 90kg bag in Kenya is costing Sh4,858, according to Soko Directory.

Kitui is paying the highest wholesale price for the commodity, hitting Sh5,500 while Nakuru is buying at Sh5,000.

Kisumu and Mombasa are paying Sh5,200 and Sh5,000 respectively even as Eldoret hits Sh4,500.

Nairobi and Kitale are buying the bag at Sh4,800 and Sh4,500 respectively.

The government of Kenya in the mid of May, 2017 announced a subsidy to millers, effectively reducing that cost of 2kg packet of maize flour from Sh160 to Sh90.

More than a week after the waiver, the subsidised maize flour is yet to reach consumers both in urban and rural areas even with the importation of the produce from Mexico.

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: 18 May 2017; Hits: 7013

Farmer turns dove pets into agribusiness

Dove By Laban Robert.JPG

A caged dove at Mombasa ASK Show in 2016. Doves are no longer pets for the boys but agribusiness ventures. Photo by Laban Robert.

While other people look at doves and pigeons as lad’s pets, a Rift Valley farmer is tapping into the growing market for the flowery birds to make tens of thousands per month close to 20 years after starting small.

Dennis Chege makes between Sh90,000 and Sh120,000 a month from his two farms in Eldoret and Nakuru, with the churches being some of his mains customers buying pairs of doves for various function like weddings.

Whilst other farmers sell a pair of doves at more than Sh1,000, Chege asks for Sh600 for every pair.

“Many people look down upon these birds and dismiss them as boyish business. I also despised them at the start, in 1998. But the call orders I have been receiving in the past years have shown that this is not a boyish venture, but a cool agribusiness that maybe better than other poultry like chickens,” he said.

And he says despite rearing more than 1,000 birds, he is not able to meet the demand, which he says keeps rising day by day. They are ornamental birds too in the homes.

When Jesus was being baptised by John the Baptist at River Jordan, the Bible says, a dove came down from heaven. The dove landed on Jesus.

During sacrifices in the Old Testament, the doves were also used as part of the items required for the offering to be accepted. For instance in the case of Abraham’s sacrifices, the birds were not cut into halves as other animals.

They were to be witnesses of the covenant between God and Abraham. This is part of the history that makes the dove to be an outstanding bird in the Christian worship.

He added that that the humility, innocence, peace and beauty the birds connote is driving the use of the birds in weddings and other related functions. Besides churches, children and elderly homes too are also clients.

“Catholic Church weddings and other social events are graced by these humble birds. Sometimes am asked to supply up to 400 birds, but I do not have the capacity to do so. In such cases, I call on my farming networks to help. The market is rich, the supply is poor,” he said.

He considers this agribusiness less demanding and cheap in the long-run when compared to chicken.

With a bird laying two eggs, it takes only 18 days to hatch squabs. Within five and half months, the squabs are mature to lay eggs again. After one week, the female again lays eggs and the cycle continues.

He regularly vaccinates them against Newcastle disease, which he says, is one of the most dangerous infection that can quickly wipe the cote.

Chege, who also works as a closed circuit television operator in Eldoret, says kitchen remains form part of the meals for the birds.

But he also spends Sh7,500 on grade II flour, which he cooks into ugali for the birds in a month.

Wheat and rice and other small supplementary feeds keep his brood full for a month.

“I feed them in the morning and early afternoon. I also water them and that completes a day,” Chege says.

Although meat from the birds is not common, he says few other agribusiness people are showing interest in popularising this product.

What one needs to start this business is just a small cage and feeds. For small starters, the birds can be fed on kitchen remains and hunt down insects when left free, he says.

Pigeons cost the same but their demand for religious function remains limited as the dove remains a distinct one.

Chege can be reached on +254725012098.

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