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: 20 April 2016; Hits: 5897

Indian cotton seed maker eyeing Kenyan market

Two years after acquiring a controlling stake in Zimbabwe-based Quton Seed Company, India’s agri biotech major, Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company Limited (Mahyco) is on a mission to introduce hybrid cotton seeds into sub-Saharan Africa, and has already started trials in Kenya, Nigeria and Zambia.

If everything goes according to plan, the company will emerge as a major cotton-seed supplier to the region.

“We are testing our seeds in different ecological zones to see if they are viable,” said Edward Mhandu, the company’s executive director, in an interview.

Contract

In 2013, Mahyco acquired a 60 per cent stake in Quton in a deal worth $10m. The company is planning to use the networks Quton had to position itself as the primary supplier of hybrid -and later Bt-cotton seeds in sub-Saharan Africa.

“Africa is a major cotton growing region, but it does not have hybrid varieties,” said Mhandu.

Tried and tested

Mahyco, which was founded in 1964, was the first company in the world to successfully commercially hybrid cotton seeds.

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: 20 April 2016; Hits: 19767

Aloe Vera prices at an all-time high

The high demand for beauty and medicinal products made from Aloe Vera has created a fertile market for the crop in Kenya with a kilogram of the its fresh leaves now retailing at KSh35 up from KSh25, two years ago, according to local processor Herbal Garden Limited.
Attractive prices
Faced with the low supply, herbal companies are now wooing more farmers into growing the plant by offering enticing prices, An acre of land, which can accommodate 4000 plants on average, is likely to earn farmers an average of Sh840,000 up from an average of sh600,000 per harvest., Aloe Vera takes 18-24 months to mature and produces at least four leaves per plabt, each weighing 1.5-2kg. After the first harvest, leaves can be harvested every 3-4 months,allowing farmers in Kenya to earn up to Sh3.35m per acre annually.
Low production costs
Compared to other commercial crops like tea, coffee andmaize, Aloe Vera has the least production costs, with most of the expenditure being incurred in the initial stages of production.
Unlike in India where the plant production is threatened by a virus disease called Aruba, no Aloe Vera disease has been recorded in Kenya. The plant can also be grown virtually in any region in the country due to its ability to withstand extreme climatic conditions-most aloe varieties favor areas with average temperatures of 27-31 degrees celcius and annual rainfall of 300mm, Aloe barbadensis, a common commercial variety in the country can withstand rainfall of up to 1200mm per year
Planting
Although Aloe can be propagated from seeds, most farmers prefer vegetative means to reduce the time and resources needed to grow seedlings in a nursery. Other disadvantages of propagating using seeds include poor seedling emergence and the faster initial growth of suckers. Farmers can obtain tissue cultured seedlings various centres across the country including Herbal Garden Ltd, KEFRI, Kenyatta University and KALRO.
After transplanting, other crop husbandry activities like weeding can be carried out at regular intervals. An early removal of plant suckers is recommended in order to obtain larger leaves since formation of many suckers retards the plants’ growth resulting in reduced yields of the mother plant. Application of nitrogen fertilizer should be conducted after every harvesting season to facilitate faster leaf formation and increase yield per leaf. It is however worthy to note that application of large amounts of water and nitrogen can reduce gel quality. Other cultural practices that may favor leaf production are mulching, shading and furrow cultivation.
Harvesting
Aloes are harvested by cutting the base of three outermost mature leaves and should be transported immediately to a gel production facility to avoid shrinkage that can result into low volumes of gel. The sap is majorly used to make medicinal or cosmetic products.
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For more information on how to join the Kenya Aloe Vera Growers Association, contact Herbal Garden Limited on 0725067621 or 0202450452.

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Thursday, 02 September 2021 Interesting observations. Very enticing trade & probably a farming venture worth...

: 20 April 2016; Hits: 6231

Sandalwood should be commercialised

Allowing for commercial cultivation of sandalwood in Kenya could shield the 'golden' tree from extinction besides giving farmers a new source of revenue.The tree, which is poached for export to rich markets in Asia and Europe, is endangered and laws prohibiting its uprooting and logging have borne little fruit. Oil from sandalwood is used in manufacture of perfumes and medicines in pharmaceutical industries in India, Indonesia, France, Germany, among other countries.
Trade in sandalwood is illegal in Kenya and in countries that are signatories to the Conventional Trade in Endangered Species of world fauna and flora. The Sandalwood business was declared illegal in Kenya following a Presidential ban in February 2007.
Growing
The Kenya Forestry Research Institute guidelines for tree growers, 2014, say that the tree has been over-exploited to meet rising international demands in the pharmaceutical market.
"The nature of exploitation of sandalwood in Kenya raises concern on its survival in the wild as it involves uprooting of the whole tree. The mode and scale of harvesting has made the tree to be locally endangered, which threatens the survival of the species an sustainability of products from the species," the guidelines read.
Growing sandalwood has the potential of meeting demand for the oil extracted from the golden tree and changing focus from exploiting what is available in nature to cultivation for economic gain. It is suspected that export from Kenya is done through Tanzania from source areas such as Makueni County's Chyulu and in Taita Taveta County.
Transactions
Reports indicate one kilogramme of sandalwood costs between KSh4 and KSh7 to middlemen, who sell it at about KSh80. The institute notes that growing of the crop is curtailed by lack of cultivation outlines. A research by Kenyatta University on the conservation of the sandalwood indicates that 64 per cent of Kibwezi, where Chyulu is, use the plant for commercial gain. At least 21.2 per cent others use it for medicinal value.
"Domestication of the economically viable species through community sensitisation can be the long-term solution. Vegetative propagation can also be seen as an option since the tree is semi parasitic and may require a nurse plant for it to survive, to enable better management of the tree. At the same time, it would enable households generate income from the sale of sandalwood products," the guidelines say.
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The thoughts contained in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Farmbiz Africa or its publishers.

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