Smart farms

: 07 December 2016; Hits: 19274

Farmer earns more from green maize than grains

Osmane Jumbe of Olerai Seed Company opens up green maize at the firm's Mombasa ASK Show demonstration farm on September 3, 2016. A Bungoma County farmer is making more money in selling green maize. PHOTO BY LABAN ROBERT.

In averting post harvest losses resulting from fluctuation of prices, pest invasion and poor storage facilities, one Bungoma farmer is selling maize to brokers at wholesale prices when the produce is still green.

Evans Shikuku said the income margin in selling fresh maize for roasting and boiling can be double given that the grain’s price sometimes falls to below production costs.

From his half an acre of maize in Kamukuywa, the farmer said at one time he harvested 12 bags of 90kg. After selling at Sh2,200 per bag, he made a gross income of Sh26,400.

But selling fresh maize form the same piece in April 2014, 2016, Shikuku earned Sh40,000.

If the he were to sell the maize after harvesting to the National Cereals and Produce Board or local buyers, he could have made no profit this year or recovered production costs.

For Shikuku, there are no costs for harvesting, threshing, winnowing packaging, dusting with pesticides and storage.

A 90kg bag of maize fetches as low as Sh1,800 in Western and North Rift regions of Kenya after harvesting. At his Kamukuywa area, a two kilogramme tin is sold as low as 40 as opposed to when the demand is high when they earn more than Sh70 for the same quantity.

Food and Agriculture Organisation says more than 40 per cent of crop losses occur at storage due to pest and poor facilities.

The cost of production of a 90kg bag in Kenya averages between Sh1,900 and Sh2,100 because the fluctuation of the costs of inputs.

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: 29 November 2016; Hits: 22743

Calendar reversal helps farmer conquer the market

Yad Bio Vitaliser company officer Andrew Kusewa poses beside multi-storey kales and black night shade gardens in demonstration farm on October 8, 2016 during the Nairobi International ASK Show. A Trans Nzoi farmer has reversed vegetable growing calendar to beat market challenges. PHOTO BY LABAN ROBERT.

Growing vegetables for harvest during the low supply season has helped a Trans Nzoia County farmer in conquering marketing challenges.

Moses Kinuthia, who mainly grows black night shade, kales and cabbage, repeatedly lost much of his harvest to low market prices when the supply was high. He had to reverse his farming calendar against that of other farmers.

Kinuthia grows the black night shade, famously called managu and kales, also known as sukuma wiki at the beginning of December. The vegetables are usually ready for harvest from January until March.

“January is marked with growing of maize in most parts of the country, including Western Kenya. Having what other people do not have drives them to you instead of you looking for them. I do not struggle looking for the market. That has been my calendar of growing vegetables for two years,” the Kiminini farmer said.

Unlike the months of November and December when most farmers have plenty of vegetables, which are grown after maize harvests, Kinuthia earns between Sh6,000 and Sh6,500 for every 90kg sack full of managu.

The same quantity hardly fetches Sh1,500 when the supply is high.

Between January and March 2016, the farmers harvested an average of four such sacks every week from the one acre vegetable piece. He made a gross profit of between Sh24,000 and Sh30,000 per week.

On small-scale, his wife sold the vegetables to those who flocked to their home, with a ‘palmful pinch’ fetching at least Sh20.

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He avoids cabbage because, he says, it needs more water during those months.

In addition to the water from the nearby river, he has dug out three pond-like reservoirs measuring about 15 feet by 10 feet for collecting irrigation water.

When the water level goes down he uses a generator to push it into the farm.

“I flood the field to ensure sufficient water is available for the entire week. In retaining the water moisture in the soil, I use maize stalks as mulch. The mulch also helps in smothering the weeds, therefore, reducing soil disturbance by weeding at that time when it is dry,” Kinuthia said.

On the first week of December, he is planting managu and sukuma wiki on one acre, with each taking half of the piece.

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: 24 November 2016; Hits: 14168

Controlled containers boost Kenyan avocado export market

An 83-year-old multiple-fruit Machakos County farmer Muia Kusenga inspects avocado fruits on July 22, 2016. Controlled atmosphere containers have expanded Kenya's avocado export market. PHOTO BY LABAN ROBERT.

New markets have opened up for Kenyan avocado farmers after the exporters adopted the use of controlled atmosphere (CA) containers to ship out the fruit to Europe, Middle East, among other new consumers.

Transporting avocados to far markets has been a challenge due to its quick ripening besides injury to the skin and the entire fruit at times, causing losses.

But the CA containers can extend the shelf-life of the fruits from less than seven days to six weeks, allowing for movement of consignments from Kenya to Middle East and Europe, which are the main consumers.

The CA technology has been used to transport avocados from Australia to France, a sea journey taking about six weeks.

In a report by the Maersk, a global logistics company, released this week said the technology has increased the export to these major markets, which are paying thrice for the fruit.

The report said there has been a 34 per cent increase of the export in 2016 against that of 2015.

Kenya lost its annual Sh120 million market of South Africa after the latter banned the importation of the fruit in 2010, citing infestation of fruit-flies.

Small-scale farmers, who produce 70 per cent of the 115,000 metric tonnes of the fruit annually, have suffered losses due to the limited local and export market.

The containers are customised to specific temperatures, humidity, as well as air concentration to minimise ripening and physical injury to the fruits due to chilling.

Best results are obtained at about five per cent oxygen and 10 per cent carbon dioxide concentration while temperatures vary between 4.4 degrees Celsius and 13 degrees Celsius.

But 7.5 degree Celsius has been found to the most appropriate for long distance transportation, according to the Second World Avocado Congress.

Relative humidity is kept at about 90 per cent to 95 per cent to reduce chilling injuries. Ethylene gas, which causes ripening of fruits, is minimised in the containers to prolong the shelf-life of the consignment.

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