Smart farms

: 12 August 2021; Hits: 7746

Sh 5.1B agribusiness fund calling for 2400 women & youth applicants

youth agriculture

By George Munene

The AgriBiz programme seeks to accelerate the engagement of women and youth in agribusiness. The Shs 5.1 billion initiative is looking to fund 2,400 women and youth-led agribusiness enterprises across Kenya.

AgriBiz is funded by the Danish International Development Agency(Danida) and European Union(EU). Counties considered by the programme are Machakos, Kisii, Uasin Gishu, Isiolo, Bungoma, Meru, Kiambu, and Kilifi. However, regional economic blocks adjacent to these select counties will also benefit.

The project is expected to create 17,000 job opportunities.

Applicants will be required to apply to be incubated in eight one of the eight Business Hub (BIH) that is nearest to their county.

The BIHs will provide training, business advisory, and financing. These skills will be used in scaling their agribusinesses.

Other partners in the programme are the African Development Bank (AfDB) and Kenya Climate Innovation Center (KCIC).

AgriBiz programme

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: 11 August 2021; Hits: 8332

Homa Bay fish farm helping cure Kenya's Chinese fish dependence

Victory Farms

By George Munene

Headquartered at Roo beach in Homa Bay county, Victory Farms is a vertically integrated fish business that spans tilapia hatcheries, nursery ponds, deep-water cages, a processing plant, and 45 retail outlets. Founded in 2015, the company is leading the local charge in meeting Kenya's acute fish supply shortage.

According to the government's 2019 budget policy statement, Kenya's fish demand was estimated at 500,000 tonnes. However, local fish production stood at only 180,000 tonnes. The numbers of fish captured from natural water bodies have also been on a steady yearly decline owing to overfishing, illegal fishing, and cold weather. This has necessitated a reliance on Chinese imported fish which accounted for 8,900 tonnes in 2020, a Covid-19 induced drop from 18,074 tonnes, Sh2.2 billion worth of imported fish in 2019. Chinese imports made up 90 per cent of fish shipped into the country, mainly as frozen tilapia and mackerel.

“Kenya currently imports most of its fish from China. We need to build industries where we can be self-sufficient from our own water sources, and cage and pond farming provides a solution to that,” explained Farm manager Scott Dey.

Victory spans 216 acres. The company sources local tilapia fingerling strains from government hatcheries which are reared free of antibiotics. The hatchlings are transferred to offshore cages set up on 56 acres of Lake Victoria shores where they are reared to maturity.

Once harvested, the fish are in markets in under 48 hours. They are gutted, cleaned, and iced for transport in refrigerated trucks. Once at Nairobi they are warehoused in commercial refrigeration units to preserve their freshness. Delivery is done to Victory Farms’ outlets from where fishmongers buy them in small batches to cook and sell in local food markets.

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Victory Farms directly employs 500 persons and provides tertiary employment to thousands of others along its value chain.

The company recently received a multi-million-dollar mezzanine debt investment from AgDevCo for its efforts at sustainably growing and developing Kenya's aquaculture industry.

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: 09 August 2021; Hits: 7854

Varsity helping farmers unlock snail farming's untapped potential

snail farming

By George Munene

Given it offers lucrative returns with little start-up capital, snail farming is slowly gaining hold among Kenyan farmers spearheaded by researchers at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT).

"Snails are an emergent agribusinesses opportunity given that its meat is a healthier and nutritious food choice, while its byproducts can be refined for use in the cosmetic industry. Within and outside the country, there has been an increased demand for snails; we have markets in Dubai and Italy, locally, there is a demand for snail byproducts within the beauty space." explains "Dr. Paul Kinoti a lecturer at the Department of Horticulture and Food Security at JKUAT.

At a fee, JKUAT experts guide farmers on how they can rear snails as an income-generating venture. Through a three-day hands-on crash course, farmers gain knowledge on snail farming. They also get their initial breeding stock from the institution which they can multiply.

JKUAT also has a buy-back program for slime—one of the byproducts of snails—with its farmers. This is processed into products like cream and soaps. Slime can also be refined and used in the making of fertilisers and animal feed.

Snail keeping can be done as an agribusiness or as a healthy food option and nutritional supplement for families.

Like most low to medium-income countries, Kenya is undergoing an epidemiological shift from infectious to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) being the leading cause of hospitalisation. In 2013 NCDs contributed to 50 per cent of inpatient admissions and 40 per cent of hospital deaths. An unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and tobacco use are the leading causes of NCDs.

Snail meat contains negligible fat traces. The meat's lack of cholesterol means it's useful in managing lifestyle diseases like hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular complications.

Snails are also a rich source of amino acids—it's concentration is higher than in chicken or fish. It is further rich in omega 3, which is key in brain development. It is high in selenium which is important in building human disease resistance reserves.

JKUAT: 0709715815 /This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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