Smart farms

: 25 November 2019; Hits: 9392

Tana River beekeepers marketing groups taste sweet success with modern equipment

Beekeepers from Tana River County are recording increased honey production and incomes with modern beekeeping kits thanks to their efforts to form themselves in marketing groups which is also seeing them enjoy economies of scale.

The beekeepers have always used the rudimental log hives for beekeeping. The total number of log hives in previous years was 1160. Honey yields from the log hives averaged 5kgs per hive each season against an optimum production level of 15kilos of the same.

With two seasons per year, this translated to 10 kilos for each log hive every year. The farmers also individually sold the honey either in crude or semi-refined form to middlemen from Bura and Garissa Towns and earned meagre returns.

But an initiative to form themselves in marketing groups is finally paying off for the last three years. The number of log hives has increased from 1160 to 1740 with the introduction of the superior Langstroth hives efficient in honey production moving from zero to 170.

The result has increased volumes of better quality honey. The beekeepers are also now processing their own honey and packaging it.

The main markets are Bura and Hola Towns. Far off markets include Garissa, Mombasa, and Nairobi. The group sells the processed honey at Sh150 per kilo and makes a much bigger margin compared to the Sh60 they were getting before the KAPP intervention.

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Farmers being trained in the best beekeeping practices.Photo courtesy.

The group has opened a Bank account and this has encouraged members to save.

Other than honey, the group is also processing beeswax. However, due to challenges of quality, they are not getting optimum prices for the wax and they require a wax extractor.

Brokers have, however, not given up and still entice a few members to sell to them directly thus breaking group rules.

Key challenges facing the group are persistent drought, charcoal burning which interferes with nectar collection by the bees, strong middlemen, numerous charges such as; the Kenya Bureau of Standards annual levy of Sh1,000, public health premises inspection fees of Sh3,000 and medical checkup fee of Sh300 person every six months.

But even with the challenges the beekeepers are soldiering on because the benefits far outweigh the challenges.

“I have gotten a life I never imagined I would live. I am comfortably educating my children, and have extra money left which I invested in fresh produce farming. I look forward to growing more with this initiative,” said Joram Kebaso one of the pioneer members.

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: 25 November 2019; Hits: 13108

Embu farmers turn dry land into pawpaw production venture, earn Sh300,000 a season

A group of 10 farmers in Ishiara, Embu County who were into subsistence maize farming are currently earning a gross income of up to Sh300,000 a season from pawpaw fruits and seedlings production thanks to funds from micro-financier.

The farmers who came together in February 2018 as Vineyard Kilimo farmers are small scale farmers who have been facing challenges with erratic rains in the area which is semi-arid dwindling their harvests.

In addition, some of the group members never went to school and because of the lack of enough funds for farm inputs life has been unbearable for them.

“It has been challenging to provide basic needs for our families including school fees for our children who are at school since maize farming is not promising and the climatic condition of this region is not favorable,” Jactone Mwaniki, the group chairman.

They then decided to venture into a commercial pawpaw and seedling production by approaching Juhudi Kilimo Sacco, a microfinance institution in Kenya that provides financial support to rural smallholder farmers after learning about the institution from other farmers in the neighbouring areas.

They then applied for a loan to start their journey of pawpaw fruits and seedlings farming.

“We were given Sh100,000 loan for the start of the project by the Sacco. This, we decided to channel to farm inputs that include seeds, fertiliser, and irrigation system setups among others,” said Mwaniki.

They were then trained by two Non- Government Organizations called Solidaridad and Heifer International. These organization trained the group on how they can make a profit out farming and the skills and knowledge required pawpaw farming.

pawpaw farmers in the field

Pawpaw farmers attending to their crops. The crop thrives in warm areas with adequate rainfall and a temperature range of 21-33°C. Photo courtesy.

They have a three acres farm located 2km from Ishiara Centre which is known for goat trading and goat meat roasting (nyama choma).

So far, they have a total of three nurseries and each has 2000 seedlings. They also have a total of 500 pawpaw trees on the farm.

They are selling their products to the local people and some of the products are supplied to Nairobi for traders.

“From seedlings, we are getting Sh100,000 per season since one seedling goes for Sh50 and from pawpaw, we get Sh10,000 per week as one kilo is Sh50,” noted Mwaniki.

They sell 300kg of pawpaw fruits in a week and by the end of the month, they get Sh60,000.

The group is motivated by the profit they are constantly making and cheaper production cost which amounts to only Sh50,000.

“Our future plans are to have a five-acre farm of best pawpaw orchard grown organically and to include yellow sweet passion in our farming business,” said Mwaniki.

They are also happy that the crop can be intercropped with coconut, mango or citrus. Low growing annual crops such as capsicums, beans, onions and cabbages are also suitable good intercrops.

During dry season, the farm needs about 40,000 litres to sustain the crop.

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Monday, 16 November 2020 [quote=Wilsonmunyi]Interested in pawpaw farming.. Lives at kamarandi Ishiara.. P...

Sunday, 15 November 2020 Interested in pawpaw farming.. Lives at kamarandi Ishiara.. Please help me on ho...

: 22 November 2019; Hits: 8128

Limuru farmer targets Chinese with unique cabbage to grow income

While other people are condemning the swelling population of the Chinese in Kenya, a Limuru farmer is cashing in on the influx by growing one of the commonest delicacies for these Far East people, the napa cabbage.

A one kilo cabbage head costing about Sh30 in Nairobi at wholesale earns David Muge between Sh60 and Sh70.

The Kiambu farmer opted to turn the growing population of the Chinese in Kenya into an opportunity, to cut into the market that is less penetrated by other farmers.

Although other urbanites consume the napa cabbage, it is an integral vegetable in the delicacy for the Chinese. Apart from the Wakulima and Gikomba market wholesale buyers, Muge delivers orders of the oval cabbage to various Chinese cuisines within Nairobi.

“The common cabbage market is highly competitive especially if one produces after the rains. Cabbages flood the market, and one is forced to sell at low prices. But the napa cabbage does not have a specific time of demand. It is always required,” Muge said.

RELATED CONTENT: Cabbage farming tips for smallholder farmers

napa cabbage

Napa cabbages. Photo specialityproduce.com

Before setting foot into this new territory of farming, the farmer carried out a market reach and consultations. The market research helped him identify the Chinese eateries as potential buyers. In the survey, he also got to know contact persons for such eateries.

RELATED CONTENT: Fact sheet on black rot disease in cabbage

Besides the Chinese, other people from Asia use the leafy head in preparing salads, soups, rolls, taco toppings, kimchee- a spicy Korean dish-, among other delicacies.

In 2012, he started the farming on one acre, which he has increased to four.

Muge bought a 150g pack from Amiran Kenya at Sh700. It was not available hen in most farm input sores because of its unpopularity among locals.

The propagation of napa is the same as that of the ordinary cabbage varieties.

At an interval of about 14 inches and 25 inches, the farmer transplanted the 15,000 seedlings after two weeks, adding 90kg of DAP to the index-finger deep holes.

Top dressing was later done with another 180kg at various intervals to speed up the leaf and head formation.

Just like the other cabbages, napa was invaded from the tenth week by arphids, diamond-blacked moth caterpillars, among others.

Given that leaves are the target surfaces by the pests, he quickly spayed insecticides and managed to harvest at least 10,000 heads after three months.

Most of the heads weighed two kilos while a few ones were one or three,

Under the best climatic conditions, the napa cabbage can yield up to 40 tons per acre.

In fear of losses due to the first entry into the market with the cabbages, he sold them at an average of Sh35 per head to the locals and Sh50 to the Chinese cuisines.

In the second season of 2013, the farmer harvested 35 tons from one acre, which he sold at a wholesale price of Sh32 per kilogramme. He attributes the ‘better’ performance to better crops husbandry. He grows it twice or thrice a year.

“I call the first season an experiment. I learnt from the shortfalls and kept monitoring the vegetables closely to avoid the losses to the pest. Timely spraying waded off the pests early, and less destruction was done,” Muge said.

Unlike the ordinary cabbages, the napa variety grows upwardly, with the closely packed pale green leaves forming an oval ‘standing’ shape.

This Asian crop is highly susceptible to turnip mosaic, and turnip yellow mosaic viruses. The viruses destroy the leaves, leading to stunted growth, deformed or no head folds.

The sweet, crunchy and celery-flavoured leaves of the napa cabbage make it a delicious salad, and source of roughage for other accompanying foods.

Eating 100g of the cabbage give one at least 45 per cent of the daily vitamin C requirement, according to Nutrition and You, an online nutritional factsheet.

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