Smart farms

: 29 April 2019; Hits: 9006

Youth from Eastern, Central and Western Kenya regions to benefit from Sh14bn fund for fish production to curb deficit

pond fish farming Farmer feeding his fish at a farm in western Kenya. The country produces 135,000 tonnes against the demand of 500,000 tonnes annually. Photo courtesy.

Youth from 15 counties in Eastern, Central and Western regions are set to benefit from Sh14bn funding by the national government in collaboration with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to help increase fish production in the country to curb biting shortage.

In January this year the Kenyan department of fisheries lifted a ban on the import of fish from China which was imposed last year November to boost supply to bridge the demand deficit.

Kenya produces an estimated 135,000 tonnes annual against an annual demand of 500,000 tonnes. The country also imports approximately 1.8 million kilogramme of fish every month.

Last year alone, the country’s fish imports from China hit Sh1.7 billion.

RELATED CONTENT: Why fish production is declining in Kenya

The Sh14bn kitty is, therefore, will help in the purchase of fish fingerlings, feeds and construction of ponds besides training youth groups on the best fish farming practices.

It will be channeled through a programme dubbed Aquaculture Business Development which will also provide the youths with fish fingerlings and feeds for their fish ponds along with financial capital to engage in the whole aquaculture value chain in a bid to generate additional income.

The 15 counties targeted are said to have a high concentration of aquaculture activities and existing fishing infrastructure hence will make it easy for the programme rolls out.

The counties governments have been urged to support the programme by allocating complementary funds to aquaculture.

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: 26 April 2019; Hits: 10841

Government to offer internship to agricultural graduates, equipping them with practical skills in farming

DP Ruto hands over cert to grad DP Ruto handing over a certificate to a graduate. The government will from July start offering internships to graduates from agricultural colleges across the country. Photo courtesy.

The Kenyan government will start offering internship from agricultural graduates from different colleges across the country beginning July this year to help them acquire hands-on skills in food production making the sector more profitable.

According to the Deputy President, William Samoei Ruto’s official twitter handle, the programme is aimed at making agricultural in the country attractive for the fresh graduates and more profitable.

“The government continue to lay modern infrastructure to ensure quality learning, equip youth with contemporary skills that will benefit our economy,” read the tweet.

This seems similar to a programme President Uhuru Kenyatta and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed early 2016 to enable fresh graduates from various higher learning institutions to attend an 11 months practical training course in Israel.

The agreement or programme dubbed “The Jerusalem Declaration” or the “Declaration on Collaboration in Water and Irrigation” has seen a number of youth gain practical skills in different crops production enabling them to earn a living.

Peter Kimani Gitau, 25, is among the 101 such students who benefited from such trip in 2016 at the Arava International Center for Agriculture Training (AICAT) in Sapir, Israel.

He has since 2017 ventured into short-term-crops such as cucumber and tomato production in Kiambu County earning him Sh760,000 net profit a season.

The deputy president also opened Bukura Agricultural College Education Complex in Kakamega County yesterday. The college was constructed by the government at a cost of Sh200m.

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: 25 April 2019; Hits: 9592

Former IEBC clerk who invested Sh20,000 in pawpaw farming has no regrets

pawpaw farm

A former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) clerk after leaving the job in 2017 invested Sh20,000 in pawpaw farming, a venture which is currently earning him between Sh50,000-80,000 in every month.

Moffat Ondieki worked for the electoral body on a temporary basis in the past general election period as a clerk at Gucha Constituency in Kisii County, a job which he used to earn Sh1,200 per day the money he saved its better part.

“I had to do my savings well as the contract was within the electoral period. Though by the time I did not know what I would have used the money for, farming could have been my best option as I have had the passion since my childhood,” said Ondieki.

After 2017 elections he spent Sh7,000 on land preparation and other labour, Sh3,000 on seeds and about Sh2,800 on 50kg of fertiliser. The rest would be used in planting and weeding which takes Sh5,000 every time the farm is weedy.

By April 2018, he started planting from the nursery the seedlings on a one acre family land. Within a month he had planted over 500 seedlings.

“I had timed the onset of the long rains to plant the fruits as they need more water to establish during the planting period. April being the onset of the long-rains was therefore an ideal period,” said Ondieki.

After one year, the maturity period of the fruits, Mokaya would start harvesting his first crops after every three months leaving them enough time to increase in number.

His challenges include pests that attack his crops mainly during early stages, which force him to spend a lot of money on pesticides.

Bad roads that may see him transport the fruits to Daraja Mbili Market in Kisii Town is also another challenge hence he invites trader to his farm to avoid transport expenses.

“I have resorted to orders by small business people such as ‘mama mboga’ who place their demand when I am harvesting then come to pick the fruits for market,” said Ondieki.

He harvests a tortal of 1,000 fruits every month which he sell at between Sh50-80 per fruit depending on demand and supply. This translates to at least Sh50,000 gross income per month.

RELATED ARTICLE: Pawpaw gives 40 fruits per tree

Ondieki is now thinking of increasing the acreage under the crop and also venture into other short-term maturing crops which are also easy to transport for quick and more cash.

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