Smart farms

: 18 April 2019; Hits: 8282

New bean varieties that use less water to help farmers beat drought effects

Smallholder farmers in Kenya can beat the current drought effects by growing drought tolerant beans that require less water and mature in two months ready for harvesting.

According to the Kenya Meteorological Department, the long season rains which normally begin from March to May have delayed due to the tropical cyclone Idai which has redirected moisture away from the East African region.

“KAT Bean 9, KAT Bean X69, KAT Bean 1 and KAT Bean X65 mature within two months, as opposed to normal varieties which take up to 90 days, the varieties withstand water shortage even in states where ordinary varieties cannot survive,” said David Karanja, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Organisation National Coordinator for Grains and Legumes.

The export market, especially to the European Union, remains lucrative with a total demand exceeding 30,000 metric tonnes per year.

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Beans at the flowering stage.

Karanja said the new varieties are an opportunity for both small and large-scale farmers to reap returns within the shortest time possible.

In this, a farmer can harvest between 400 kg and 700 kg from one acre. And prices of the beans would be higher by about 20 per cent when compared to the ordinary breeds in the market. The beans are preferred for export after packaging, canning and saucing.

“When digested the beans cannot cause flatulence when compared to other varieties, they are also easy to prepare into snacks after pre-cooking,” said Karanja.

“Urban populations do not have much time to cook beans, but the varieties are handy- they cook for maximum of 15 minutes compared to two hours for the ordinary ones. The pre-cocked characteristic makes them energy and time efficient, therefore, standing out from the rest,” he said.

According to the 2018 Economic Survey report, production of beans increased by 16 per cent from 8.1m bags in 2016 to 9.4mbags in 2017.

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: 17 April 2019; Hits: 10788

Persistent watermelon farmer rakes over Sh900,000 a season despite losing all at first attempt

Zachariah Onchuri watermelon farmer Malindi

Zachariah Onchuri, a watermelon farmer in Malindi County is earning over Sh90,000 net profit a season from the venture he started in 2010 after persistently defying all odds to continue growing the fruit despite losing Sh11,000 he invested in the first attempt due to lack of enough knowhow in farming.

Before venturing into watermelon farming, Onchuri was hawking pineapples, watermelon, and sugarcane in the coastal town in May 2009, a business he was introduced by a friend. Of these fruits watermelon was the most earning fruit according to him.

“I used to make Sh500 a day from watermelon sales as it was loved most by consumers and I would always run out of stock even when the demand still high leaving me with nothing to sell,” said Onchuri.

The fact that people loved eating watermelon inspired him to the thought of beginning farming the fruit. In September 2010 he joined another friend at Chakama, Malindi who leased him a quarter acre farm at Sh2,000, bought watermelon seeds at Sh5,000 and some drugs at Sh4,000 from his savings to start off his new venture.

Unfortunately at the end of that season, he lost everything to diseases given he had no knowledge in growing the crop and had not thought of asking from experienced farmers around.

“At a time I was expecting my first fruits in December that year, I realised the produce were still very small and unhealthy while others were withering away. There was no hope on them so I destroyed everything to start afresh.” Said the Journalism and Mass Communication course dropout from Elgon View College’s Eldoret Main Campus in 2009 January.

Having lost everything from his first trial, Onchuri was forced to ask for a Sh50,000 loan from his mother whom he says did not know her son had started farming.

Then the friend who had leased him a quarter piece of plot gave him another a half acre farm to start off a fresh with a promise that he would pay him in case of good harvest.

After visiting some experienced farmers around for consultations, he grew watermelon again in mid-January using the friend’s generator water pump to draw water from Athi River which the farm was closer to water his tender crops through the dry season.

By mid-March 2011, he harvested about six tonnes of watermelon which he would take to markets in Malindi and Kilifi to sell by himself at Sh40 per kilo without passing through middlemen hence making full profit.

“At the end of that season I made Sh200,000 gross income remaining with Sh140,000 after expenses and this has since motivated me,” said Onchuri.

Today the young farmer has over 47 acres of land under rotation watermelon farming at Chakama and Garsen in Malindi. He produces 10-17 tonnes of the crop per acre selling on order to wholesalers from Mombasa, Malindi Kilifi and Nairobi at Sh60 per kilo.

This rakes him between Sh900,000 and Sh1.2m clean net income after farm expenses, siblings school fees and some on his mother’s needs.

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He has since become watermelon farming consultant offering the service for free to farmers in various parts of the country and in neighbouring countries such as Tanzania and Uganda.

“I believe that sharing information among farmers can not only help in increasing yields and income but also enable starters chose the right agribusiness to venture in for better returns. This is why I do it for free,” he said.

Photo: Zachariah Onchuri (left) with his colleagues at his watermelon farm in Malindi. Photo courtesy.

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: 17 April 2019; Hits: 11986

New feed technology that increases weaning weight by 2.7kg in pigs

piglets Piglets. Photo courtesy.

Cooper K-Brands Ltd (CKL), an animal health company in East and Central Africa has introduced a new technology dubbed Diamond V Fermentation Technology used to create all-natural, nutritional health products that boosts pigs’ weaning weight by 2.7kg than the ordinary feeds.

The technology is centered around microbial anaerobic fermentation that metabolites bioactive compounds synthesized during the fermentation process that are highly stable making a totally unique method.

The resultant functional metabolites or bioactive compounds comprises of organic acids, antioxidants (polyphenols), nucleotides, peptides or proteins, vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates among others.

“The unique metabolites created through this exclusive fermentation process improves health and performance of animals especially in pigs during their gestation and lactation period.”

During the period it enhances immune function, gut microbial balance and activity and improves intestinal morphology.

In sows, an adult female pigs that have farrowed one or more litters, Diamond XPC help increase litter size, weaning weight and reductions in fecal Clostridia perfringens while in nursery pigs it improves gut health, reduces need for injectable antibiotic treatments and improves performance.

In addition, Diamond V Fermentation Technology also helps in overcoming today’s swine disease and stress challenges by offering stable gut environment under all conditions, during every phase of production.

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Healthy populations of beneficial gut bacteria help pigs resist stress and perform better.

Researchers assert that Diamond V’s unique product technologies support swine health and performance throughout the production cycle. These natural technologies have multiple modes of action that promote beneficial bacteria in the gut, improve overall gut integrity, and support a balanced immune system.

Cooper K-Brands Ltd (CKL), can be reached on +25420420600/722209840/734330044

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