Smart farms

: 19 March 2019; Hits: 15516

Farmer harvesting strawberries all year round from multi-storey gardening

strawberry farming on multi storey garden

Daniel Gitau, a strawberry farmer from Gatundu Sounth Sub-County, Kiambu County is continuously harvesting strawberry fruits all year round from his multi-storey gardens within his quarter acre piece of plot thanks to the new technology which requires limited water to irrigate the crops as oposed to open field.

According to Gitau, multi-storey gardens conserve irrigation water as the staking help minimize evaporation and a farmer can only water crops for up to thrice a week.

“One such garden can take a maximum of 20 litres of water once or twice a week depending on the weather.” Said the 2013 Farming Wonder founder.

According to a research by experts from the Department of Agricultural Science and Technology, Kenyatta University on Challenges in Strawberry Seedling Production in Kenya, strawberry can grow in almost any part of Kenya as long as there is a constant supply of water and temperatures not below 10 degrees or above 30 degrees.

Gitau’s multi-storey gardens are constructed using dam liner materials with a thickness of 0.5-1mm which are cut into different sizes and fastened using bolts and nuts at the ends to form circular rings with a diameter of 4ft.

These rings reduces in size by 2 inch upwards to make layers of stakes with a wider base and a narrow top forming a pyramid-shaped structure with terraces. He plants crops at the top and the terraces on a mixture of soil and less acidic fine goats’ manure on a 50:50 ratio.

“One multi-storey garden occupies a space of 4sqft and it can accommodate between 120 and 130 plants on a six inches spacing depending on the type of vegetable and fruit planted,” said Gitau.

From his 250 multi-storey gardens of which some he grows other crops such as onions, kales, spinach, and some indigenous vegetables, he harvests 50kg of strawberries per week at peak season such as now when the weather is warm.

He then packs them into punnets. “A punnet of strawberry fruits sells at Sh100 farm gate price and Sh120 a punnet in the market in Nairobi and Kiambu,” he said.

Markets

Although a ready market exists with high demand especially in urban areas, strawberries are in short supply and highly costly in Kenya’s markets. Besides local demand substantial markets exist for strawberries in foreign markets, especially in the European Union.

According to National Farmers Information Service (NAFIS), strawberries are sold in supermarkets such as Tuskey, Uchumi, Nakumat and Naivas among others.

Hotels, hospitals and green grocers, food and milk processors are some of the other big buyers of the fruits.

Market price ranges from Sh50–120 per gram and Sh200–480 per kilo.

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: 18 March 2019; Hits: 7775

Long rains set for the fourth week of March, says Weatherman

The long season rains are set to begin in the fourth week of March in Kenya’s bread baskets of Rift Valley and the Central region according to the Kenya Meteorological Department.

According to the International Water Management Institute, rain fed agriculture accounts for 95 per cent of farmed land in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The western highlands (Kitale, Kericho, Nandi, Eldoret, Kakamega), Lake Basin (Kisumu, Kisii, Busia), Central Rift Valley (Narok, Nakuru, Naivasha), Highlands East of the Rift Valley (Nyeri, Embu, Meru, Murang’a, Kiambu), Nairobi Area (Dagoretti, Wilson, Eastleigh), Southeastern Kenya (Machakos, Makindu, Voi, Taita Taveta), and the Southern Coastal strip(Mombasa, Mtwapa, parts of Kilifi): are likely to receive near normal to above normal rainfall in the fourth week of March.

Maize, beans, coffee, tea are some of the crops grown in the western highlands, Lake Basin region and the highlands East of Rift Valley.

However,the Northwestern Kenya (Lodwar, Lokichoggio, Lokitaung etc), Northern Kenya (Marsabit, Moyale, North Horr) and Northeastern Kenya (Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, El Wak, Garbatulla) and Northern Coastal Strip (Malindi, Lamu, parts of Kilifi): are likely to remain generally sunny and dry for most of the month of March. Occasional light to moderate rainfall is nevertheless likely especially towards the end of the month.

Drip irrigation enables farmers to cultivate more with a few drops

Water harvesting saves an 84 years old Machakos farmer as peers suffer during drought

land preparation

Smallholder farmers preparing their land in readiness for long season rains. Courtesy

The Economic Survey 2018 report reveals that dry weather conditions in the 2017 season led to a decline in production of most agricultural commodities during the year. In this, overall, marketed agricultural production registered a decelerated growth of 8.1 per cent in 2017, from the 10.8 per cent growth reported in 2016.

Earnings from marketed wheat for instance reduced by 33.8 per cent from eight billion shillings in 2016 to Sh5.3bn in 2017. The value of marketed coffee decreased marginally from Sh16.2bn in 2016 to Sh16bn in 2017. The value of marketed milk declined by 8.7 per cent from Sh22.9bn in 2016 to Sh20.9bn in 2017.

According to the State Department of Irrigation, Kenya’s irrigation-based farming is still limited. Of the total land area under agriculture, 2.9m ha, irrigation accounts for only four per cent but contributes to three per cent of the GDP and provides 18 per cent of the value of all agricultural produce, demonstrating it’s potential in increasing agricultural production and productivity.

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: 15 March 2019; Hits: 8435

Government to distribute one million bags of subsidised fertiliser to smallholder farmers as planting season begins

The Kenyan government through the National Cereals and Produce Board is set to distribute one million bags of subsidized fertilizer to smallholder farmers in preparation for the long season rains from March to May.

A 50kg bag of Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) used at planting will be sold to farmers at Sh1800 compared to Sh3,000 to Sh3,300 current market prices.

Farmers can access the fertilizer by visiting the nearest National Cereals and Produce Board depots within their regions.

In this, farmers will be expected to fill in a form indicating the acreage and the types of crops they intend to grow and the quantity of fertilizer to be purchased. They must also have registered with the ministry of agriculture.

Of the one million bags, 635,000 were purchased under the Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (OGOA) while 400,000 bags were from previous imports into the country.

Our fertilizer is clean, says world’s largest fertilizer distributor

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fertilizer subsidy

Government subsidised fertiliser at the National Cereals and Produce Board depot. Photo/file.

In 2018, the government distributed 2.3m bags of subsidized fertilizer to farmers. However, this year there have been delays in procuring fertilizer worth two billion shillings due to procurement delays.

“The National Cereals Produce Board typically helps in the supply of the subsidised fertilizer but now that there will be delayed importation to June, the prices are likely to skyrocket during the planting season which has already began,” said Kipkorir Menjo, the director of the Kenya Farmers Association, Eldoret.

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