Smart farms

: 16 October 2018; Hits: 13237

New drought tolerant and pests resistant maize variety gets Sh2.5bn funding

Hybrid maize in Kenya

New maize hybrids branded as TELA maize have been enhanced through biotechnology to improve their drought tolerance and ability to resist attacks by insects. Photo courtesy.

A new insect-resistant and drought-tolerant maize variety in Sub-Saharan Africa has received Sh2.5 billion ($24.6m) grant by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation through African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) for commercialization.

This complements USAID’s ongoing Sh500m ($5m) commitment to the project.

The new maize hybrids branded as TELA maize have been enhanced through biotechnology to improve their drought tolerance and ability to resist attacks by insects.

The seeds have been tested in field trials in Mozambique, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, and Uganda, and shown increased drought tolerance, good protection against stem borers, and partial but significant protection against the newest menace, Fall Armyworm.

The TELA hybrids are yielding on average 30 per cent more than conventional hybrids. When insect attacks are intense, the new hybrids yield 50 per cent more.

Approximately 15 per cent of the maize harvest in East Africa is lost to stem borers each year. The Fall Armyworm threatens to destroy up to 25 per cent more of the harvest.

Drought is becoming more frequent because of climate change. The new maize hybrids offer significant protection from these threats and can help protect the harvest and the livelihoods of African farmers.

Dr. Denis Kyetere, the Executive Director AATF, said the grant would support the organization and its partners in moving the TELA products to smallholder farmers who are most affected by frequent droughts and insect menace.

“This is indeed great news for AATF, smallholder farmers and our partners. We are pleased that the Gates Foundation and USAID value the role of biotechnology in addressing the effects of climate change across the continent. With continued support of various country governments, we believe, we shall offer dependable solutions within five years,” said Dr. Kyetere.

With the grant, AATF and its partners will pursue the regulatory approval and dissemination of the new biotech seeds across the six partner countries in Africa.

The TELA Maize Project builds on progress made from a decade of excellent breeding work under the Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) Project. Through WEMA, 101 conventional drought-tolerant maize hybrids (Drought TEGO) and five TELA hybrids have been released for commercialisation in the various countries with the TELA hybrids released in South Africa.

The Project partners include National Agriculture Research systems in the six countries (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Mozambique and South Africa), Monsanto, CIMMYT and African seed companies. AATF coordinates the partnership.

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: 15 October 2018; Hits: 11098

Refugee changing her life by growing sweet potato, okra and kale in her camp kitchen garden

Scofia Sadik ManderaKalobeyei Integrated Settlement Sarah Sikatenda, a refugee from Democratic Republic of Congo, now farms to feed her family and build a future. Photo: Sven G. Simonsen/ FAO.

A middle aged woman who a year ago decided to wisely utilise a space allocated to her in Kalobeyei Integrated Settlement, an extension of the vast Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya is now able to eat well thanks to sweet potato, okra and kale among other farming ventures she involves in.

“My life is so different now,” says 23-year-old Scofia Sadik Mandera, with a big smile on her face. “We have vegetables to eat, we have a balanced diet. I have more energy.” Over the past year, Scofia has grown her own kitchen garden – one of more than 7 000 in the Kalobeyei refugee camp in northern Kenya.

The camp was established in 2016. It is now home to nearly 40 000 people and itself houses 145 000 residents. Ever since the camp was built, FAO has supported agricultural activities at Kalobeyei as a way of improving the self-reliance of both the refugees, and the host population who live around the camp.

Fresh, nutritious and home-grown

Each refugee in Kalobeyei is expected to survive on a monthly cash budget of USD14, which does not go far in purchasing fresh, nutritious foods in the market. As an alternative, FAO has supported refugee households by equipping them with seeds, tools and manure, as well as a training scheme that enables them to set up their own kitchen gardens.

“The garden provides enough food for me not to have to buy vegetables at the market, so I’m very happy,” says Scofia. A refugee from South Sudan with a background in farming, she lives here with her two-year-old son Samuel.

“During the long rains, I grew sweet potato, okra and kale. Now I’ve planted watermelon and sweet potato,” Scofia explains.

Water is very scarce in this region, and Kalobeyei households receive only 15 litres per person per day. All they have to irrigate their gardens is household wastewater. Some houses also have tanks that collect rainwater off the roof of their houses.

RELATED ARTICLE: Climate refugees, Kenya’s ticking time bomb

‘Stranded and confused’

Sarah Sikatenda, 37, is Scofia’s friend and next-door neighbour. A refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo, she too has a farming background. She lives with her husband Didier and their five children, the youngest of whom are two-year-old twins.

“When we first came here a year ago, I felt stranded and confused. And I didn’t know how I could farm here,” she says. “But then I met an FAO field officer who showed me the opportunities and I was able to attend several training sessions. I am so thankful for what they have done for me and my family.”

Currently Sarah’s kitchen garden is quite dry due to the lack of water. “During the rainy season, I was able to harvest vegetables, cowpeas, okra and sweet potato,” she says. “Our priority is family consumption, but I was also able to sell some of my produce on to other families,” she adds.

Scofia Sadik Mandera Kalobeyei Integrated Settlement

During the rainy season, Sarah was able to harvest vegetables, cowpeas, okra and sweet potato. Photo: Sven G. Simonsen/ FAO.

Integrating with the host populatio

Alongside 750 other households – consisting of both refugee and host population – Scofia and Sarah also have a plot of land not far from where they live. It forms part of a 400-hectare area that has been set aside for agriculture. All of the households participating in this scheme have received FAO support in the form of seeds, tools and training.

The purpose of this is to bring the two populations together as much as possible – and it seems to work well. “We’re in the field together; we work, chat, and learn from each other. It’s nice,” Scofia remarks.

Last season Scofia and Sarah both cultivated their plots here for the first time. Sarah lost most of her crop to locusts and drought and Scofia harvested a modest 15 kg of sorghum from her plot, but they are hoping for better harvests in the future.,.

“We never lose morale,” Sarah stresses. “Back home, too, sometimes we had a failed crop. The soil here is as fertile as it was there; the only difference is the water.”

In the past, both women used to plant by “broadcasting” the seeds: that is, scattering them over the ground. Now they have learnt to plant in rows, which is more labour-intensive but makes for a bigger and better harvest.

Dreams for the future

When we ask about her dreams for the future, Sarah thinks for a moment: “I dream of being able to plant my crops and harvest so much that I can even sell my produce to towns nearby.”

And if she were able to return home to Democratic Republic of Congo, would she be farming differently after learning so much here?

“Yes I would. And I would teach others too!”

By investing in people’s livelihoods, FAO is empowering them to take action and be a part of the global goal to achieve Zero Hunger.

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: 15 October 2018; Hits: 7686

Hungarian government set to offer innovative solutions that will boost food production in Kenya

The efforts by the Kenyan government to enhance food security and sustainable agriculture as part of its big four agenda has received a major boost from the Hungarian Government which has presented an organic water retainer solution in the Mount Kenya region.

The facility of the Hungarian innovation known as water retainer will not only prevent wastage of water but will also multiply its beneficial effects. The new technology will protect and give new life to soil and in turn to plants.

It also sets to save irrigation water by up to 50 per cent as well as increases yield and crop health in rain-fed cultivation while reducing loss of moisture through evaporation from the soil and regulates soil water balance, thereby increasing endurance of crops during drought.

As part of the increased dynamics in agricultural cooperation between Kenya and Hungary, the Embassy of Hungary is planning to set up a demonstration farm for value based Hungarian agricultural solutions that will improve the country’s food security.

While officially launching the water retainer at HortiCrop Research Farm in Mwea, Kirinyaga County over the weekend, Hungarian Deputy Minister for Agriculture Zsolt Demkó-Belánszky said the proposed demo farm will act as an entry point for Hungarian technologies where Kenyans will have a chance to experience the organic, biodegradable fertilizers, pesticides, soil conditioners that have made Hungary into an agricultural powerhouse in Europe.

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Hungarian Deputy Minister for Agriculture Zsolt Demkó Belánszky

Hungarian Deputy Minister for Agriculture Demkó-Belánszky. Courtesy

“Hungary is a leader in organic, GMO-free agriculture research and production as a result we would like to share our expertise and know-how with Kenya as it makes efforts to increase food security and self-sustainable for its population”, Demkó-Belánszky said.

The Deputy Minister for Agriculture said his Ministry was already working on a project that may establish a permanent outpost for introducing Hungarian agricultural innovation to the Kenyan market.

“Together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, as well as with relevant Hungarian stakeholders we have proposed to establish a model farm in Kenya that will be able to showcase what the cooperation between Hungary and Kenya can offer to Kenyan farmers, researchers, and entrepreneurs”, he stated

He said the farm in Mwea will act as a catalyst for cooperation between the two countries by providing a place for Hungarian innovators who would like to participate in developing the Kenyan agriculture by utilizing Hungarian know-how and revolutionize irrigation and farming in Kenya, setting a benchmark for organic, health-conscious agriculture in the East-African region.

The water retainer innovation has undergone government inspection body KEPHIS to ascertain its healthy standards for any living organism. The product will be distributed to farmers by Twiga Chemical Industries Limited, its local distributor in Kenya.

Water-scarcity concerns have seen the Hungarian government set up a 200m EUR fund to foster the implementation of technological innovations in infrastructure development across the globe with the aim of utilizing water resources in more efficient ways.

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