Smart farms

: 02 July 2018; Hits: 10730

Kenya government plans to revive local sugar industries in bid to save ailing sector

The Kenyan government last week announced plans to revive the local public sugar industries at a time the quantity of cane delivered to factories reduced by 33.3 per cent from 7.2m tonnes in 2016 to 4.8m tonnes in 2017 according to the 2018 economic survey report released by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics in April.

In this, the ministry of agriculture will write off debts accrued by the sugar millers in addition to re-introducing the sugar development levy for cane research and infrastructural development.

Some of the local sugar millers include Mumias, West Kenya, Chemelil, Muhoroni and Kibos.

In May, Muhoroni Sugar factory was closed down due to tax arrears amounting to Sh861m thus affecting 23,000 farmers who were supplying cane to the miller.

76,000 farmers abandon sugarcane farming in Mumias

Enterprising youth earns from sugarcane juice

butali

Butali Sugar Mills Ltd in Kakamega County. Photo: Courtesy

The national and county governments will work hand in hand with the Privatization Commission to develop a road map to guide cane development to benefit farmers.

The area under cane also reduced to 191.2 thousand hectares last year compared to 220.8 thousand hectares in 2016.

The reduction in cane area last year was attributable to conversion of some area under cane to other crops such as maize, soya beans and groundnuts.

This was on account of prolonged dry weather conditions which were unfavourable for the growth of cane leading to harvesting of immature cane. As a result, the average sugarcane yield reduced to 55.3 tonnes per hectare in 2017 compared to 62.2 tonnes per hectare in 2016, representing a decrease of 10.9 per cent.

The total domestic sugar production declined by 41.2 per cent from 639.7 thousand tonnes in 2016 to 376.1 thousand tonnes in 2017. A total of 989.6 thousand tonnes of sugar was imported in 2017 to bridge the deficit occasioned by the low production during the year. Most of the sugar imports were meant for final consumption at 83.1 per cent of total sugar imports.

However, sugar imports in the first five months this year have dropped by an average of 50 per cent from 183,556 tonnes in the similar period in 2017 to 80,956 tonnes according to the Sugar Directorate.

Over 500,000 tonnes of contraband sugar have so far been confiscated in the ongoing crackdown on sale of contaminated sugar in the market.

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: 25 June 2018; Hits: 15006

Jaramogi University recruiting farmers to rear crickets

Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University is recruiting farmers to rear crickets as an alternative source of food at a time when maize, Kenya’s staple food is recording a decline in production due to Fall Army worm infestation and the lethal necrosis disease.

According to World Bank, Kenya’s population is projected to reach 85m people from the current 47m by 2050. Escalating food insecurity, growing demanding consumers and environmental concerns have thus necessitated the search for alternative protein source to supplement or replace conventional protein sources such as livestock meat.

“Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University is recruiting farmers in an educational program that involves teaching, research, product development and commercialization related to crickets as food and feeds across Kenya and Africa at large,” said John Odero, an agronomist at the university.

“Edible insects such as crickets are resilient to climatic changes and emit considerably less amounts of green gases and they are also available in all seasons,”

Related

Cricket farming for value addition

Eating crickets can end malnutrition in children

JKUAT trains farmers on cricket farming

cricket farming in Kenya FAO A handful of crickets

JOUUST has established the Africa Center of Excellence in Sustainable use of Insects as Food and Feeds (INSEFOODS) with funding from the World Bank.

In this, interested farmers will be trained on the whole process of rearing crickets from the start until they mature and afterwards the university will buy the insects from farmers at Sh5,000 per kilogram thereby providing ready market for farmers.

The research center then adds value to crickets by producing products such as biscuits and cricket flour which are then sold to the local markets as well as for exports.

A 50g packet of cricket biscuits for instance retails at Sh200.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the global food crisis and malnutrition would be solved if poor families have access to inexpensive food items produced at the household level. The environment would also improve through reducing livestock farming and increasing farming of edible insects.

Crickets have a high nutritional value of over 60g/100g dry weight basis, this is higher than that of soybean ( 49 per cent dry weight basis) and beef (36 per cent dry weight basis), which are among the common conventional sources of proteins.

The Materials required in setting up a basic cricket farm

They include two plastic storage containers - 'Rubbermaid' or similar (Breeding containers), three medium sweater boxes (rearing containers), six - 500 ml (one pint) plastic tubs (nesting and food containers), egg 'flats', heat pad (optional) - medical types available at most drug stores work well.

Others are a water dispenser ( small chick waterer sare available at feed shops or specialty pet shops), jar lid, quilt batting or plastic scouring pad and aluminum mosquito screening

The cost to establish a basic system is about Sh3000 inclusive of the initial cost of breeding the colony. To start such a colony at least 200 crickets are required

Crickets mature after three months and a 40ft by 20ft piece of land can accommodate 100 crickets which can earn Sh70,000 in three months meaning farmers can earn up to Sh280,000 per year compared to an average of Sh90,000 on an acre of maize earned in six months.

Interested farmers can call John Odero on +254 713 348 411.

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: 25 June 2018; Hits: 14734

Government signs financial agreement with an international funding organization to boost fish farming in Kenya

fish ponds cropped

More than 35,000 rural households in Kenya will soon be eating better and earning more money thanks to a new financial agreement signed on Friday las week by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Republic of Kenya in support of the country’s aquaculture sector.

With some 10 million Kenyans suffering from chronic food insecurity and poor nutrition, the new agreement provides financial support to the Aquaculture Business Development Programme and related activities designed to promote fish production in an economically and environmentally sustainable manner in 15 target counties.

The total cost of the programme is US$143.3 million, including a $40.0 million loan from IFAD. The programme will be co-financed by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations ($400,000), the Government of Kenya ($31.4 million) and by the beneficiaries themselves ($43.6 million). The financing gap of $27.9 million will be covered from future IFAD financing rounds or by potential co-financing partners.

The financial agreement, signed in Rome by Gilbert F. Houngbo, President of IFAD, and Harriet M. Nduma, Charge d’affaires a.i. of the Embassy of the Republic of Kenya, will go a long way to improving food security and reducing poverty in rural areas where 75 percent of Kenyans live.

The programme’s goals are to assist thousands of smallholder farmers in becoming profitable fish producers or village-level providers of support services within value chains in counties that already have the aquaculture-related infrastructure, adequate water resources, marketing potential, and high poverty rates.

The proposed approach blends public- and private-sector investments in the aquaculture value chain with community-wide initiatives that promote good nutrition and food security through education and better access to affordable foods.

The new programme will pay special attention to women and youth. For example, while women are engaged in most areas of fish value chains, recent studies show that men receive a larger share of the benefits. Youth unemployment is also very high in rural areas and it’s hoped the new programme will slow outward migration.

Since 1979, IFAD has financed 18 rural development programmes and projects in Kenya at a total cost of $819.3 million, with an IFAD investment of $376.3 million. These projects have directly benefitted more than 4.3 million rural households.

IFAD has invested in rural people for 40 years, empowering them to reduce poverty, increase food security, improve nutrition and strengthen resilience. Since 1978, we have provided about US$20.2 billion in grants and low-interest loans to projects that have reached some 476 million people. IFAD is an international financial institution and a specialized United Nations agency based in Rome – the UN’s food and agriculture hub.

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Monday, 11 January 2021 [quote=Daniel]How does one Aquire these loans[/quote] Hi Daniel, get in contact...

Saturday, 09 January 2021 How does one Aquire these loans