Smart farms

: 04 June 2018; Hits: 15747

KALRO launches 14 more mobile applications for different crops production

KALRO APPS

Screen shot of a banana app by KALRO.

The Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) in partnership with USAID last week Tuesday launched 14 more mobile application platforms which are set to help farmers in production of different types of crops to add up on the apps which were introduced last year.

In April last year KALRO launched dryland crops, indigenous chicken and range pastures seed production mobile apps which has witnessed over 60,000 downloads of which a half were done by various international users.

“It is encouraging by among other things the number of downloads by various users from the country and beyond interested in these apps for their production activities. In fact more than a half of them came from countries such as the Us, Russia, Assia, UK and India,” said Simon Mulwa, KALRO ICT officer.

“This number is even bigger if we were to include those people who received the apps manually from others who have downloaded them. During last year’s Nairobi International Agricultural Trade Fair alone, we shared the three apps with over 600 farmers who visited our stand indicating how farmers are thirsty for the information.”

The fourteen apps launched on Tuesday include Avocado, banana, garlic, guava, pomegranate and spider flower production, FAW, GLS, MLN and PCN disease control apps. Others are mahindi-bora Kenya highlands, new KALRO cowpea varieties and guideline on production of medicated feed blocks.

The apps give step by step information on how to manage avocado, banana, garlic, spider flower and cassava farming. It touches on critical aspects from planting to harvesting and marketing besides informing farmers how to identify and control diseases which attack the crops.

According to the KALRO’ s ICT Department, the apps if well used by farmers will help ease their work by cutting cost and time of production hence improving yields.

“Our goal is to create impact through transfer of technologies that enhance agricultural productivity, commercialization, trade and improved nutrition,” said Mulwa during East Africa Farmers Digital conference.

We have also realized that most smallholder farmers run their farm production activities without expertise knowledge while big players in the sector rely on data which is could be expensive for the small-scale farmers hence they run into production and marketing problems.

RELATED NEWS: KALRO launches online farmer platforms

For banana production for example, the app gives various varieties of tissue culture bananas and their characteristics, target production areas, temperature and water requirements, site selection and land preparation, planting requirements, and pest and diseases management.

Finally, it has banana harvesting, post-harvesting storage and market information.

Farmers can download all the apps from play store provided they have a smart phone and internet connection.

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: 04 June 2018; Hits: 10519

Kenyan flower farmers to earn 10 times more thanks to direct flights to the USA

Kenyan flower farmers are set to earn up to Sh10bn up from one billion shillings following the launch of direct flights to the United States of America set for October this year according a statement to the Kenya Flower Council.

The Kenya Airways will launch the inaugural flight on October 28^th and this will cut travel time by more than seven hours. The planes will land at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.

This comes at a time when the value of horticulture exports increased by 13.6 per cent from Sh101.5bn in 2016 to Sh115.3bn in 2017 according to the 2018 economic survey released by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics in April this year. Export volumes increased by 11.6 per cent to 159,961 tonnes.

In this, cut flowers accounted for 71.3 per cent of the value of horticulture exports with earnings increasing to Sh82.24bn from Sh70.83b in 2016.

Organic folia feed stops premature falling of flowers and fruits

Nyandarua farmers growing popular flowers for export

Currently, the European Union is the major export for Kenyan flowers accounting for 38 per cent of the total market share.

The USA accounts for 0.4 per cent of the existing market share.

kenyan flowers

Kenyan flowers packaged for export. Photo: courtesy

In the EU, the United Kingdom, France, Netherlands, Germany, France and Switzerland and the main market destinations according to the Kenya Flower Council.

In 2017, the number of licensed flower export companies increased from 356 recorded in 2016.

In February this year, the Kenya Horticulture Council has adopted 1758 standards for flowers which require growers, propagators, breeders, consolidators, shippers, and cargo handlers to observe hygienic and safety requirements during the production, handling, and marketing of flowers and ornamentals.

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: 30 May 2018; Hits: 10347

North Rift farmers earn Sh2.3bn from milk sales to Brookside

milk dairy1 Brookside upgraded its milk cooling and processing plants to ensure that there is nil down-time in its production plans. Photo NMG.

North Rift region dairy farmers earned Sh2.3bn from raw milk the farmers sold to Brookside Dairy last year indicating a six per cent rise in earnings this is after diversifying their farming ventures to avoid over-reliance on maize and wheat production which the region is well known for.

Maize production in Uasin Gishu County dropped from 4.4 million to 3.7 million bags in January this year harvesting season while wheat yield reduced to 430,000 bags from 466,000 bags in 2017. This was attributed to the outbreak of fall armyworms led to increased cost of production and low yield while heavy rains during harvest period resulted in rotting of the crop, according to the county agricultural ministry.

More farmers in the region are now adopting the dairy enterprise as Brookside and other milk processors such as New KCCC and Daima intensify milk hunt in the area by setting cooling facilities in Nandi, Uasin Gishu, Trans Nzoia and West Pokot counties cooling centres.

New KCC, for example, last year completed an upgrade of its Eldoret UHT factory, as it intends to expand its footprint in the region.

According to Brookside’s milk procurement director, John Gethi, the increase in the sales were spurred by the upping in price of farm gate prices to Sh37 indicating a 42 per cent increase in buying prince that has enticed farmers.

“Besides increasing our intake prices, the company has also upgraded its milk cooling and processing plants in the region and other places to ensure that there is nil down-time in its production plans,” said Gethi.

The company has 300 dairy groups and 160,000 farmers across the country who have been put on milk supply contracts to assure the farmers that the company shall procure 100 per cent of volumes as stated in the contract document.

Milk production has risen by 25 per cent due to the current rains being experienced in the country, according to Kenya Dairy Board (KDB).

The dairy industry accounts for 14 per cent of agricultural GDP and 6-8 per cent of the country’s GDP. According to USAID the industry generates an estimated one million jobs at farm level and an additional 500,000 in direct waged employment and another 750,000 jobs in support services.

KBD in January this year launched the fourth cycle strategic plan for 2017 to 2022 that will also address challenges caused by seasonality of milk production and give guidelines on how to make milk safe and ensure its quality.

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