Smart farms

: 30 May 2018; Hits: 13795

Taita Taveta County launches cow, sheep and goats auction to boost farmers' income

The Taita County government has launched a goat and cattle auction to boost livestock production in the region at time when the number of cattle, goats and sheep slaughtered increased by 5.3 per cent and 12 per cent respectively due to increased livestock takeoff attributed to prolonged drought in 2017.

According to the 2018 economic survey report released by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics in April, the number cattle and calves slaughtered in abattoirs rose from 2.46m in the year 2016 to 2.59m in 2017.

During the same period under review, the survey reveals that the total number of sheep and goats slaughtered for meat consumption purposes increased to 9.21m from 8.22m recorded in the previous year.

In the current Kenyan market the cost of a cow ranges between Sh20,000 to Sh80,000. The cost of sheep and goats is between Sh5000 to Sh13000 depending on the weight and age.

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The National government in collaboration with the county is working on a Sh2.6bn livestock export zone in Bachuma, Taita Taveta in a bid geared towards encouraging farmers in the country gain access to international markets.

The export zone will have a holding area that sits on a 15,000 acre piece of land where cattle, sheep and goats will be separated (quarantined) for 60 days before being certified as disease free.

They will then be transported to the port of Mombasa for export to the Middle East market according to the ministry of agriculture, state department of livestock.

goat auction

The county is one of the arid and semi-arid lands of Kenya where livestock farming is practiced besides Tana River, Garissa, Turkana, Marsabit, Isiolo, Baringo, West Pokot and Kajiado among other regions.

In March this year, farmers in Nakuru County earned six million shillings from the first ever goat auction conducted in the County. Similalry, Baringo farmers sold more earned Sh30m two years ago in the famous Kimalel goat auction that is done once every year.

In 2017, Kenya exported 400 heads of cattle to the Middle East region but hopes to leverage on the export processing zone to improve the exports to the gulf market.

According to the Kenya Dairy Board, the country has a cattle population of 17.4m, sheep population of 17.1m and a goats’ population of 27.7m.

In this, Taita region has 111,158 cattle, 26,274 sheep and 103,392 goats. Taveta region on the other hand has 42,610 herds of cattle, 19,053 sheep and 63,268 goats.

According to the Kenya Veterinary Vaccines Production Institure, the livestock sector contributes about 12% of Kenya’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 40% to the agricultural GDP and employs 50% of agricultural labor force. About 60% of Kenya’s livestock herd is found in the arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs), which constitute about 80% of the country. It is estimated that 10 million Kenyans living in the ASALs derive their livelihood largely from livestock.

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: 29 May 2018; Hits: 12846

Chilli exporter manages strict international market rules by drying the crop

chilli in green house

Chilli plants grown in a greenhouse. Only chillis grown in a controlled environment will be allowed for export to EU markets due to the latest rules on the production of horticultural crops. Photo courtesy.

Mace Food, chilli exporter based in Eldoret is drying and crushing the crop into powder form before packaging it for export in a bid to manage strict measures that European Union market has placed on fresh produce that farmers and exporters alike have to meet before their produce are accepted in the international market.

According to the Kenya Horticulture Council, only fresh produce grown in a controlled environment such as in greenhouses and under agro-nets will be allowed for export as from yesterday.

Besides chilli, other crops affected include tomatoes, vegetables and corn. This is as a result of the armyworm and false codling moth which was first felt last year while the armyworm, which mainly affects the maize crop, hit the country in 2016.

“We are aware of the latest stringed measures on export of fresh produce to EU markets but we do not feel much hit because all along we have encouraged our farmers to dry their chillis before supplying us in order to even earn more besides easing our work,” said Japheth Tanui, a senior agronomist, Mace Foods.

“For a kilo of dry red chilli without stalks a farmer will earn Sh130 while wet chilli without stalks will fetch Sh50, we advise farmers in this regard to dry their produce in the sun to attain a moisture content of 15 per cent rather than supply wet chilli with a moisture content of 80 per cent and earn less.”

Mace Foods works with their over 7,000 contracted farmers from the initial of planting to the harvesting stage. In this, they give free chilli seeds to farmers and offer advice on best crop management practices.

Currently they export between 20 and 30 tonnes of powdered chilli per day to Germany, Netherlands, Italy, the United Kingdom, Korean countries and the USA.

“Our farmers are not affected as we still retain our export markets as before. We know some of them are growing their crops in open fields while other in greenhouses but once they follow our advice all their produce are bought,” said Tanui.

The EU strict rules have so far seen the number of firms allowed to export chilli and vegetable to the European Union reduced to four from 15 with the fear that this may further lower the revenue from the horticulture export that had gone up.

The value of domestic horticulture production increased by 41 per cent last year compared with 2016 on account of good prices.

Data from the Horticultural Crops Directorate (HCD) indicates production value rose from Sh216bn in 2016 to Sh305bn last year.

The total value of horticultural produce exported in 2017 increased from Sh101.5bn in 2016 to Sh115bn last year.

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: 29 May 2018; Hits: 13646

European Union to provide Sh1.2bn to boost regional fish farming industry

Lake Victoria Nile Tilapia

European Union through European Development Fund is set to provide about Sh1.2bn (10 million Euros) as part of its 85 million Euros committed to East Africa Community projects in agriculture, infrastructure, investment and private sector to boost fish farming industry in a bid to curb the looming shortage.

The five-year project would run from 2019 to 2024 will also help boost efforts by countries around Lake Victoria to improve on their fishing practices to save the dwindling number of preferred fish species.

“Despite efforts by riparian countries around Lake Victoria, measures to sustainably manage capture fisheries remained a big challenge with stocks of Nile Perch and Tilapia declining drastically,” said EAC Secretary General Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko during a two day workshop on regional aquaculture in Tanzania.

The 'Stakeholders workshop on the EU-EAC TRUE-FISH Programme' is co-hosted by the East African Community (EAC), the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Tanzania and to the EAC and the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization (LVFO). It is also supported by two technical partners: the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and WorldFish.

“Notably, aquaculture in East Africa has not developed its potential and accounts for only 7-8% pf regional fish consumption. Overall demand for fish in the region is projected to rise substantially in the near future due to high growth, increasing incomes and urbanization. Developing aquaculture to meet the increasing demand for fish in East Africa is therefore crucial,” said Amb. Mfumukeko.

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Addressing the media, the Head of Delegation of the European Union to Tanzania and the EAC, H.E. Ambassador Roeland van de Geer reiterated the importance of fish farming having the potential to be a key driver for poverty eradication and sustainable development in the region: “Not only will fish farming help improve regional nutrition and food security. It will also provide new sources of rural income and contribute to contain pressure on the wild resources of the Lake Victoria”.

He further stressed that the EU-EAC TRUE-FISH programme aims to tackle some of the key challenges as well as sustainability risks for the development of market-led, competitive and sustainable commercial aquaculture in the Lake Victoria basin.

The Country Director of WorldFish for Zambia and Tanzania, Mr Sloans Chimatiro, indicated that: “in the face of climate change, sustainable aquaculture practices offer water, energy and feed conversion efficiencies superior to any other domesticated animal food production system”.

The Executive Secretary of LVFO, Mr. Godfrey V. Monor, said that catches and biomass of fish in the lake and in particular Nile perch and Nile tilapia have declined and stressed that this has been accompanied by a corresponding reduction in per capita fish consumption.

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Consequently, he continued, “EAC Partner States are making efforts to put in place mechanisms to increase fish production through aquaculture. The LVFO, a specialized Institution of the EAC, coordinating the management and development of fisheries and aquaculture in the region, is spearheading this effort. LVFO has been instrumental in the development of the EAC Regional Strategy and Implementation Plan (2015–2020) for sustainable aquaculture and other documents providing inter alia for the establishment of harmonised legal frameworks. As well, it has been instrumental for the formulation of the EU-EAC TRUE-FISH Programme”.

The FAO Representative in Tanzania, Mr Fred Kafeero, stated that FAO has a long history in East Africa, particularly in fisheries and aquaculture on the Great Lakes.

"Through its Sub-Committee for the Management of Lake Victoria, the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization was established and inaugurated. As such the link between FAO and LVFO is a lasting one. Likewise FAO has strong links with WorldFish and has benefited from a long-standing relationship with the EU not only in fisheries and aquaculture, but in all aspects of food and agriculture-related aspects in rural development and beyond. All the right elements are there for a successful programme,” He said.

The main objectives of the workshop are to present and discuss the final design of the EU funded programme to the key stakeholders, place the programme in the context of wider fisheries and aquaculture topics of interest for the region, including on gender, and hold thematic working sessions to kick-off consultations for the preparation of implementing projects.

The workshop will be combined with Europe Day celebrations under the theme 'Gender and aquaculture'. Similar celebrations were marked on 9^th May in Dar es Salaam and 17^th May in Dodoma under the theme 'Gender and Agriculture.

Europe Day commemorates the 'Shuman declaration' in 1950 when French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman set out his idea for a new form of economic, and political cooperation in Europe, which led in 1957 to the Treaty of Rome. The Treaty of Rome is one of the constitutional basis of the European Union and a pillar of peace and prosperity in the region.

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