Smart farms

: 30 June 2022; Hits: 3249

East African farmers harnesses motorbike power for irrigation

motorbike to irrigate farms

A simple pump operated by a motorbike is the latest innovation for farmers keen on irrigation due to its cost effectiveness with the pump using one litre of petrol to push 40,000 litres of water to a height of 50metres.

This is a sharp contrast with the existing fuel guzzling pumps that have been beyond the reach of majority of the smallholders. Inventors of the motorbike powered pump rode on the frenzy that the bikes are enjoying in East Africa with over 1.5 million motorcycles usually operating as taxis transporting passengers and goods especially in the rough terrains.

While researchers and developers have been mulling the idea of taking the motorcycle use to whole new levels and especially economic fronts one company FarmLink Africa took the leap of faith in developing the pump.

The pump is welcome news to thousands of smallholder farmers who are buffeted by vagaries of weather but cant still afford irrigation technologies due to the cost factor. The pump costs Sh10,000 with an extra Sh5,000 for buying the pipes.

The pump requires a litre of petrol to push 40,000 litres of water to a height of 50metres. With a flow rate of 40- cubic metres and quick assembling, the pump can be installed on the motorcycle at night to operate as a sprinkler. It can also be used to pull water from a well into a tank for use in drip irrigation.

The pump is becoming a favourite among households due to its multiple uses. While it is primarily meant for spraying crops and livestock it is becoming increasingly useful in domestic use like in cleaning carpets. More economical use of fuel compared to conventional diesel pumps, low maintenance costs and low labour requirement make it suitable for small holder farmers.

“Anyone who has tried any form of irrigation knows how important this new pump is. There are instances where we farmers have been forced to pull water from wells or draw them from rivers, a very involving process.

The cost of diesel for the other advanced pumps is beyond reach for most of us farmers. We are diversifying into horticulture because that is where the money is, but the water demand by these crops is so much. That is why such an innovation comes in handy,” said Agatha Wambito a smallholder horticultural farmer in Kieni Nyeri.

Over 80 percent of vegetables consumed in the country are produced by smallholder farmers, who have less than 1.5acres of land. Irrigation has been critical in ensuring continuous supply of vegetables even in the dry season.

A report by The International Water Management Institute (IWMI), identified small scale irrigation is the key to a near tripling of sub-Saharan Africa's yields. According to the report, Water for wealth and food security: Supporting farmer-driven investments in agricultural water management, expanding the use of on-farm water management techniques could increase yields up to 300 per cent in some cases, and add hundreds of billions of shillings to household revenues across sub-Saharan Africa.

“Inexpensive water pumps and new ways of powering them are changing what it means to farm all over Africa and Asia. Even by using simple tools for drilling wells and capturing rainwater, many smallholders can now grow more crops in the dry season, a tremendous help in meeting their bottom lines. Therefore, there is a need for strategic public investment in these proven profitable initiatives by smallholder farmers to expedite their escape from poverty traps,” read the report.

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: 29 June 2022; Hits: 2843

Reprieve for farmers & consumers as gov suspends maize, animal feed levies

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By George Munene

The government has suspended all levies on maize and animal feed imports as of 1st July, this year. This initiative is aimed at lowering the cost of maize, flour, and animal feed in the country for three months before the next maize harvest.

Duty-free access to the Kenyan market will allow millers and animal feed manufacturers to cut down their costs of production.

The cost of a 90-kilogram bag of maize has risen from Sh2800 at the start of the year to Sh6,500.

Maize is the main component of both flour, which has more than doubled from the start of the year hitting a record Sh200 to 220 across different parts of the country, and animal feeds which have been on a similar upward trajectory.

“This move opens the way for over 200 trucks stuck at the Kenya-Tanzania border to enter the country carrying maize from Tanzania, Malawi, and Zambia. We want to assure the public that we are working day and night to ensure that the cost of unga comes down,” said Agriculture CS Munya at the Namanga border.

He further warned farmers and cartels hoarding maize – holding the country at ransom, not to complain once-affordable maize hits the stores.

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: 24 June 2022; Hits: 3253

The Sh50 scratchcard pioneering microsinsurance for Kenyan farmers

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By George Munene

Kenyan insurance surveyor Acre Africa, has developed a pioneering micro-insurance product tailored to help guard smallholder farmers against climate change. Dubbed Bima Pima (‘insurance in affordable bits’) farmers buy a scratchcard that is activated with as little as Sh 50.

Only three per cent of small-scale Sub-Saharan African farmers are insured. This is even lower in Kenya at 2.4%, with farmers citing the high cost of insurance premiums as the main reason for this. Smallscale farmers account for 78 per cent of the country's agricultural output.

“At the start of the agricultural season, a farmer buys a Bima Pima scratch card with a bag of seeds or fertilizer, activates the card through his phone, pays an initial premium of Sh 50 ($.50 cents), and can top-up via SMS to increase the level of insurance coverage. ACRE Africa then geo-tags the farm using the mobile localization service,” said Acre Africa’s Ms. Muthithi Kinyanjui, Head of Partnerships and Market Systems to the World Bank journal.

The company serves over 70,000 farmers across 15 counties in Kenya.

Acre Africa (Agriculture and Climate Risk Enterprise Ltd), is an insurance agent in Rwanda and Tanzania and a licensed insurance intermediary in Kenya; working with local insurers and other stakeholders in the agricultural insurance value chain.

The company, which is a beneficiary of the World Bank's One Million Farmers Platform (OMFP), uses satellite and weather station data to measure for drought or excess rain on a farmer’s land which informs their payouts to farmers. This money is paid directly to their mobile account.

A premium of Sh50, has a potential payout of up to 10%, the equivalent to Sh500 which could help a farmer purchase a seedling bag.

“A few days before harvesting, I received an MPESA message from Acre Africa which was a pleasant surprise. I had forgotten that I had purchased a Sh 50 insurance card during a session where they explained that I would be compensated in case of insufficient rainfall,” said Mary Mate, a farmer from Embu County. “Now that I see it works, I will continue to purchase this cover.”

According to World Bank Senior Agriculture Economist Vinay Vutukuru, the success of BIMA PIMA is a forward-thinking approach that If scaled up and emulated, can potentially propel crop insurance to greater heights and support the sector’s transformation and resilience.

Acre Africa: +254 719 249 615

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