Smart farms

: 04 April 2018; Hits: 18170

Farmer triples his income by growing orange fleshed sweet potato

Orange fleshed sweet potatoes.

Romanos Opato a farmer in Kisumu has more than tripled income by diversifying his farming activities as he makes cakes, mandazis, and porridge using mashed orange fleshed potato as the main ingredient as opposed to earning from the sales of the crop alone previously.

He grows the crop on a two acre farm, harvest it and sell them as fresh produce to consumers who come to buy from the farm while others are sold in the open air markets in Kisumu. He has further diversed his farming activities to add value to his sweet potatoes.

“Making food products from the potatoes allow me to use all the harvested crops including the ones which are small in size and are undesirable for most buyers. This way, I ensure nothing goes to waste,” said Opato.

Currently a 98 kilogram bag of sweet potatoes is retailing at an average market price of Sh3,300. The highest price is Sh3,800 in Mombasa while the lowest is Sh2,000 in Kitale. However, with cakes, mandazis and porridge Opato is able to pocket about Sh6,600 more from each bag of sweet potato.

The crop has emerged as the cheapest remedy to age old nutritional problems in the country like Vitamin A affects 85 per cent of Kenyan infants, leading to suppressed immune system and child blindness.

During January - September 2017 period, the average wholesale price of a 98kg bag of sweet potato was trading at an average of Sh3,421 up from Sh2,744 recorded in the same period the previous year. This was about 19.79 per cent increase according to Horticultural Crops Directorate ( HCD) statistics.

Latest statistics from the International Potato Center indicate that orange fleshed sweet potato is an important source of beta-carotene, an indication of vitamin A. Just 125 grams of a fresh sweet potato root from most orange-fleshed varieties contains enough beta-carotene to provide the body’s daily need for vitamin A needs.

The heightened awareness campaign on the numerous benefits of the crop has done wonders for Opato. The orange-fleshed sweet potato, which he started growing in early 2011 through his farmer group, is his secret ingredient for the nutritious dishes described as ‘superior tasting’ by his customers.

Despite being an orphan from a poor background, Opato now runs a small restaurant where he works with his wife and two other employees. Together they make and sell dishes such as chapatis, mandazis, cakes, and porridge using mashed sweet potato as the main ingredient. Their popularity has driven his earnings through the roof.

“Since August 2011 when I started using the new sweet potatoes in my recipes, I began making a profit of Sh640 a bale up from the Sh190 I used to make before,” he said. “The meals are also very nutritious because the new orange-fleshed sweet potatoes contain vitamin A plus they also give the pastries a rich, appealing color.”

Opato was introduced to the new, vitamin-rich variety of sweet potato as part of the U.S. Government’s Feed the Future initiative that is working with the Government of Kenya to improve food security and nutrition in rural Kenya.

“The kids really like the meals we give them,” said his wife, as their four year-old son happily nibbles on freshly prepared mandazis outside the restaurant.

Indeed his new business is not just affording him a better lifestyle but Opato believes that it has also positively impacted his family. “We are now much happier and healthier, and my wife and I never lack food for our two children,” he shares.

The initiative will help build the capacity of 7,800 smallholder farmers in Nyanza to grow the nutritious sweet potatoes that can help rural communities become more resilient and better able to survive common childhood diseases or during times of drought.

Write comment (3 Comments)

Friday, 13 August 2021 [quote=Lilian]I am interested in orange sweet potatoes seedlings. Please advise ...

Wednesday, 11 August 2021 I am interested in orange sweet potatoes seedlings. Please advise Where I can fi...

Monday, 10 August 2020 Where can I buy the orange fleshed sweet potatoes in Nairobi

: 03 April 2018; Hits: 12869

Government launches livestock insurance policy to help farmers prevent losses

The Kenyan government is piloting a livestock insurance policy to cover counties prone to dry weather such as Turkana, Wajir, Marsabit, Isiolo, Tana River and Mandera.

In this, the policy, will cushion farmers, help in repopulating their herds, help them stock animal feeds such as hay, construction of water pans to ensure animals don't die due to loss of pasture and water and breeding of hardy cattle.

In Kenya, severe drought results in up to 10 per cent mortality rate of livestock. Last year for instance 1500 livestock died in Baringo County due to drought that led to acute shortage of water and pasture.

The country is prone to flooding every year and chances of drought occurring every two to four years hence the need for an insurance policy.

Livestock insurance takes risk out of livestock keeping

Cactus emerges as a feed for livestock

Herders in dry prone areas such as Turkana and Marsabit depend on pastoralism as their main source of livelihood in an industry that contributes four per cent to Kenya’s GDP according to the Kenya.

However in case of death of their animals they turn to subsistence agriculture growing crops such as kales, onions, tomatoes, pepper and maize but due to drought these crops are hard to grow and is not a sustainable source of income.

vaccination cows

The Kenya Livestock Insurance Program is designed to use forage availability determined by data provided by satellite in determining whether to pay for a loss.

For a start, the national government will provide 100 per cent premium support for five tropical livestock units belonging to vulnerable pastoralists where the insuring companies in the private sector will make payouts directly to the accounts or mobile systems of the beneficiaries in case of a trigger under the public private partnership.

Interested farmers in selected regions are advised to visit the local chief’s office so as to fill the forms.

This comes at a time when the government of Kenya has moved in and compensated 24 families from Kajiado County with Sh53m to cushion them against loss of 1325 cattle that was taken away by the Tanzanian government in October 2017.

The herders were issued with the cheque on 2^nd April by Deputy President William Ruto so as to help them restock their livestock and continue with their ordinary lives. This was after they failed to pay a fine of TShs500m (Sh23m) as ordered by an Arusha court for illegal trespassing in search of pasture and water.

In this, each family will receive Sh40,000 flat rate for each animal lost when the cows were confiscated and auctioned for being in Tanzania illegally.

Cattle are the most important source of red meat in the country supplying about 80 per cent of the animals for slaughter.

In 2016, 12,000 out of 14,000 pastoralists received a compensation of Sh215m from the government due to death of their cows due to drought.

Companies that provide livestock insurance in Kenya include Jubilee and Takaful amongst others.

Write comment (0 Comments)

: 30 March 2018; Hits: 10871

Research organization releases a new green gram variety for dry areas

The Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization has released a new green gram variety suitable for dry areas with potential yields of up to 1500kg per hectare an increase of 87.5 per cent from the existing varieties.

The new variety matures within a two months’ period and can fight breast cancer, control blood pressure, weight and diabetes and comes at a time when 5.6 per cent of Kenyans have been affected by these lifestyle diseases.

The Katumani mung bean 26 can do well in the drier areas of Mwingi, Tharaka, Mbeere, Makueni, Kitui and lower Machakos because the crop does well in well drained sandy loam soils.

Green grams and groundnuts retailing highest across Kenyan markets

Green grams sprout in arid Makueni

To plant the variety, the field should be prepared by using a hoe, oxen or a tractor depending on the farmer’s capability. Early panting cab be done when a rainfall of 30mm has been received.

When using oxen for instance, the seeds should be placed at the side of the furrow at a spacing of 45cm between rows and 15cm between plants at a seed rate of 10 to 15 kilos per acre. Two seeds should be planted per hill with the depth of planting kept at four to five centimeters.

According to researchers who developed the new variety, mung beans as it is called, it is not necessary to apply nitrogen and phosphate fertilizer unless in areas where the soils are highly eroded and very deficient of the nutrients. In case of such, a dose of 10 to 15 kilos per hectare of nitrogen and 20 to 25 kilos per hectare of triple super phosphate may be applied.

green grams

The first weeding should be done two weeks after germination of the seeds and the second one just before the plants produce flowers.

There are various pests which can affect this variety such as aphids, thrips, pod sucking bugs and bruchids.

To control them apply duduthrin or super actellic at the rate if 50g per quarter an acre and alsoi by following the manufacturers’ recommended rates.

The diseases which may affect the variety include powdery mildew which is prevalent during the long rains and yellow mosaic virus which occurs in both long and short rains.

Benomyl and copper oxychloride is used to control the diseases.

The crop should be harvested when 95 per cent of the pods have turned black. When a farmer notices that the pods may have matured unevenly, he or she can uproot the entire plant and dry in the sun for two to three days before threshing.

Drying helps the grains remain weevil free but four to six kilos of ash or neem leaves can be added to the grain to preserve it. Alternative 50g of super actellic can be added to a 90kg bag.

Seeds can be obtained at the Kenya Seed Company or KALRO offices in Kitale.

Write comment (0 Comments)