Smart farms

: 29 August 2017; Hits: 13130

Agricultural centre trains over 1, 800 farmers yearly for free

Field day event at Waruhiu Agriculture Training Centre. Farmers get trained and linked to markets and other agricultural stake holders during the field days.

Waruhiu Agriculture Training Centre is the only agricultural centre in Kiambu County where farmers from the county and beyond can walk in and get agricultural trainings at no cost. Through its field day events, the centre targets to equip over 1, 800 farmers every year with information and practical skills on the most modern and appropriate agricultural technologies.

Today with the unpredictable rainfall caused by the change of climatic conditions in Kenya and world over, Waruhiu ATC has invested a tune of 8 million shillings in training farmers on water harvesting techniques and drip irrigation.

“We are now focusing in training farmers in current farm technologies especially in harvesting of rain water and drip irrigation to enable them be all-time agro producers,” said Joseph Mureithi, Waruhiu ATC principal.

To enable them hit their target of helping each of their farmers install drip kits covering 500sq metres, the centre works with other agricultural companies like Amiran and Muhindra to enable farmers get these kits and install them at low cost.

The institution has 30 field training sessions every year where. More than 600 small-scale farmers, mostly from Kiambu County, take part in the training sessions where they are allowed to touch, hear and hear during trainings.

“Our farmers get training on greenhouses, horticultural production, breeding of livestock, poultry farming and liquid soap making, among others practically,” said Mureithi.

As usual Waruhiu ATC will this year October hold their field day at their centre in October 13th and 14th where over 500 farmers, 30 exhibitor companies will attend.

“We are allowing farmers to attend our field day for free while exhibitors will pay Sh15, 000,” said Mureithi.

According to Mureithi, during such an event and their daily trainings, farmers are trained on greenhouses, horticultural production, breeding of livestock, poultry farming and liquid soap making, among others.

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: 24 August 2017; Hits: 10123

X-Agro field officer goes organic with maize farming

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Organically grown young maize in a maize farm. Organic farming has lower heath risk to the farmer and is better for the environment.

One of the most commonly recognized market niches is the growing demand for organically grown foods. This has been championed by most agricultural organizations including Nuru International which William Wang’era worked for as a field officer for five years at its Isebania, Kuria West branch.

When Wang’era was forced into early retirement by the organization due to a disease which incapacitated him, he opted into organic maize farming upon getting well using valuable manure from cattle, sheep, goats and chickens he collects from his own flocks and buys some from his colleagues.

According to him, the skill and experience he got during his tenure is the most important retirement package he garnered from the firm. The money he received as a retirement sendoff was consumed by hospital bills.

“I was left with no job but happy that I was well again and in the right state of mind so I delved into organic maize farming with no mentionable capital except my skill and experience,” said Wang’era.

READ ALSO: Market for organic produce

By the time he started growing maize, his two acres farm under maize had not been cultivated for about one and a half years giving him the reason for preferring that piece of land out of his six acres land.

Wang’era ensures that each morning he collects all the cow dung from his cow shed and droppings from the sheep, goats and chickens. These together with swept and collected avocado leaves among other farm trash are dumped into compost pit for decay into manure and further use.

In addition Wang’era avoids burning or removing maize stovers and other crop residues from the field. The practice of burning crop residues is not allowed in organic farming. Organic farmers leave crop residues on the land as mulch to decompose and return their constituent nutrients.

“I always keep the farm remains in the farm because they turn into manure with time for the plants use,” said Wang’era.

Every season he harvests 26 sacks of maize and in a bid to minimize post-harvest losses he buys hermetic maize sacks which he uses to store them.

During maize shortage, he sells a sack of 90kg between 3, 000-4, 000 shillings to maize stores at Isebania Town. For the villagers who come for small quantities like two kilograms, he sell at Sh150 each.

Today, an increasing number of consumers are paying more attention to eating healthy and thus are consuming more organically grown produce, according to Chesapeake Fields Institute survey.

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: 23 August 2017; Hits: 24820

Polythene bag silage technology for increased milk yield

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The polythene bag silage method is ideal for smallholder farmers who can make small quantities of silage alongside other chores on the farm. (Pic: KALRO)

Smallholder dairy farmers in Kenya mainly depend on forages to feed livestock. Forage production is rain-fed; therefore, feed is plenty during the rainy season and scarce during the dry season. Dairy productivity is therefore low in the dry season mainly due to inadequate and low quality forage.

Preservation of surplus fodder has the potential for increasing or stabilizing milk production in smallholder dairy farms.

According to a research published by the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Organization, cassava-based silage technology using polythene bags is an option for providing high quality feed for the dry season.

It offers potential for feed availability through the use of cassava by products (unmarketable cassava roots and leaves), which are not used for human consumption and would otherwise go to waste. The cassava based silage technology is new in coastal Kenya, hence the need for its up- and out- scaling in the region.

The polythene bag method is a technology of making small quantities of silage in polythene bags. It is ideal for smallholder farmers who can make small quantities of silage alongside other chores on the farm.

The materials required:

Napier grass
Cassava leaves
Polythene bags gauge 800, size 23 inch width. Heavy gauge recycled bags without holes can be used
Fresh or dry cassava chips

Preparation of materials:

Cut Napier grass 75-100 cm high or 4-6 weeks regrowth depending on weather conditions
Harvest cassava leaves.
Allow Napier grass and cassava foliage to stay in the sun for one day to wilt.
Chop Napier grass to about 5 cm (2 inches) using a panga.

Filling the polythene bag

Fill the polythene bag with forage mixture to 1/3 full.
Sprinkle a layer of cassava chips. The forages can be mixed with cassava chips before filling the bag. The mixture should be in a ratio of 14:5:1 for Napier grass, cassava leaves and dry cassava chips, equivalent to 5:2:1 when fresh cassava chips are used. This is similar to the percentages used for pit silage.
Press the mixture with hands to force out as much air as possible.
Repeat the process until the bag is full leaving room for tying.
Tie the bag with sisal twine or cotton thread.
The fermentation process is complete in three weeks and the silage is ready for use.

Using silage made in polythene bag

Open the bag to remove adequate feed for the animal for one day and cover the open end immediately.
Feed after milking to avoid milk tainting.
There is no difference in the quality of silage between dry and fresh cassava chips

Recommended feeding

Feed 10% of body weight (about 20-30 kg per animal) per day. The silage is used as the basal feed and a concentrate (commercial or home-made dairy meal) should be fed to lactating animals.

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