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    A Kenya Prisons Service officer is helping farmers set up quality integrated backyard fish ponds for high yields at reduced production costs due to recycling of rabbits and chickens wastes into food for fish.

    Jared Mokaya, who is attached to Nakuru Prison Service station, has been helping farmers constructing the ponds in Kakamga and Nakuru counties. 

    At the Nakuru Show Ground, the prisons service harvested 50 fish in March, 2016, which were more than half a kilogramme each.

    “Many people staying in urban areas and other regions where land is scarce can utilise rain water and the small plots they have bought to generate income. Raising 100 fingerlings to maturity in six months even where there is no constant water flow requires almost nothing after installation,” he said.

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    The common integrated fish ponds he has been contracting for farmers are 6m by 5m in length and width, with a depth of one metre.

    A farmer needs to assemble all the required materials before inviting Mokaya. The materials include a pond polythene lining, timber, nails, a wire mesh, planting bags with soil, among others.

    READ ALSO: Two chickens and two rabbits multiply 50 fish weight in six months

    “It takes at most two days to complete the work if the farmer has already dug out the pond and the assistants are sufficient. If the farmer takes care of my bus fare, it costs less than Sh5,000 in supervising, the work,” the officer said.

    At the same time, the officer supports farmers in sourcing the best quality fingerlings from renowned hatcheries.

    “Fingerlings are introduced to the pond two weeks after the construction. By this time, the chicken and rabbits could have added enough manure into the water for growth of the phytoplankton, which is food for the fish,” Mokaya, who holds a diploma in aquaculture management said.

    READ ALSO: Converting female to male tilapia fish is more productive

    Water is only added into the pond when the level reduces. Five to six litres can be scooped for the vegetables grown on top of the hutch.

    Excrement from the fish also supports the growth of more microbes in the water. High number of planktons and other microbes recycle the waste to non-toxic levels.

    READ ALSO: Rearing fish under chicken shed increases yields 4 times

    Integrated fish farming involves recycling of one organism’s excrement into food for another. In this case, the 100 fish can be supported by droppings from four chickens, two rabbits, and 12-15 kales.

    The rabbit urine dropping into the water is fetched and used in irrigating the vegetables, which are on top of the hutch. The chicken’s droppings into the water support the growth of algae (phytoplankton).

    READ ALSO: Tank fish farmers can purify water for reuse with Sh75,500 kit

    Apart from the algae being food to the fish, these micro-organisms release more 95 per cent of their waste in form of oxygen into the water for the fish’s respiration. 

    PHOTO: Kenya Prisons Service officer Jared Mokaya inspecting the service’s demonstration integrated backyard fishpond in Nakuru on July 8, 2016. The officer is helping farmers set up similar fishponds at their backyards. PHOTO BY LABAN ROBERT.

    Mokaya can be reached on +254775702877 or +254724469499

     

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    Potato farmers without Internet-enabled telephone gadgets can now access direct market for their produce after online selling platform, OLX, launched a short message service linkage platform.

    Speaking during the launch of the service, Kenya OLX Manager Peter Ndiang’ui said more than 9,000 farmers are set to benefit from high prices of selling their produce directly to consumers like hotels and restaurants.

    The direct linkage from the farmer to markets like hotels and other eateries in urban areas will eliminate middlemen, who exploit producers and the consumers in the supply chain.

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    Farmers are required to dial *887# to alert OLX, which will then connect them to buyers. The dialing will identify the farmer according to their region of origin.

    Although the service is currently available to Nakuru and Nyandarua counties-the country’s rich potato baskets-the manager said it will be available in other regions too.

    The SMS platform is an alternative to farmers who do not have internet enabled devices to access online OLX Agriculture Category.

    READ ALSO: Agri-OLX platform point Kenyan farmers to a broader market

    Kiambu County Irish potato farmer Patrick Njega said middlemen can by a 110kg sack at Sh1,800 and sell it at between Sh2,500 and Sh3,000, depending on the demand.

    Even if the customer is to incur transport costs of Sh300 per sack to reach an urban market, selling the sack at about Sh2,500 leaves a big profit margin.

    READ ALSO: Planting plan and market contact helping farmer in selling produce

    At the same time, the middlemen use the outlawed 150kg sacks in some areas instead of the 110kgs to extort farmers.

    With the direct link, farmers have a say on packaging according to the demand of their clients.

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