Smart farms

: 12 January 2018; Hits: 14071

Agriculture ministry launches avocado farming in Embu

The ministry of agriculture in collaboration with the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) launched avocado farming in December in Runyejes, Embu County as part of empowering farmers to grow the fruit for export in the international market.

Kenya’s dried avocado export has been rising, with the country selling 46.7 tons to the international market in 2016. The figure was higher by 7.8 tons than what was exported in 2015. Kenya earned Sh6.5 billion and Sh5.2 billion in 2016 and 2015 respectively, according to the Kenya national bureau of Statistics. Kenya ranks third behind Peru and South Africa in the international avocado export market.

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Kenya takes to the sweet taste of the avocado market

The country has about 7500ha under the crop with more than 70 per cent of the total avocado production coming from smallholder farmers. Most of the Kenyan avocado farmers are found in Muranga, Nyeri, Kiambu, Kisii and Meru.

"The seasonality of the Kenyan production allows it to participate in these markets at a time when many of the world's largest exporters - Mexico, Chile, Spain, Israel and the United States - are less active on international markets” said Dr. Johnson Irungu, the Director of Crops at the State department of agriculture.

“We believe that planting avocadoes will upscale the standards of living for farmers and entrepreneurs who sell the fruits locally but have not fully ventured into the export market”

KEPHIS staff(in green polo shirts) explain the management of pests and
diseases on avocado and mangoes to farmers, stakeholders and the public
during the avocado and mango awareness field day in Runyenjes, Embu.
The event was organized by KEPHIS in conjunction with the County Government of Embu. PHOTO/KEPHIS

Farmers in the region were encouraged to grow the Hass avocado variety which is in high demand in the European Union (EU) market. Hass variety contributes 70 per cent of the total EU market share with green skin avocadoes (fuerte) and pinkerton covering the remaining 30 per cent according to the Export Promotion Council.

Embu has two rainy seasons; long rains occur between March and June while the short rains fall between October and December with rainfall quantity averaging 1067.5mm per annum. These climatic conditions are well suitable for growing Hass avocado which thrives well in areas receiving annual rainfall between 1000 to 1800mm.

The County relies heavily on agriculture as the backbone of the economy with the sector employing 70.1 per cent of the entire population. Cash crops grown include coffee and tea, other crops such as maize; beans, cowpeas, sorghum, tomatoes and avocadoes are grown for subsistence use.

In this, farmers can explore the untapped avocado farming to earn extra income for their families as the fruit fetches three times higher as compared to the current prices in the local market.

At the avocado field awareness day, farmers were trained on crop production, compliance to market requirements and access, nursery certification, pest management and the varieties required for international market access.

Hass avocado seedlings can be obtained from Kukenda- Kiamumbi fruit tree nursery and training centre, phone number +254 720 614 591 0r +254 721 286 289.

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Friday, 30 October 2020 [quote=Catherine Kinyanjui]I want to buy hass seedlings near my farm in Runyenje...

Friday, 30 October 2020 I want to buy hass seedlings near my farm in Runyenjes.

Monday, 05 October 2020 This was really helpful. I am looking forward to using this information as I eng...

: 09 January 2018; Hits: 38828

Star organic farmer championing toxic-free food production

A deficiency in his immune causing muscle weakness inspired Dennis Andaye to start his own companies that offer farmers and consumers’ nontoxic and healthy food.

“Seven years ago, I was diagnosed with Dermatomyosistis the condition was as a result of a deficiency in my immune system, this made me change my perspective on life and how food plays an important role in our health,” said Andaye.

“Due to my health challenges, I wanted to offer people safe and nutritious food; organic foods, which have beneficial nutrients that not only build the physical but the mental needs of the body. I also wanted farmers to embrace the idea of producing food in the right way i.e. without use of chemicals, as well their lives transformed economically.”

Dennis Andaye

Started in 2010 with about 10 farmers, at The Talisman in Karen, Organic Farmers Market has quickly grown to become a Centre for great food.

Organic farming involves using fertilizers of organic origin such as compost and green manure with emphasis on practices like crop rotation and mixed farming with prohibition of synthetic fertilizers.

In this type of farming farmers can save on costs that would have otherwise been used to purchase chemicals for pest control. Farmers produce higher prices for their products with the use of crop rotation to produce the same kind of crop yields.

In conventional type of farming an acre of land for planting maize for instance requires at least two bags of NPK fertilizer and two more of CAN meaning farmers can save up to Sh10,000 per acre in organic farming as compared to conventional.

Organic farmers market has successfully provided a platform for certified organic farmers and food vendors to trade their products and make it easy for clients to access the food directly from the producers.

By collaborating voluntarily in pursuit of a common group goal within this farmers’ market setup they are able to access knowledge and information they need to expand their capacities, to seize economic opportunities and to develop sustainable agricultural products.

“One of the biggest challenges I have is ensuring trust and credibility is upheld. When dealing with many people one has to bring all of them together and align them towards the same goal which is every individual deserves the right to have good and clean food,” he said.

“I want to make sure that my clients get food that is free of toxins and that the farmers and other healthy food producers in their network are in line and true to the course”

Organic Farmers Market provides Kenya Children’s Home with produce worth Ksh. 150,000 every month, helping to give the children in their care nutritious, balanced meals.

Andaye aspires to the day when everyone is eating organic and safe foods and farmers adopt the right production methods that do not harm the population and the environment.

“I want to see many other healthy food businesses thrive and make money, and see consumers embrace a different approach and be more cautious, observant and appreciative of where their food is grown, how it was grown and produced,” he said.

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: 04 December 2017; Hits: 19072

Why he abandoned maize and wheat for hay production

Boma Rrhodes.JPG

Boma Rhodes crop.

A Narok County farmer is earning more than Sh500, 000 annually from hay production, after abandoning maize and wheat farming in favour of Boma Rhodes.

The county is known for wheat and maize production. But farmers have consistently faced marketing challenges such as dismal prices, bad roads, exploitation from middlemen and poor storage facilities leading to rotting.

Geoffrey Rono got into hay farming at the start of 2015 after seeing the untapped opportunity in the sector as most farmers in the county focused on wheat and maize production despite the challenges.

He grows Boma Rhodes grass on 112 acres three times in a year. He harvests in three phases per season.

“At wholesale, I sell one bale at Sh200. At retail, I sell the same bale at Sh240 and Sh250. The market price depends on distance between the farm and the selling point,” said Rono.

How he makes money from Boma Rhodes

Each phase of harvest earns him Sh60, 000 translating to Sh180, 000 per season. In a year, the sales total to Sh540, 000 gross earning.

Boma Rhode is famous for its high protein content, which is at 18 per cent. The market remains steady as dairy farmers seek to boost their yields with the grass, which complements commercial feeds.

Cattle feeding

He says that between 15kg and 18kg of this hay is mixed with other ingredients like animal salt for an average dairy cow per day.

“This grass is best for the cows when both fresh and dry. When dry, enough water should be served to the cow for best results in milk production,” said Rono.

Boma Rhodes planting

At the beginning, he bought the seeds from the Kenya Seed Company Ltd shop at Sh800. Rono cleared the land with an herbicide, then hired a tractor services to make furrows.

“I used Sh5,000 to buy five litres of herbicide before hiring a tractor at Sh10, 000 to dig furrows for seed sowing,” said Rono.

His first harvest was after five months, but the subsequent ones were after 90 days.

For the more than one year he has been in this agribusiness, he has learnt that the seeds from his harvest can be reused to give similar results.

It takes about four years for the harvests to start reducing. This being the second year of production, he is at the peak of maximised harvesting.

Hay Geoffrey Rono, Narok.jpg

Geoffrey Rono at his farm.

Extra income

As an aside hustle, he sells selected and graded seeds at Sh600 per kilo.

The grass is soft and excellent herbage. According to Kenya seed Company, Boma Rhode is drought tolerant and it thrives in altitudes of between 1,000m and 2,500m.

RELATED ARTICLE: Hairy vetch, more than a fodder crop

It takes between 90 and 105 days to mature.

Challenges

Space for storage and competition from cartels cutting ordinary grass resembling Boma Rhodes before selling it to unsuspecting farmers are his main challenges in the agribusiness.

After harvesting, the hay is dried for a week before being tied in bundles by a tractor and stored for sale.

Rono can be reached on +254723688101

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