Smart farms

Liquid Telecom Kenya launches internet network that will automate farming activities in the country

Liquid Telecom

Liquid Telecom Kenya, part of the leading pan-African telecoms group Liquid Telecom has partnered with Sigfox, the world's leading Internet of Things (IoT) services provider, to build and deploy a nationwide IoT network which is set to enable farmers run their activities from wherever they are at any time.

With the new network, farmers will also be able to detect adverse weather conditions, pest and disease in their farms and put necessary measures to avoid any loses. Furthermore, it will enable the farmers to avoid middlemen who may deny them enjoying their full profits as the network will enable them identify markets for their produce.

“We expect increased yields among farmers. We have started building infrastructure of the new network and it will be ready for commercial launch in September this year,” said Muigai.

The network which is expected to cover up to 85 per cent of the Kenyan population will be connected to Liquid Telecom's fibre network, to deliver guaranteed reliability and speed.

The launch of the IoT network in Kenya will support the Big Four agenda and will be used to connect sensors in agriculture among other sectors. The sensors gather farm conditions and relay real-time information to farmers through Short Message Service (SMS) for necessary actions.

Sigfox is a global IoT service and network provider in 45 countries that has pioneered low cost, low energy consumption, long range IoT networks.

The introduction of a Sigfox “Low Power Wide Area Network” (LPWAN) is the first in the region, allowing users to use IoT technology wherever they are and positioning the country to apply cost-effective local solutions using IoT.

“We are building an LPWAN that will enable us to connect literally anything. Be it your soil, water, greenhouse, dairy farm, or pet - just name it,” said Joel Muigai, Head of IoT Strategy at Liquid Telecom Kenya. “This network will allow Kenyans to develop our own homemade solutions for the many unique socio-economic and business challenges we face.”

The new network runs on the free ISM band 868MHz and will cost farmers and other business operators as little as Sh100 ($1) per year per device or sensor, depending on usage. Previously, communication with any internet enabled gadget depended on Wi-Fi or GSM networks that require data bundles, local network signal coverage and a power supply.

“Connecting remote sensors over mobile data requires high battery consumption or connection to the mains power supply, which is often challenging or not possible in rural Kenya. However, with the new IoT network, the sensors will require no SIM card and last up to 15 years without recharging or changing the battery,” said Muigai.

Sigfox has enabled its industry partners to develop wireless communication chipsets that IoT device manufacturers can use. In 2016, Sigfox industry partners introduced the first ultra-low-cost wireless chipsets for IoT devices for just Sh200 in the EMEA markets. In 2017, the company, in partnership with GCT LTE-M, announced another new chipset, which was the first ever to support both mobile connectivity (GSM) and the Sigfox IoT network. These chipsets will allow Kenyan companies to develop IoT devices for both Kenyan and global markets.

“This new network puts startups and established operational businesses in a better position to develop devices and solutions that create new business opportunities and improve productivity. The early adopter applications are likely to be smart cities, farming, logistics and transport, and utility metering,” said Adil El Youseffi, CEO at Liquid Telecom Kenya.

To further promote development, Liquid Telecom Kenya will be working with incubator hubs and universities to enable students and startups to develop IoT solutions locally. “We are also looking to enable devices and solutions to be developed in Kenya as a way of stimulating the local economy and creating more ICT job opportunities,” said Adil.

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As part of its Go Cloud iniative, which is designed to raise awareness, adoption and usage of cloud-based services amongst startups in Africa, Liquid Telecom will also start a new initiative called Go Things that aims to accelerate IoT adoption in the region.

This is a shared vision with Sigfox.

“After an exhaustive selection process in Kenya, Sigfox selected Liquid Telecom as its exclusive partner because of the companies’ similar visions for the IoT sector in Kenya,” said Nicolas Andrieu, Vice President, Middle East & Africa. “Our company brings a technology that will revolutionalise the next generation of affordable IoT solutions and transform Kenya’s telecommunication infrastructure and reach,” he said.

In South Africa, Sigfox is working on projects in wild and farm animal monitoring, electricity and water metering, manhole monitoring, and driver behaviour. Globally, some of the live solutions include managing chocolate vending machines with Nestlé in Japan, rodent detection in Singapore with RatSense, security alarms with Securitas Direct in Spain, Portugal and France, and smart heating with Leanheat in Scandinavia.

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Kakamega farmer earns big from pig rearing after abandoning cane and maize farming

pigs

Bernard Nyaramba, a Kakamega County farmer is making a profit of Sh14,000 a pig after seven of maturity. This after abandoning sugarcane and maize farming which he says is production intensive and finding market for the two produce is more challenging after harvesting.

Nyaramba delivers pigs for slaughter to Farmer’s Choice every month, a move that is giving him a constant income. Besides being sure of where and when to deliver the pigs when mature, Nyaramba estimates the cost of production and the profits he is to make.

“Western Kenya is renowned for production of maize, sugarcane and other crops. But these crops do not have a stable market, a fact that makes them unreliable sources of income. Investing in them does not make agribusiness sense. That is why I moved into something different-pigs,” the farmer said.

While sugarcane farmers go for more than one year without payment, their maize counterparts incur about Sh2,200 in producing one bag of 90kg, which they sell at between Sh1,800 and Sh2,000.

But Nyaramba makes a net profit of Sh16,000 from each pig after seven months, the same duration required for maize production.

As a contracted farmer, he has specific time to deliver the pigs to the Nairobi-based pork processing firm.

Upon delivery of 25 pigs, the net profit is Sh400,000, which is equivalent to a gross salary of about Sh57,150 per month for the seven months.

In order to deliver the pigs according to the contact, the farmer strictly feeds the pigs on commercial feeds, which he says, offer uniform growth because of the standard nutrients.

“I always believe in doing something unique to my neighbours. This gives me an opportunity to enjoy limited competition, therefore, ensuring a good market,” Nyaramba said.

After showing interest in selling the pigs to Farmer’s Choice, the agro-processing firm carried out an inspection to ensure he met the standards.

In controlling the spread of diseases, the animals must be raised in disease-free zones as per livestock policy on movement of animals.

Among other quality standards, the animals he delivers are healthy, and above 90kg live weight.

Apart from castrating the males, the farmer restricts the pigs in their sty to minimise feeding on other wastes that lower the quality of pork while exposing the animals to dangers of other diseases.

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Wednesday, 07 April 2021 Hi James, contact Farmer’s Choice through;+254 (20) 2013008/9/ 0722331706/ 07336...

Monday, 01 March 2021 How can ı well my pigs to farmers choice?

Government agency connects farmers to clean disease free seeds

Farmers in the South Rift region counties such as Bomet, Kisii and Nyamira are benefiting from connection to clean planting materials and ready markets for crops such as passion fruits and avocado thanks to the Agriculture and Food Authority which is tasked to sustainably develop and promote scheduled crops value chains through effective regulation for economic growth.

According to the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service, the informal sector in Kenya accounts for about 60 to70 per cent of most seeds planted by farmers across the country. These seeds are usually uncertified therefore denying farmers the chance to maximize yields in their farms. The hardest hit areas include western Kenya and the Rift Valley regions, which form a bulk of Kenya’s bread basket.

Alliance for a Green Revolution (AGRA) reports that on average only about 20 per cent of farmers in Africa use seeds of improved varieties.

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SEEDS on display

Seeds on display at an agrovet. Courtesy

Before farmers plant crops, AFA advises them on market availability so as to ensure that they sell their produce when harvested without incurring post-harvest losses. In this, directorate connects farmers with certified seed merchants such as the Kenya Seed in Bomet town as well as buyers of the produce.

The authority also offers crops experts who work hand in hand with farmers from the initial crop production stage to harvesting and marketing.

“At AFA, we encourage contract farming whereby we act as witnesses between farmers and buyers of the produce, we have so far connected more than 100 farmers to Mara farm and DianaKim , the companies that buy avocadoes and passion fruits respectively,” said Lorine Ochari, the station manager of the Horticulture and Crops Directorate in Nyamira County.

“Initially farmers in the region relied on uncertified seeds to grow their crops, but since AFA chipped in 2016, farmers in the region have reported increased yields of up to 75 per cent,”

According to Lorine Ochari, farmers in the region are now embracing horticulture which is the fastest growing agricultural subsector in the country ranked third in foreign exchange earnings after tourism and tea.

Kenya’s horticulture earnings earned the country Sh56.23bn in the first four months of 2018 up from Sh40.57bn in a similar period last year according to the latest data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.

In this, flower exports recorded a 40.41 per cent increase in sales to Sh42.59n up from Sh30.33n in 2017 while fruits and vegetables earned Sh4.98bn and 9.26bn respectively.

Ochari can be reached on +25427018048.

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