Farmers lose much of their harvest to poor access roads to markets, diseases and pests like army worms and aphids.
Maize is Kenya’s main staple. In 2018, the Maize production increased by 26 per cent from 35.4 million bags in 2017 to 44.6 million bags. In the same period, production of wheat increased from 165.2 thousand tonnes to 336.6 thousand tonnes while the volume of rice produced increased by 38.7 per cent from 81.2 thousand tonnes to 112.6 thousand tonnes due to availability of irrigation water.
Challenges
Post-harvest wastage has been identified as the main challenge facing agricultural production in Kenya. It is feared that close to 50 per cent of Kenya’s produce is lost in the post-harvest period at a time when Kenya’s food reserves are dwindling. These post-harvest challenges range from the simple to complex. The hardest hit by these are small-scale farmers who in some instances lose entire harvests to weevils and Aflatoxin. Both classes of farmers have in the past reported heavy losses due to poor state of roads. During rainy seasons, farmers are unable to get their produce to the market, leading to huge losses. Yet, in the midst of these challenges, legislation does exist to mitigate the bottlenecks.
In the case of infrastructure, the country has the Road Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF) Act, legislated in 1993. The Act contemplates establishment of Special Purpose Roads, which have currently been classified to include roads falling within national parks, game reserves and security roads. The roads are managed by Government agencies such as Kenya Wildlife Service and the Forest department. KWS as a department has been allocated one per cent of the fund to maintain road network within National parks and reserves. According to Vision 2030 Initiative, agriculture is supposed to contribute 10 per cent of Kenya’s GDP.
Last year, the Ministry of Agriculture set up a taskforce that developed the National Agri-Business Strategy. The strategy seeks to remove barriers and create incentives for the private sector to invest in agri-business and related fields. It also seeks to underwrite the growth of the agricultural industry by investing public resources more strategically, make the industry more competitive, dynamic and easily adaptable to the market. Above all, the strategy seeks to inculcate institutional frameworks to make it possible for all actors to maximise the utility of opportunities and resources. The agricultural sector also still faces challenges of market access, funding for research and development, access to credit and the age of the Kenyan farmer. Currently, the average age of the Kenyan farmer is 60 years old and yet a large percentage of the population is aged under 35 years.
The Ministry of Agriculture is however working on programmes that are attractive to the youth and women as the country’s economic growth depends on agriculture. Drought resistant maize research promises hope. Scientists and researchers in Kenya have been chasing the dream of developing drought tolerant maize, which could see increased food security at both household and national levels. Maize is a staple food for a majority of Kenyans and is mostly cultivated by small-scale farmers who rely on rain leaving them vulnerable to the erratic weather.
Over the last three years maize production in Kenya has been characterised by fluctuations, with the annual consumption outstripping production by some one million metric tonnes most of the time. Ongoing research has attracted both local and foreign scientists and the positive results so far have shown that it is possible to attain a resistant variety through the use of biotechnology. The research focuses on enhancing yield in tropical maize with limited water by breeding crops that utilise their energy much more efficiently, increasing their resistance to different abiotic stresses in the field. Drought reduces plant growth and decreases yields. If the decrease in percentage yield per year for maize continues Kenya will not be able to double food production. The impact of climate change in sub-Saharan Africa illustrated by erratic rainfall has affected the different planting seasons and led to increased food insecurity.
Breeding for lower respiration during drought boosts the energy content and the plants are able to utilise their energy more efficiently. With maintained energy balance the plant can be able to carry out its normal metabolic functions with limited uptake of water. This is achieved by targeting a gene involved in metabolism and silencing it through the genetic approach. The gene is normally induced during drought stress and it hampers plant energy generation, reducing the crops chance of survival.
The scientists involved in research employ a silencing approach by targeting the Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase gene using novel artificial microRNA (amiRNA). Under drought stress, the gene is induced, leading to increased consumption of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide that eventually depletes the ATP pools in plants.
The depletion results in cell necrosis and eventual death of the whole plant. The research is still at an early stage but has already began showing positive results as a number of transgenic seedlings with the silenced gene showed better performance than the ordinary maize on the 20th day of being denied water. Despite this, the developed seed still has to be taken through more controlled lab trials, improved upon further and taken for field trials to see whether it meets all standards set by the National Biosafety Authority before it can be approved for commercialisation and made available to farmers. Further research will be carried out on the promising lines in order to link the drought tolerance phenotype to improved energy content and identify from these drought tolerant lines those that can resist aflatoxin contamination.
The three-year research is funded by Biotech scientists through the National Commission for Science Technology and Innovation at a cost of Sh6 million and supported by the International Foundation for Science. Aphids are a major threat to the crop, capable of destroying crop production by up to 60-70 per cent. They can completely destroy the crop if not contained in good time. “Aphids suck water from a plant, and are very destructive but can be tamed,” says Mr Chege.
Spotting and tackling aphids
It is a common sight in many crop farms that cause a lot of irritation, distress and disappointment – vegetable leaves or plants curl up, wilt or turn yellow and stop growing despite all the love you’ve shown them with fertilisation, watering and working on the soil.
Aphids are tiny, soft-bodied insects, with a pear shape that use their long slender mouthparts to pierce the stems and leaves of your vegetables to suck out fluids and inject toxins, leaving them withered and unhealthy.Also known as plant lice, aphids are among the most destructive insect pests on crops in temperate regions and transmit other diseases and viruses.
After having a hearty meal of your crops, they then deposit a sticky substance known as honeydew that attracts ants and promote a black sooty mould growth on leaves. The ants feed on the honeydew and protect these pests from their natural enemies.
The sap-sucking insects come in various colours including black, brown, red, white, and green depending on species and food source.
They are members of the Aphidoidea family and are about 4,400 species. Around 250 of this species are very destructive attacking plants and forests, and are easily distributed by winds. Among crops largely affected by these insects include certain vegetable and ornamental plants, squash, cucumber, pumpkin, melon, bean, potato, lettuce, beet and chard.
Control
Aphids can be controlled through biological, cultural and chemical methods. As much as possible use non-chemical means because most chemicals destroy beneficial insects as well. Start by checking your plants often, at least twice a week when they are growing rapidly so as to catch infestations early. Many aphid species prefer the underside of leaves, so turn leaves over when checking for them. Biological methods include use of natural enemies like ladybirds, hoverfly larvae, parasitic wasps, aphidc midge larvae, crab spiders, lacewings, and entomopathogenic fungi such as Lecanicillium lecanii and the Entomophthorales.
Various species of parasitic wasps lay their eggs inside aphids and help reduce the aphid population substantially. Many predators like the lady bird beetle also feed on aphids. Naturally occurring predators work best.
Cultural control
Farmers can scout the environment and remove any sources of aphids before planting vegetables. Some aphids build up on weeds and move onto related crop seedlings after they emerge. Always check transplants for aphids and remove them before planting. High levels of nitrogen fertiliser favour aphid reproduction, and farmers are advised to use a less soluble form of nitrogen instead and apply it in small portions throughout the season rather than all at once. Slow-release fertilisers such as organic fertilizers or urea-based time-release formulations are best.
Many vegetables are prone to aphid damage during the seedling stage, protect the seedlings under covers in a greenhouse, or inside and then transplant them when they are older and more tolerant to aphid feeding. Protective covers will also prevent transmission of aphid-borne viruses.
Aphids are a major threat to the crop, capable of destroying crop production by up to 60-70 per cent. They can completely destroy the crop if not contained in good time. They suck water from a plant, and are very destructive but can be tamed.
Chemical control
If you must use insecticides be careful with them because they also kill the natural enemies that provide long-term control of aphids and other pests. They are also kill bees. Too much use of these applications may also cause resistance.
Organic control
Soon after spotting aphids, apply ash on the leaves either as dust or by mixing with water and then spraying. The ash sucks and dehydrates the aphids to death. But when spraying, soak ash in water for three days before spraying. Using plants with pesticide features: Use pyrethrum leaves, garlic or red pepper, slicing them to smaller pieces for seven days before spraying.
Manure
Using enough manure at planting helps control aphids, as the manure helps in absorbing more water for the plant. Water produced by the leaves has high sugar concentration multiplied by excessive heat from the sun, thus ̧ enough supply of water sucked from manure helps reduce the sugar levels that attract the aphids.
Ordinarily, the mention of a co-operative society bringa to mind thoughts of money, especially in form of loans, savings or dividends. However, in Uganda, small scale farmers have formed cooperative societies of a kind. Here, you are loaned in form of seeds, mostly beans
Crop rotation is also an effective method against aphids. Intercrop: intercropping like the beans with maize can also save them from aphid attacks.Sweeping at the base of the crop and applying the ash powder can also control aphids.
Sacco helps farmers boost food yields.
A drive from Kampala to Sheema District, west of Uganda, leaves you envying the country’s agricultural sector. There are acres of bananas. Most farmers have intercropped their bananas with other crops, especially beans. May be, they know the secret of legumes; that they fix nitrogen in the soil, thus, the reason why it is their favourite cover crop. Some farmers grow bananas separately, while they grow maize and beans in different portions. The mission here is to visit a group of farmers, who have mastered the art of conserving their own seeds. This does not only save on cost of seeds, but also help to maintain the country’s seed sovereignty.
The 300-kilometre journey from Kampala to Sheema District is dotted with many shopping centres, with shops hosting different businesses. A business-minded person would imagine a thriving seeds business. However, there is barely any seed shop along the way.
On this day, a Kenyan delegation from ‘Seeds Savers’ is here to learn how farmers operate under seeds cooperatives. Seed Savers Network is a Nakuru-based organisation of small scale farmers, which encourages farmers to conserve their own seeds to ensure they do not fail to plant either because they cannot access seeds, or cannot afford the same.
Ordinarily, the mention of a co-operative society bringa to mind thoughts of money, especially in form of loans, savings or dividends. However, in Uganda, small scale farmers have formed cooperative societies of a kind. Here, you are loaned in form of seeds, mostly beans. This way, farmers are able to save the money they would have spent on buying seeds, as well as conserve their traditional seeds. “If a farmer borrows one kilogramme of seeds, he or she refunds with 100 percent interest of the same,” says Geoffrey Mugarura, the Kiziba Seed Bank Cooperative’s General Manager.
The cooperative has 25 members all are small holder farmers. Further, he adds, through these farmers, the country is able to conserve her seeds sovereignty as well as food culture. Bean farming is more common here than maize, owing to the crop’s high value. A kilogramme of beans for example, sells for Ugsh3,000 (Ksh86) while the same amount of maize goes for Ugsh1,500 (Ksh43). Besides, beans, as food, is more common especially served as an accompaniment of matoke (mashed bananas), the country’s staple food. Farmers here noticed that they were slowly losing their indigenous seeds. Further, some of the varieties in the area have been slowly disappearing and were at risk of extinction. “We also realized that due to climate change, some bean varieties were yielding lower in very hot conditions while others thrived,” says Mugarura.
Through the assistance of Bioversity International and the National Agricultural Research Laboratories (Naro), this cooperative started by gathering five bean varieties in 2010. However, the varieties have since increased to 57, with some having been sourced from the National Gene Bank. Bioversity International is a Non-Governmental Organisation that engages in research and policy matters in safeguarding agriculture and trees. Naro is the Uganda government institution which can be equated to Kenya Agricultural and Research Organisation (Kalro).
Apparently, during our visit, most of the seeds had been loaned to farmers who will be returning with 100 percent interest after three months. Farmers are trained on proper seed selection right at the farm, by officers from Bioiversity and Naro. This ensures that they still retain pure varieties of seed. While there is no money circulation within the cooperative, people willing to join have to pay Ugsh5,000 (Ksh143) membership fee and minimum shares of Ugsh10,000 (Ksh286).
Ugandan farmers enjoy some sort of freedom in sale, multiplication and exchange of seeds. To ensure smooth running of the cooperative, members meet every month to discuss seed matters and the condition of their crops. After every member gets enough planting seeds, the extra is sold to non-members. The money, according to Mugarura, goes to day-to- day expenses as well as savings, with a future plan of establishing a big indigenous seed shop.
The government provided land for construction of the seed bank. The government’s presence is also visible in day to day running of the facility as the local area member equivalent to a chief in Kenya forms part of its leadership.
The ‘chief’ ensures that beneficiaries (farmers) repay back the loaned seeds in the ratio of 1:2 as stipulated in the cooperative’s by-laws. The support from the government and internal control systems are the key growth factors for Kiziba Seeds Cooperative. Its success has triggered establishment of others within the country both by individual farmers as well as cooperative groups.
It will soon be another planting season for green grams, and he hopes to make a kill selling seeds to farmers. The green grams have maintained their green colour with no destruction by weevils and other insects, making them high-quality as seeds.
Dr Gloria Otieno, an Associate Scientist on Genetic Resources and Food Security Policy at Bioversity International, says Kenya needs to establish a system that will enhance conservation of indigenous seeds.
“This will come in handy in ensuring food security as most of the indigenous seeds are more resistant to pests and diseases,” says Gloria. Besides, she adds, indigenous seeds will withstand harsh weather conditions amid current climate change that is a major threat to farming and food security. Seeds Savers Network Director Daniel Wanjama who led the Kenyan delegation urged Kenyan farmers to follow their Ugandan counterparts and jointly save seeds.
This, he says would come in handy towards realizing the country’s food security and ensuring seeds access by farmers especially in the rural areas. ‘Magic’ storage bags help grain farmers to tackle post-harvest losses It is the storage losses caused by pests that hurt farmers the most.
This occurs when the grain is being stored for later consumption or for sale when prices rise. Joseph Gachuhi lifts a 50kg bag of green grams at Mwailu Enterprises store at Kiunduni market, in Makueni County. His face glows with optimism, as he anticipates good income. It will soon be another planting season for green grams, and he hopes to make a kill selling seeds to farmers. The green grams have maintained their green colour with no destruction by weevils and other insects, making them high-quality as seeds.
“The grains are still as green as I stored them months back. There is no destruction from weevils or any other pests,” he notes. His secret is the use of Hermetic Storage Bags, a technology that he learnt through a USAID supported project dubbed KAVES.
HST bags preserve the dried cereals and pulses without using pesticide dust. They have outer Woven Polypropylene (WPP) bags and the inner liners. The WPP bag protects the inner liners, which provide the hermetic properties to block gases and water vapor. Once the hermetic bag is closed, oxygen and other gases are prevented from entering or exiting.
This protects the dried grains and pulses from damage that mostly occurs during postharvest storage and suffocates any living organisms inside. The stored grain can last up to two years and the bag is reusable. In 2013, KAVES purchased 2,500 HTS bags and distributed them to cereal farmers in a pilot project that was successful.
Since then, over a million bags have been sold, mostly to small scale grain and pulses farmers as well as aggregators. Although the five-year project came to a close in 2017, the HTS technology continues to increase in popularity and use.
Lucy Wamboi, a maize farmer from Nakuru thinks that HTS bags are among the best innovations of the recent past. “I no longer keep worrying over the possibility of my dry maize grains being attacked by weevils as they are safely in the HTS bags,” says Wamboi.
The HST bags are available at numerous agro dealers across the country retailing at an average of KES 250 per bag to farmers. Depending on the manufacturer, some of the bags come with two liners for strength and efficiency.
Before starting to use the HTS bags, she says, she had to often check on her maize, and use insecticides whenever she found them infested by weevils. Sometimes, she adds, before adopting this technology, she was forced to either sell or share with neighbours, her maize grains in a haste to avoid destruction by weevils.
She received the first bag as a ‘gift’ from a fellow farmer in Nyeri back in 2016. Initially, she says, she was sceptical about it, especially because she was learning about the technology for the first time. But she has since liked the HTS technology. However, Wamboi says she still has to keep a cat to ensure that rats do not destroy the bags.
The HST bags are available at numerous agro dealers across the country retailing at an average of KES 250 per bag to farmers. Depending on the manufacturer, some of the bags come with two liners for strength and efficiency.
The HTS bags technology is rich in benefits; First, farmers can store their grains during the peak production period, and sell when there is scarcity, thus making a higher profit margin. Besides, the grains do not lose moisture. This means that they retain their initial weight from time of storage to time of selling.
In the convention way of storage, farmers lose an average of 4-5 kilograms due to loss reduction of moisture content. The fact that farmers can store their grains for longer means they can save food for families as opposed to purchasing. Besides, farmers will save on the cost of insecticides that are used to control weevils and other pests. As demand increases, this new and highly effective technology will reduce the need to import maize and ensure the food security for households across Kenya, owing to mitigation of post-harvest losses.
Among other produce that can be stored in these bags include beans, wheat, peas, sorghum, millet among others. Post-harvest losses is a major threat to farmers in Kenya and how to tackle it is the key to food security. According to some reports, the country incurs post-harvest losses to the tune of over Sh50 billion every year across all sectors.
But it is in maize and other grains like rice, beans and green grams that form part of the staple food where the losses are most felt. Apart from storage, it is important for farmers to be sensitised about other losses.
Grains may be lost in the pre-harvest, harvest, and post-harvest stages. Pre-harvest losses occur before the process of harvesting begins, and may be due to insects, weeds, and rusts. Harvest losses occur between the beginning and completion of harvesting, and are primarily caused by losses due to shattering.
Post-harvest losses occur between harvest and the moment of human consumption. They include on-farm losses, such as when grain is thrashed, winnowed and dried, as well as losses along the chain during transportation, storage, and processing.
But it is the storage losses caused by pests and other factors that hurt farmers the most. This normally occurs when the grain is being stored for auto-consumption or while the farmer awaits a selling opportunity or a rise in prices.
In many parts of Kenya, there is only one harvest a year. Thus most production of maize, wheat, rice, sorghum, millet, etc. must be held in storage for periods varying from a few days up to more than a year.
Storage therefore plays a vital role in grain supply chains. For all grains, storage losses can be considerable but the greatest losses appear to be of maize. Losses in stored grain are determined by the interaction between the grain, the storage environment and a variety of organisms.
Contamination by moulds is mainly determined by the temperature of the grain and the availability of water and oxygen. Moulds can grow over a wide range of temperatures, but the rate of growth is lower with lower temperature and less water availability. Insects make a significant contribution towards the deterioration of grain, through the physical damage and this is what the technology behind the storage bags seeks to solve.