Listen Advances in biotechnology are giving farmers safer and better options for eliminating pests leading to higher yields. Have you been experiencing a consistent reduction in yields, despite dutifully preparing your land, using high quality seed, fertilisers and pesticides? Your crops wilt and yellow, have rotting roots and stunted growth, yet you have no idea […]
Listen For many years, prospective fish farmers in Nyandarua County have been grappling with breeding warm-water fish species faster in the cold region on the edge of the Great Rift Valley. On average, such warm-water fish require temperatures of between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius to breed and grow faster to earn farmers’ profits. […]
Listen Despite the rural electrification programme solar has emerged as the preferred low cost option for many dairy farmers. Some Sh12.4 billion worth of milk produced across the country in 2018 went to waste, according to the year’s Economic Survey. Blame for this atrocious wastage and subsequent financial losses has fallen mostly on poor handling […]
Listen The simple technologies below are helping farmers add value to their produce before taking them to market thereby increasing their earnings. Peanut butter in three easy steps This machine showcased at an expo at the University of Eldoret is made up of three parts, namely the flour miller, the decorticator and grinder, enabling one […]
Listen Kenya’s Colombia Mild is valued for its balance, and complex but powerful wine-toned acidity wrapped in sweet berry-toned fruitiness. Kenya’s coffee industry is very popular, especially for its strong aroma, cooperative milling system and auctioneering. Kenya is rated 21st among the world’s best coffee producers. Coffee exports account for about five percent of all […]
Listen Over the years, sugar output has remained below local demand forcing the country to import sugar to fill the gap despite investments in sector. Sugar is the second-largest contributor to Kenya’s agricultural growth after tea. There are three sugar-belts in Kenya; Nyando, the western sugar belt and the south Nyanza sugar zone. Approximately five […]
Listen The armyworm is especially devastating for maize farmers in Kenya and across Africa because it attacks the crop while it is still in the field. The fall armyworm often invades Kenya’s breadbasket regions of the North Rift and western Kenya maize belt and Meru and Machakos counties. Integrated pest management is the best way […]
Listen 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 […]
Listen Wheat is the second most popular cereal after maize in Kenya. It is an ingredient in many favourite and common meals such as chapati, cake, mandazi, samosas, bread among others. Interestingly, most of the wheat-based foods in the country are considered as precious and for special occasions especially in rural and low-income areas. Wheat […]
Listen Fed up with meagre earnings from his farm, Finelius Irungu woke up one day, uprooted his tea bushes and replaced them with climbing beans. For years Mr Finelius Irungu, a tea farmer in Murang’a County, would endure a thankless and familiar routine. He would wake up early, harvest his tea leaves and then wait […]