FARMKENYA INITIATIVE
News
By Robert Amalemba | February 20th 2021 at 12:00:00 GMT +0300
Have you come across a cockerel weighing a cool 2.5 kilogrammes? Very rare. Well, this was one of the many attractions showcased during the just-ended 2021 Annual Mkulima Expo at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (Kalro) centre in Kakamega.
And probably because Kakamega is stereotyped as the home of chicken lovers, the stand showcasing the giant bird was packed with curious farmers who wanted to know the secret behind the bird s admirable weight.
Experts at the stand explained that the four-month-old rooster is a Kalro improved Kienyeji variety (KC). The weight, they said, is as a result of embracing recommended best practices from egg selection for hatching, to brooding, to vaccination, to proper feeding.
FARMKENYA INITIATIVE
Smart Harvest
By Kepher Otieno | February 16th 2021 at 12:00:00 GMT +0300
For years farmers with degraded soils in Nyanza have had to rely on fertiliser from the shops to boost their soil health or nutrients. But now farmer Sophia Akelo says they have discovered that the mucuna bean or velvetbean, can be used as green manure to help rebuild soils nutrients quickly. [Kepher Otieno, Standard]
When The Smart Harvest and Technology team visits, Sophia Akello is busy weeding in her farm in Chiga, Kibos village in Kisumu County. She grows Velvet bean, (scientifically known as Mucuna Pruriens) alongside arrow roots.
Kenya seeks Sh656m for potato seed study
Tuesday February 09 2021
By GERALD ANDAE
Summary
Kenya has applied for a Sh656 million grant from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to boost research on potato seed production and cut reliance on imports.
The fund will be used to increase the availability of certified seed in the country and cut the imports of tubers, which has been blamed for introducing foreign pests in the country.
Kenya has applied for a Sh656 million grant from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to boost research on potato seed production and cut reliance on imports.
THE STANDARD
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FARMKENYA INITIATIVE
Crop
By Njoki Thuo Mwakughu | January 23rd 2021 at 01:00:00 GMT +0300
Exhibitors inspect the red onions during the annual East African Seeds Agricultural Farmers Field Day. [Kibata Kihu, Standard]
As the population grows and land spaces continue to shrink, the concern for smallholder farmers is the limited space for farming. Gone are the days when farmers used to have acres of arable land. Nowadays, due to sub-division, even a quarter of an acre is a blessing.
In the tropics where Kenya lies, intensive cropping is the ideal farming method with the current reality. Very few farmers can increase land sizes. Now that land increment is out of the question, how do you maximise your profits with limited space?