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THE STANDARD
ENTERPRISE
A woman markets her seedlings near bunge la wana nchi area in Eldoret.[Peter Ochieng,Standard]
Kenya’s drive to plant trees to increase forest cover to 10 per cent is a boon for seedling farmers. And many have made a kill.
Tucked in Mukuyuni village in Makueni County, Paul Mwanza’s farm hosts Palma Mukuyuni tree nursery with more than 100,000 seedlings which include fruit seedlings, forest trees and ornamentals.
According to Mwanza, running a successful tree nursery in Kenya is rewarding. When you learn the ropes, one can make money from the business.
He shares with Money Maker tips on how to run a successful tree seedlings business.
Lifestyle diseases on the rise as public shuns native dishes 1 month ago
Makueni agriculture CEC Bob Kisyula holds a Baobab fruit in his office at Wote, Makueni county. [Stephen Nzioka, Standard]
Nutrition experts are leading the charge to get Kenyans to take up eating more indigenous foods to control the rise of non-communicable diseases and malnutrition. Ruth Kaloki, a lead nutritionist at Makueni County Referral Hospital, said rising cases of diseases like diabetes, some cancers, heart disease, stroke and obesity point to the need for a healthy diet.
Many of the required nutrients are found in native foods, she said, but a majority of the population largely consume rice and maize. Veronica Kanini, a farmer in Thange A, Kathiani, Kibwezi East sub-county, said she grows pumpkin, sorghum, amaranth and cowpeas, among other traditional crops.