UPDATE 1-Kenya tea production likely to jump 3.5 pct in 2017. INTERVIEW: LAPSSET project expected to open up opportunities for fishermen in Lamu. Kenya may offer tea futures contracts, a world first. By Adelaide Changole.
Kenya: Farm Technology Helps Clean Up Nairobi's Drinking Water. By David Njagi Murang'a — Samuel Kinuthia knows how to make the most of technology.
Using a technique called basin terracing, he has boosted his income at his farm in Murang'a county, and helped provide Kenyans as far away as Nairobi with better access to clean drinking water. Kinuthia and a group of 300 farmers in Kiaruta village are turning hilly land into more productive farmland through basin terracing. It also reduces soil erosion, which can choke central Kenya's rivers and pollute drinking water. On a sunny morning, Kinuthia and two employees are preparing a fresh strip of land to sow crops on his three-acre farm. Kenya: Sh400 Million Donkey Meat Abattoirs Will Get State Approval in May, PS Pledges. By James Kariuki The government has denied claims that it blocked the launch of donkey meat abattoirs worth Sh400 million in Naivasha and Baringo.
Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Principal Secretary Mr Andrew Tuimur said the projects will be approved by May after being thoroughly inspected. The Naivasha abattoir is worth Sh30 million and is owned by Mr Samuel Kariuki while the Baringo plant, which is worth Sh350 million was built by Chinese-owned Goldox Kenya. Kenyan Researchers Step Up Trials for Genetically Altered Crops in Bid to Fight Hunger. By James Kariuki National field trials for genetically modified maize (BT maize) have reignited interest in the bid by government and private companies to use science to produce more food cheaply.
Ethiopia: Vanilla Flourishes in Sheka, Bench Lowlands. By Alazar Shiferaw In an exclusive interview with The Ethiopian Herald Newspaper, Tepi National Spices Research Centre Director and Researcher Haimanot Mitiku said, "Vanilla is one of the most expensive spices in the world.
The centre released Yeki One species of vanilla a year ago. Presently, the centre is engaged in accessing Yeki One specie to Sheka and Bench Maji farmers. Its vaniline content has to be over two per cent globally. But ours is over 2. 25 per cent. The Tepi National Spices Research Centre engaged in adopting and developing spices technologies, conducting lowland researches, multiplying and distributing improved spices and lowland coffee technologies to similar agro-ecological zones of the country. Haimanot Mitiku said that vanilla had been imported from Indonesia almost two decades before. Vanilla has multifaceted importance for industry inputs and cosmetics industries. Kenya Approves Limited GM Maize Release. By Gilbert Nakweya Kenya says more tests and safeguards are needed before genetically modified (GM) maize seeds can be grown commercially in the country.
In a decision issued today, the National Biosafety Authority (NBA) approved the crop's environmental release only for field trials and under conditions. The Frontier: Dairy business that started with 11 cows now thriving dairy farm. Kenya: Tomato prices double after heavy rains. Kenya: Tomato prices double after heavy rains Kenyans have to dig deeper into their pockets to buy tomatoes as ongoing El-Nino rains disrupt supply of the essential commodity.
Prices have increased by up to 40 percent as traders struggle to supply the produce that is widely used by millions of Kenyans. Tomatoes mainly thrive during the warm weather season, which preceded the El-Nino rains. With the rains having started in October and have been around for about a month, particularly in source markets in Central, Eastern and Rift Valley, supply has been completely disrupted.
A 64kg box of tomatoes is now going for between 70 U.S. dollars and 85 dollars in various wholesale markets in the East African nation, up from a low of 42 dollars. Retail prices have equally shot up, with most traders in the capital Nairobi selling a kilo at 1.1 dollars. Prices are, however, fairer in the East African nation’s capital compared to other regions. Brookside Dairy enters powdered milk market. Brookside Dairy has begun selling powdered milk, a year after commissioning a Sh3.5 billion dry milk plant to facilitate production.
The move into the powdered milk market has seen the processor’s daily intake of raw milk rise to nearly two million litres. Brookside’s Director of Milk Procurement, John Gethi, said the Ruiru-based firm is servicing several bulk orders for powder each day, mainly from confectionery industry players. “Our powder is manufactured from locally sourced raw milk.
As an ISO-certified dairy firm, we are keen on offering the best quality powder that meets the test of better solubility and colour — the main attributes preferred by buyers,” Mr Gethi said. Brookside’s entry into the niche market of powdered milk is expected to intensify the fight for control of the long-life milk product portfolio. New KCC and Uganda’s Pearl Dairy are key suppliers of milk powder for the local market. Kenya: Authorities predict a 22% increase in coffee yield during current harvest - Ecofin Agency. (Ecofin Agency) - Kenya expects its coffee yield for the 2015-2016 season to go up 22%.
This increase will result from the implementation of a number of initiatives driven towards production boosting, said the industry’s regulator. The country plans on benefiting from the positive impact of the increase in lands allocated to the crop as well as of the exploitation of new plantations in its western part. The surge should also be followed by a steep rise in revenues which will move from $182.53 million for the 2014-2015 season to about $196 million for the ongoing season. Despite being a small coffee producer with just 1% of world production, coffee-farming holds a significant position in the country’s agricultural economy as it is one of the main sources of revenue in the sector. Kenya’s biggest irrigation project becomes a reality. By Ruth Mutegi Kenya is about to have the first 20,000 bags of maize harvested at the Galana Irrigation Scheme It seemed like a pipe dream two years ago and many people did not believe the government could actually succeed in putting one million acres of land under irrigation.
Regardless of the pessimism, Kenya is about to have the first 20,000 bags of maize harvested at the Galana Irrigation Scheme. The idea of turning one of the country’s driest regions into an overflowing food basket was initially floated by former Chairman of the Parliamentary Agriculture Committee John Mututho. It was during a visit to Galana on a fact finding mission on how 8,000 livestock went missing . The next frontier: Farmers have refused to give up on beef farming sector. Kenya’s loss of tea output could mean India’s gain. Coonoor, August 6: A whopping 50 million kg (mkg) loss in production in Kenya due to drought in the first half of current calendar has thrown open a fresh opportunity for exports of Indian tea.
“Kenya has had a bad year with production trailing behind 2014 each month until May. June was relatively a better month with production increasing marginally to 32.20 mkg from 31.94 mkg. However, the overall output in the first half fell to 175.13 mkg from 225.18 mkg,” Rajesh Gupta, compiler of Global Tea Digest, told BusinessLine. This drop of 50.05 mkg marked a decline of as much as 22.23 per cent. Next Frontier: A goat dairy farmer defied odds and is runs a profitable goat dairy business. Feature: Kenyans live off farming as demand for farm produce grows. By Bedah Mengo NAIROBI, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- It was known for many years in Kenya as a business for the poor in rural areas and the rich who own huge tracts of land. The poor were engaging in it for subsistence, while the rich to use their huge parcels and make money, particularly from exports. However, all these perceptions are now changing as many Kenyans, particularly, the middle class embrace farming. Farming has become one of the "coolest" businesses to engage in as market for produce expands and more people see the benefits of agribusiness.
From keeping livestock that include poultry and dairy cows and goats to growing fast-maturing horticultural crops like tomatoes and capsicum, farming is now the in-thing in Kenya. And a good number of Kenyans, including the youth, are living off the trade reducing the reliance on white collar jobs. The farmer also keeps 20 cows and 30 sheep on her over 15 acres. Farming is all the 47-year-old does as she juggles between animals and crops. Huffingtonpost. Smart Farm: Tilapia Fish Farming. Dairy farmers oppose new procurement rules - Business.
Kenya eyes high-value agriculture to up production. Kenya is committed to developing linkages between industrialisation and agriculture to power transformation. Acting Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Adan Mohamed said the move will open up opportunities in the sector and accelerate Kenya’s food security plans. Speaking in Cape Town at the Grow Africa Investment Forum last week, Adan said African countries need to attract the private sector. This, he noted will support farmers and agricultural projects to commercialise the sector and deal with food security. Healthy profit for Kenyan women selling aloe to UK cosmetics firm. Women's group members prepare cosmetics made with aloe, Laikipia County, Kenya. TRF/Leopold Obi By Leopold Obi NANYUKI, Kenya, April 21 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Women herders in Kenya's semi-arid Laikipia County have broken with tradition to export the leaves of a desert plant to Europe, boosting their incomes.
Three hundred women in El Poloi have switched from the age-old occupation of goat-keeping to the new and far more lucrative activity of farming aloe, a plant with healing properties. Along the way, they are transforming their economic status and creating educational opportunities for their daughters. First shipment avocados from Kenya to Hong Kong. First shipment avocados from Kenya to Hong Kong. Kenya: Middle class live off farming as demand for farm produce grows. Commercial tree farming on the increase in Kenya. How to Start Dairy Farming in Kenya and Make It A Multi-Million Business. Kenyan team leads plans for livestock genebank - SciDev.Net Sub-Saharan Africa. African Leafy Vegetables in Kenya. Grow Africa. The LAPSSET is making major infrastructure improvements along a corridor that links Lamu Port to regional markets in South Sudan, Ethiopia and beyond. Business Focus: 2013 Ep#1 Drip Irrigation.
The Business of Food: Kenya - Nut Processing. The Business of Food: Kenya - Organic Supermarket. Lifestyle : Kenya’s dairy industry key to Africa’s agribusiness. Livestock Farming: Free Artificial Insemination on the way. News : Camel milk now a 'white gold' in Mandera. Kenya's dairy industry switches from cows to camels.