Briefly from across the country

Study shows sorghum is uplifting livelihoods in arid areas

Sorghum is an important cereal that is utilised worldwide as food, feed and industrial raw material. The crop is fairly drought-tolerant compared to maize, thus, it is quite popular in drier areas where agricultural and environmental conditions are harsh for the production of other food crops.

For a long time, sorghum was considered a subsistence crop, produced just for domestic consumption, with no prospects of growing it as a cash crop.

However, over the past decade, numerous initiatives by the government, non-governmental organisations, stakeholders in research and development have intervened in developing improved varieties of sorghum with specific beer-making attributes such as high carbohydrate content, low protein content, good yeast combination and high alcohol extraction ratios.

Such varieties include Gadam, Sila, Macia, Egerton Mtama 2, Kari Mtama 1, Kari Mtama 3 and KAK 7780, which are adapted for different agro-ecologies, mainly arid areas.

The distribution of the improved seeds, training farmers on good agronomic practices to increase yields and promotion of sorghum as an agribusiness for income generation with ready market has boosted the crop.

Currently, sorghum is emerging as an industrial crop with opportunities for production of sorghum-based foods, feeds and alcoholic beverages. A key private sector player, East Africa Malting Limited (EAML), uses sorghum for production of keg beer.

Currently, over 65,000 farmers are contracted countrywide to produce about 60,000 metric tonnes of sorghum to meet annual demand.

In Eastern Kenya, the company works with farmers in Makueni, Meru, Embu, Kitui, Machakos and Tharaka Nithi counties.

Reports indicate that cultivation of improved sorghum in these regions has led to increased production and incomes of the participating households.

As part of ongoing research to inform policymaking in the agricultural sector, Tegemeo Institute undertook a study to determine the extent to which the cultivation of improved sorghum varieties contributed to increased production and incomes for smallholder farmers in Eastern, and to a large extent in other sorghum-producing regions such as Nyanza, Western and Rift Valley. The reported findings are based on data collected in the 2014/2015 cropping year.

The study found that less than 10 per cent of farmers who cultivated improved sorghum varieties in Eastern applied inorganic fertiliser, yet the crops perform better with application of fertiliser.

Even without using fertiliser, farmers who cultivated improved sorghum varieties harvested on average 640 kilos against the potential yield of over 1,500 kilos per acre.

Selling sorghum to EAML at Sh25 per kilo, the average profit after accounting for costs was Sh9,800 per acre, and this contributed to higher quantity of sorghum sold by over 70 per cent when compared to farmers who cultivated local sorghum varieties.

Thus, farmers managed to increase their net household incomes by about 47 per cent, which as compared to maize in the arid counties would have been crop failure.

Farmers have then been able to purchase other food items, pay school fees and cater for medical services, which in turn improves the living standards of the sorghum-producing households.

Some 82 per cent of the farmers had access to agricultural extension services. Of this, 95 per cent received them from government for free, NGOs, research institutes or universities.

Some 93 per cent of sorghum farmers noted lack of improved seeds in local agro-dealer shops, suggesting limited investment in sorghum seed-bulking and distribution by the private sector possibly due to lack economic incentives to invest in the sorghum seed value-chain.

A key finding is that cultivation of well-adapted improved sorghum varieties has the potential to increase and sustain sorghum productivity, the crop’s commercialisation and household welfare for sorghum farmers.

However, there is limited investment in the sorghum seed value-chain by the private sector, perhaps due to low quantities of improved seed purchases and lack of a stable market for the improved sorghum seeds.

These challenges can be addressed through tax rebates to seed merchants to invest in the value-chain. Alternatively, the government should consider an informal but effective seed distribution where model farmers who are trusted by the community are contracted to distribute improved seeds of crops that are less attractive to private investment.

-Paul Kimurto and Joseph Opiyo

Opiyo is senior research associate at Tegemeo Institute of Agricultural Policy and Development and Prof Kimurto is crop science expert, Egerton University.

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Staying in meat business amid rising concerns over negative health effects

The Food and Agriculture Organisation put the annual consumption of meat globally in 2013 at 48kg per capita (kg/person/year), up from 25kg in 1961.

This quantity was projected to increase by between 75 per cent and 145 per cent by 2050 due to the strong correlation between increasing per-capita gross domestic product and increasing per-capita meat consumption.

In Kenya, the per capita consumption between 1961 and 2013 has been between 16 and 20 per cent. Meat is preferred due to its high protein content.

Recommended daily protein consumption for an adult male is 80-120g. This can be of plant and or animal origin (meat, milk, eggs or fish). The recommended protein translates to 29-43 per capita consumption.

When that comes from meat alone, then we can say there is overconsumption of meat. Meat is, however, associated with various health, environmental and social issues.

There is sufficient evidence to prove that current increases in food production will not be able to meet the global food demand by 2050. However, to maintain their market share, the producers need to strategise on business sustainability.
Quality

A recent study has shown that 76 per cent of customers are attracted to meat by the quality/price ratio and 24 per cent by the sales offers.

This implies that producers need to improve on quality of meat presented in markets. Good quality is achieved through improved genetics, quality feeds and disease control, among others.

Pre-harvest losses

Before slaughter, losses can occur during production and transportation. In the production stage, failure to observe some good agricultural practices such as deworming animals can lead to condemnation of internal organs due to worm infestation.

Pig meat worm also leads to condemnation of whole carcasses. External parasites lead to poor hides and skins from cattle and sheep/goats respectively, which are valuable slaughter products. Poor housing and production spaces could also cause injuries and skin damage.

During transportation, failure to feed, water and rest animal; overcrowding; use of inappropriate carriers and mishandling of animals lead to deaths, fractures and other injuries that cause meat condemnation.

Deaths and weight loss due to drought and floods should also be avoided through implementation of weather forecast reports; feed and water conservation; and offtake programmes.

Harvest losses

Use of appropriated flaying (hides/skins removal) techniques and technologies as well as skilled manpower reduces losses from these products.

Post-harvest losses

Marketing contracts; cold storage and transportation; marketing groups for economies of scale plus standards that improve chances for wider local and export markets all reduce post-harvest losses.

Some of these standards include meat inspection stamps and transportation documents; Kenya Bureau of Standards logo and bar codes.

-Jecinta Mwirigi

Dr Mwirigi is available on rivavet@yahoo.

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Training chance for innovators

Young agribusiness innovators and entrepreneurs can now apply for mentorship and training at the Egerton University’s Centre of Excellence for Livestock Innovation and Business (CoELIB Incubar).

Located at the institution’s main campus in Njoro, the programme admits innovators every year for an eight-week training after which they are connected to funders.

Prof Alexander Kahi, director CoELIB Centre and deputy vice chancellor, academic affairs, says the hub seeks to transform ideas and research into reality.

More than 20 innovators have been trained since the programme was established some two years ago.

They include LongBurn Sustainable Solutions, which deals with renewable energy and Udder Limited, which offers dairy consultancy.

Other innovations include Joco Mushroom, an enterprise that deals with the production and supply of button and oyster mushrooms, and Queen Rearing Incubator.

There is also a programme called Bee Soft to manage all activities relating to queen bee rearing.

Samwel Mwangi, who came up with a poultry technology dubbed Incubrooder, says it’s already attracting county governments seeking to boost poultry farming.

-Leopold Obi