Five expert tips to farmers on options, cost-cutting

Last week, Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology (JKUAT) held the 13th JKUAT Scientific and Technology conference. The two-day event saw scientists and researchers present findings from their works done in recent months.

More than 20 papers were presented by students of the institution. Held under the theme ‘commercialisation of research outputs and innovation for sustainable development,’ the conference offered solutions and options to farmers. The following are some of the lessons as shared by the researchers and scientists at the institution.

1.     Vermiculture has benefits at all levels

Earthworms, to many a layman, are disgusting slimy critters of the soil. But Ben Momanyi of JKUAT knows better. “This is a very lucrative farming style,” Momanyi says. Vermiculture is the practice of rearing earthworms. While many conventional farming techniques end up with lots of waste that eventually gets discarded, vermiculture offers a cyclic system of farming where nutrients are kept within an ecosystem. Momanyi says: “Earthworms can be fed to fish reared in a pond. Yet, the same earthworms produce high quality organic fertiliser. The fertiliser can also be packaged in liquid form.” Vermiculture presents an opportunity for a farmer to explore farming styles that support each other.

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2.     Strawberry farming can be profitable when farmers are knowledgeable

Strawberry farming is fast becoming popular. Yet it is such a sensitive undertaking that one mistake could end up costing a farmer a season’s worth of crops. Final year student Jane Kahunyiro conducted a survey to evaluate the factors affecting profitability of strawberry production in Kiambu County. “My findings show that strawberry farming can be profitable but farmers ought to go into the venture with better knowledge about farming strawberries,” Kahunyiro says. Profitability, she concluded, was dependent on a few major factors. Namely: distance to the market, knowledge of the market, green housing, costs of pesticides, understanding of basic tenets of strawberry farming and cost of raw materials. “Many farmers don’t even understand the best climatic conditions for strawberry farming. Some struggle with high costs of pesticides. And others have crops performing badly because they are not in a greenhouse,” Kahunyiro says. Under the supervision of Dr Eucabeth Majiwa, Kahunyiro concluded that many strawberry farmers need training to improve their output.

3.     Mushroom farming is lucrative

The university has established a mushroom growing resources centre to cater for this fast growing segment in agricultural products. Research done by JKUAT shows that there is a huge shortage of mushroom supply locally. The main reason for this dearth in mushroom farming is that there was no institution that produced certified mushroom seeds (spawn) before the university started. Mushroom farming, Momanyi says, can utilise little space for maximum returns. A package weighing 100g fetches approximately Sh250. With growing number of catering businesses the market for mushroom farming is ripe for investment.

4.     Using weed to make beer hence saving food crops

Food security is a subject close to many farming students. A visiting student from Kisii University came up with an invention: utilising weeds to produce different types of alcohols. “The substrate is entirely weed based,” the student points out. “Weeds are common in many tropical ecosystems and grow naturally. I have successfully made alcohol from one specific type of weed and the product successfully tasted safe for consumption.” According to the student using weeds to produce alcohol would be beneficial to the entire planet as food crops like barley, wheat and sorghum can then be utilised as food for human consumption.

5.     A more effective fishing pond

It is not enough to practice traditional forms of fish farming – open consecutive ponds. New techniques are coming up and they ought to be embraced. Joyce Njenga, a senior technologist in the fisheries and aqua-zoology department at JKUAT presented a functional model that offers benefits to gardening and purifies the water from the pond. The design features one central fish tank into which fresh water is pumped. “Water from the fish tank is rich in nitrates. This water is channelled to two vegetable gardens with soil and pebbles. As the water moves through the garden the nutrients are picked up by the plants as the water natural filtration into a lower tank. From the tank the water can be pumped back into the tank,” Njenga says.

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