The sweet potato is a cherished versatile food in Kenya. It can be used for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Its flour can be used for porridge, while its leaves can be used as a vegetable. The many uses of the sweet potato include human food, animal feed, industrial starch, flour, candy and even alcohol. Its […]
Rhode Island Red, a dual-purpose chicken breed, is one of the most popular breeds in the world. This is because it requires low maintenance, is hardy and is a very good layer. Friendly and gentle, Rhode Island Red is a good forager, able to look for its own feed. Due to its great characteristics, Rhode […]
The strawberry was initially a plant that grew in mild temperatures but has adapted well in warmer regions. It has become popular around the world and is grown in nearly every country, due to the breeding of new varieties that can grow under a wide range of climatic conditions. Strawberry, being mainly a fresh […]
The english name for Sukuma Wiki is Collard Greens. It is a form of a cabbage where green leaves do not form a head. Closer to the wild cabbage, than he domesticated cabbage, Collard Greens is common in Kenya by 90% of small scale farmers. Sukuma Wiki is rich in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin […]
As a farmer, your major goal should be to maximize the income you earn from your venture just like any other business person targets. While doing so, many farmers especially newbies tend to want to work along with possible limits that their farms can allow. While doing this makes sense, many farmers just find it […]
You can tap a lot of benefits from practising dairy farming. Our country’s economy strongly leans towards agriculture as its main powertrain. Through dairy farming, you can not only change your family’s financial background but also change the lives of many families that are one way or the other connected to your dairy farm. Some […]
Kuroiler chicken, a crossbreed created by Keggs farms in India in the early 1990s, is a dual purpose chicken breed. It is a cross of either White Leghorn roosters or colored broiler roosters with Rhode Island Red hens. It has gained popularity among chicken farmers in Kenya. From India, it was exported to Uganda, when many […]
Eliud Kipchoge is without doubt one of the greatest marathon runners ever. On the morning of 16th September 2018, He broke the world record by running the marathon in 2 hours 1 minute and 29 seconds. At 33 years of age, Eliud Kipchoge is known for his prowess on the track as well as his philosophy […]
Celery is a biennial plant that is farmed as an annual plant. Grown for its stalks, leaves, and seeds, the demand for celery in Kenya is increasing as more people become health conscious. It is rich in Folic Acid, Vitamin B6, Vitamin K, Vitamin C, and Potassium. As a versatile plant, celery can be […]
Irrigation is the application of water to the farm field, to supplement natural sources of water to plants. One of the major reasons farmers irrigate their farms is so as to be able to farm when there is no rain. It also allows farming in closed spaces like greenhouses. Irrigation has been used since time […]
Plants require water to grow, produce, and survive. One of the methods of getting water to your plants is through drip irrigation. Also known as trickle irrigation, drip irrigation is a method of getting water to plants through a series of thin PVC pipes and emitters. As the name suggests, the water is released […]
The chicken farmer needs to have a good understanding of chicken diseases, their causes, symptoms, cures and prevention. Diseases are any changes in the chicken’s natural body functions that affect their production, growth and survival. Chicken diseases are one of the biggest challenges in poultry farming. Be it chicken, ducks, geese, turkey or any other […]
Beetroot is a root vegetable that is used in salads, cooked meals, and juices. It is also known as chard, Harvard beet, European sugar beet, red garden beet, blood turnip, mangelwurzel, mangel, and spinach beet. Rich in fibre, folate (Vitamin B9), manganese, iron, potassium, and Vitamin C, beetroot is associated with lowering blood pressure and […]
What are the factors to consider when setting an apiary? How many hives should you set up in a single apiary? An apiary is a location where beehives of honey bees are kept in beehives. It might range from one beehive to hundreds of beehives. The site for your apiary will affect the quality of […]
Cowpea farming is popular in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid areas due to its high nutrition value, short harvest period, and hardiness. The cowpea is also known as the black-eyed pea. In Kenya, it is popularly known as Kunde. Farmed for its leaves and grains, Kunde leaves are more popular as a vegetable than as a […]
The African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus) is a fast-growing fish species native to African waters. In Kenya, it can be found in lakes, rivers, and artificial commercial fish farms where catfish are grown and bred in fish ponds and tanks. Catfish farming is attractive not only because of their fast growth rate but also the ability […]
Spring onions (Allium fistulosum), also known as bunching onions, green onions, or scallions are onions that do not develop bulbs. The leaves of the green onions are consumed in salads and different dishes. As a farmer, planting spring onions can be a good addition since they mature fast and can be intercropped with slow-growing vegetables. […]
Pork and other pig products account for 38% of meat products consumed worldwide. This gives Kenyans the opportunity to get into this in-demand product and make some profits. One of the questions potential pig farmers ask is whether pig farming is profitable in Kenya. Our answer is yes. Pig farming is profitable in Kenya if […]
Keeping dairy goats in Kenya is a profitable venture if all the requirements are taken into consideration. In Kenya, goat milk production costs less than cow’s milk. Goat milk brings more income per litre than cow’s milk. Half an acre of Napier grass is needed to feed one dairy cow, while the same can feed […]
Locally known as Mishiri, French beans have traditionally been grown in Kenya for Export. As time has gone by local consumption of french beans has been increasing. French beans can be grown both on a large scale and small scale. However, it is recommended to grow french beans on a small scale, with staggered planting […]
One of the major issues you might face in your chicken farming business is your chickens eating their eggs. This will reduce the number of eggs you collect thus affecting your bottom line. The habit of chickens eating eggs is caused by several reasons. Once you identify the reasons your chickens might eat your eggs, […]
The use of solar power for irrigation is becoming popular as solar panel technologies continue to get better and cheaper. Using solar harnesses the energy from the sun, to pump water from wells, boreholes, dams, rivers, and other water sources. This water is then used to provide water to plants, resulting in better products for […]
The Cabbage alongside Sukuma wiki is the most consumed leafy vegetable in Kenya. From the Brassica family together with Kale, cauliflower, and canola, the cabbage comes in red and green colours. Cabbages in Kenya are farmed for sale in the local market. They are a regular ingredient in meals served in homes and institutions all […]
The Sasso broiler chicken, made to be hardy and to as a slow-growing bird, is a broiler alternative to the fast-growing hybrid broilers that are based on the cornish cross. Sasso is actually not a breed name, but the name of the French company that has been breeding chicken for decades. The major focus for Sasso […]
The African nightshade / black nightshade, commonly referred to Kenya as Managu, is grown as an edible vegetable in Kenya. It is cherished for its nutritious benefits and has been used in traditional African medicine over the ages. As people grow more health-conscious, they are adding Managu and other traditional African vegetables to their diet. […]
The tomato, once considered to be highly poisonous, is a widely used vegetable in cooking around the world. With consistent market demand, both for fresh tomatoes and processed tomato products, farming tomatoes can be a profitable venture. To achieve success, you will need to be well equipped to deal with the management, production, and marketing […]
Making your own chicken feed at home can help in cutting down on the cost of purchasing chicken feed. Formulating your own chicken feed is advantageous because you will be able to control the quality. Saving on the cost and feeding your chicken with high-quality chicken feed will ensure that you maximize profit. Feeding chicken with […]
Indigenous chicken, also known as Kienyeji are much sought after because of the quality of their meat and eggs. They are hardy but also need to be taken care of, in terms of vaccination, in order to ward off diseases that can be fatal or drastically decrease production. Most common diseases in kienyeji chicken Kienyeji chicken (Indigenous […]
Introduced to Kenya in the 1920s, the passion fruit is native to southern Brazil. It grows well in the tropics. In Kenya, passion fruit farming is done to supply the local market as well as for export. Kenya is a top supplier of the passion fruit to the European market alongside Zambia, Zimbabwe, Brazil, and […]
The broiler feeding process is aimed at making sure that the bird, being raised for meat, attains the desired weight at the time of slaughter. To attain this, the correct feeding schedule must be followed, day by day, week by week. Failure to do this will lead to an increase in the duration the farmer […]
Kienyeji chicken is a broad name used for indigenous chicken breeds in Kenya, mostly reared in the village under the free-range method. They are also referred to as village chicken or road runners in other regions. Farming Kienyeji is becoming popular in Kenya today because the chicken is considered organic and hence the preferred healthier […]
Beekeeping, also known as apiculture is the practice of keeping and breeding bees for honey and other products. An apiarist or a beekeeper is someone who keeps honey bees in order to harvest honey and other products such as royal jelly, propolis, beeswax, bee venom. A beekeeper might also be involved in offering crop pollination […]
Layers are birds that are primarily kept for egg production. For commercial egg production, good management of layers is off uttermost importance if the poultry farmer is to achieve maximum production. Layers start laying from about the 18th to 19th week and lay until about 72 weeks. This means laying will not start as soon […]
The orange, commonly known as the sweet orange is one of the most common fruits in the world. It comes from the species of citrus (citrus Sinensis) and is from the Rutaceae family. The name sweet orange is used to differentiate it from the bitter orange (citrus Aurantium). Orange farming has been done over the […]
One of the major concerns of a poultry farmer is when they notice a decrease in egg production. Egg-laying might go from one egg a day per hen to nearly zero. The ideal egg-laying scenario is one egg every 24 -26 hours. The poultry farmer might wonder why the flock is not laying as it […]
The Potch KoeKoek is a free-range, dual-purpose chicken breed developed in the 1950s, at Potchefstroom agricultural college in South Africa. It is a cross between the Black Austrolorp chicken breed and the white leghorn chicken breed with a strain of the Barred Plymouth Rock chicken breed. Common in Southern African Countries, the potch Koekoek is […]
The Boschveld is an indigenous chicken reared across Africa. It is a crossbreed between the Ovambo, Matabele and Venda free-range indigenous chicken of southern Africa. Bred to be resistant to diseases, grow quickly, defend themselves against predators and survive on whatever food is available, the Boschhveld chicken can survive in tough climates. Mike Bosch, over […]
KARI improved Kienyeji was bred by the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute(KARI), now known as Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Institute (KARLO) at their research centre in Naivasha, in collaboration with researchers from Egerton University, Njoro. Research and Breeding of the KARI improved Kienyeji started in 2002, when breeders at the KARI research centre wanted to […]
Moringa Oleifera (M. Oleifera), a superfood touted to have 92 nutrients and 46 antioxidants has been nicknamed the “tree of life”. This is because all parts can be used as food and also processed to produce many Moringa value-added products. Moringa said to treat 300 diseases is highly packed with nutrients. compared to other foods:- Moringa […]
The Rainbow rooster is a dual-purpose, low-input, multicoloured chicken from India. It was bred by Indbro Research and Breeding Farms in Southern India as part of a food program by the state. Rainbow Roosters have been distributed to Kenya, Uganda, and South Sudan through Partnerships with Indbro Research. This chicken breed has also been exported […]
Kenbro chicken is a dual-purpose breed developed and distributed by Kenchic Limited in Kenya. The poultry farmer can keep it for both eggs and meat. Meant for free-ranging, Kenbro is disease resistant. It has a well-rounded body shape. Kenchic developed this breed as a replacement for indigenous village chicken. Kenbro starts laying eggs at 25 […]
Brooding is the period immediately after hatching when the chicks need special care and management for their survival. Bringing in new chicks indicates that you are ready to start the journey into poultry farming. How you handle day-old chicks in their first weeks will affect productivity in the future. This means how the chickens gain […]
Moringa (Drumstick tree, Moringa Oleifera), rich in antioxidants and bioactive compounds has been touted as a leading superfood in the world. This is because it is packed with more nutrients than most foods. The Moringa farmer can add value to Moringa so as to make more income. With value addition, the moringa farmer will create and […]
One of the major requirements for farmers who want to venture into poultry and chicken farming is the need to house the birds. The poultry farmer must decide in what kind of housing to construct for their chickens, depending on the scale and objectives of the poultry project. In the early 1900s, there was not […]
Asparagus is a perennial vegetable that is gaining popularity in Kenya due to its nutritious and medicinal benefits. Being a perennial plant means you can harvest for many years without replanting. Depending on growth and climatic factors, you can harvest asparagus from the same plant for 15-20 years and in some cases up to 30 […]
With high yields, short maturity period, and ready market, commercial watermelon farming is being embraced by Kenyan farmers as a high return cash crop. Watermelon farming is popular in Kenya because the fruit is in high demand during hot seasons. Watermelon is ninety-two percent water, making it the ideal fruit when it is hot and one […]
Value addition is the process of adding value to a product or service through special processing, marketing or manufacturing. Value addition is often driven by the need to offer more convenience to the customer. Poultry is one product that you can add value to everything, and even offer a value-added service based on it. With poultry, […]
As a chicken farmer, you understand housing, disease control, vaccination, and brooding. However, do you understand record keeping? It is a very vital part of your chicken farming venture. Put in mind that for you to succeed, income and expenses have to be factored in so that you can know if your business venture is […]
Are you thinking of starting a chicken business? Are you already in the chicken farming business but is wondering how to grow your business? Then worry no more. In this series of articles, we will discuss how to start a poultry farm. Put in mind that, in recent years, chicken farming has grown to become one […]
Rosemary is an evergreen herb native to the Mediterranean. It can grow anywhere in the world. It is used in cooking. Rosemary essential oil is used in cosmetic and medicinal products. It can be grown in pots, greenhouses, gardens and farms. In this article, we take an in-depth look at growing rosemary for use at […]
Beekeeping is a profitable venture. It is good to know what equipment you need before you venture into the business. Most people think that when you acquire a beehive, you are ready to go into beekeeping. There are several other equipment and tools required if you want to be a successful beekeeper. It is good to […]
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