ZAI- PITS Technology for sustainable agriculture and Food security in Kenya

Zai-Pit technology is a sustainable agriculture and food security technology which is widely practiced in sahel west Africa, a densely populated semiarid region bordering the Sahara desert. Zai pit technology has been the missing link in the Kenyans endeavors to achieve sustainable agriculture and food security for all. 

Zai Pit Sustainable agriculture technology has been used to grow bananas, sorghum, maize and millets successfully, particularly in the drier parts of the republic of Kenya. Zai pit is a low cost sustainable agriculture and food security technology which can be applied by farmers of all walks of life including the youth in agriculture and it involves harvesting and conservation of rain runoff and soil fertility restoration.

Lack of adequate water is a constant problem in farming due to seasonality of rains and frequent droughts caused by climate change. This leads to total crop failures or harvests that are too low to break-even. Irrigation for sustainable agriculture and food security is expensive and out of reach for most of the small holder farmers in rural Kenya. 

Many farmers did not realize that it is possible to double or triple their crop yields through rainwater harvesting using Zai Pit technology. However farmers now have a reason to smile in appreciation of Zai pit technology which has been introduced in low rainfall areas by NALEP SIDA Project, a partnership project between the government of Kenya through the ministry of Agriculture Kenya and Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. This is a national agriculture and livestock extension programme implemented by agriculture extension officers and the relevant agriculture value chain stakeholders. 

The Zai pit technology ensures soil water retention allowing crops to grow to maturity after the rain ceases without additional water.Make Pits measuring approximately 60 cm deep x 60 cm diameter as follows digging the holes at alternate positions behind each other to allow adequate catchments area for sufficient run off to be produced :-

• Dig a pit 60 cm in diameter placing the topsoil (about the first 20cm depth) on the uphill side.

• Scoop out the subsoil to a depth of 60 cm and place the soil on the downhill side.

• Reshape this hole to resemble a semi circular bund to enable better water storage.

• Mix one medium size bucket of well decomposed manure with the top soil and return to the pit .Refill the pit leaving space at the top to collect and store runoff water.

• Sow one Banana sucker or 5-12 seeds of maize, sorghum or millet in the hole depending on the crop type, variety and climate. Seeds planted in pairs must be thinned to single plants later.
More-http://yagrein.blogspot.com/p/what-are-youth-saying.html

Canada withdraws from Kyoto protocol during UN climate change conference

The announcement of Canada’s withdrawal from Kyoto protocol was made as the December 2011 United Nations Climate Change Conference progressed, by the countries environment minister Mr. Peter Kent, who argued that Kyoto protocol fails to cover US and China, the two biggest green house gases emitters, and that Canada cannot meet its Kyoto protocol targets. Kent said that Canada would be required to pay billions to meet its Kyoto protocol target in 2012. He was referring to the cost of buying carbon emission permits from other countries to compensate for Canada's huge excess over its target. Under the Kyoto protocol, Canada was committed to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 6% by 2012, against its 1990 levels. But its emissions have risen by over 30%, making failure unavoidable. Canada's inaction was blamed by some on its desire to defend the money-spinning but extremely polluting exploitation of tar sands, the second biggest oil reserve in the world. Canada rejected a second commitment period unless the top polluters and contributors to climate change, who are outside Kyoto protocol made binding commitments too.

The Kyoto protocol was the first agreement between world nations to mandate reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions for reduction of climate change. The Kyoto Protocol of 1997 in Kyoto Japan specified that developed countries should reduce their combined greenhouse emissions by 5.2 percent from 1990 levels, during the first commitment period which runs from 2008-2012, principally through achievement of their national targets. The treaty was finalized in Kyoto Japan in 1997, after years of negotiations and it went into force in 2005.

Kyoto Protocol which was ratified by 37 industrialized countries was set to expire in 2012. Under Kyoto protocol, industrialized nations pledged to cut their annual greenhouse gases emissions by varying amounts, averaging 5.2%, by 2012 in comparison to 1990. Most nations ratified the treaty, with the notable exception of the United States. Developing countries, including China and India, weren't mandated to reduce emissions, as their contribution to build-up of CO2 in the atmosphere was relatively small. Countries and regions, including the European Union, were on track by 2011 to meet or exceed their Kyoto targets, but other large nations were sadly falling short of their goals. United States and China, the two biggest greenhouse gases emitters are responsible for more than enough extra greenhouse gas to erase all the reductions made by other countries during the Kyoto period. Globally, emissions rose by nearly 40% from 1990 to 2009. There is urgent need to revolutionize energy systems, and get countries to agree on a climate deal or else, global warming will breach the 2 degrees Celsius barrier. Kyoto Protocol is sadly failing to control global greenhouse gas emissions and consequent Climate change and global warming.

A Kenyan youth speaks about climate change

The latest United Nations Climate Change Conference was held in Durban South Africa from 28^th November-9^th December 2011. This was the second largest climate change conference and the negotiations progressed in a balanced fashion. One of the major outcomes was a decision by Parties to adopt a worldwide legal agreement on climate change by 2015.The delegates agreed to a Green Climate Fund, which will help vulnerable countries deal with effects of climate change. The Green Climate Fund will basically channel about $100 billion by 2020 to susceptible countries in order to help them deal with the effects of climate change. This achievement in Durban may play a central role in saving tomorrow today as countries work together towards this common purpose, but the problem with the outcome is that the sources of funds for the Green Climate Fund were not identified, which may make implementation of the climate actions a farfetched idea.  which runs from 2008-2012, principally through achievement of their national targets. The treaty was finalized in Kyoto Japan in 1997, after years of negotiations and it went into force in 2005.

Kyoto Protocol which was ratified by 37 industrialized countries was set to expire in 2012. Under Kyoto protocol, industrialized nations pledged to cut their annual greenhouse gases emissions by varying amounts, averaging 5.2%, by 2012 in comparison to 1990. Most nations ratified the treaty, with the notable exception of the United States. Developing countries, including China and India, weren't mandated to reduce emissions, as their contribution to build-up of CO2 in the atmosphere was relatively small. Countries and regions, including the European Union, were on track by 2011 to meet or exceed their Kyoto targets, but other large nations were sadly falling short of their goals. United States and China, the two biggest greenhouse gases emitters are responsible for more than enough extra greenhouse gas to erase all the reductions made by other countries during the Kyoto period. Globally, emissions rose by nearly 40% from 1990 to 2009. There is urgent need to revolutionize energy systems, and get countries to agree on a climate deal or else, global warming will breach the 2 degrees Celsius barrier. Kyoto Protocol is sadly failing to control global greenhouse gas emissions and consequent Climate change and global warming.

 

Have Yourself a Very Merry Cracker…with Mushroom Butter

Written by Mary Ellen

Delicious Shiitake Butter spread over water crackers.

One thing nice for the overwhelmed holidaymaker this time of year is that the average Christmas party is not a potluck. (although come to think of it, the FFP Christmas party was a potluck) But what cook among us can resist responding to the invitation with “Can I bring anything?” It’s not much of a guess that if your hosts know you are a mushroom grower, the answer will be “sure…. bring something mushroomey!” For those of us who grow our own Shiitake mushrooms, there is an easy fix to this extra task that will make us look as amazing as we deserve.

Enter the Mushroom Butter. Here is the perfect food for such occasions. It’s elegant, versatile and truly, above everything else, it is delicious. A dish of Shiitake Butter surrounded by expectant crackers makes a nice presentation and superior switch from the boring cheese and cracker. A 3-6 oz container slathered on a square of bread dough with an ample over-layer of grated Asiago cheese, rolled and baked, makes an elegant appetizer or dinner bread. Even a few tablespoons stirred into a lowly bowl of cooked frozen broccoli will transform the vegetable.

This dough has just been slathered with Shiitake Butter and Asiago cheese.

No one at F&FP complained while eating this mouthwatering homemade treat!

But first, to clarify; this mushroom butter is actually a compound butter, not mushrooms cooked down into a brown puddle of spreadable vegetable matter such as you might do with apples. This is a blend of cooked and seasoned, pureed mushrooms, blended with equal amounts of butter, but before you think of it as overly rich, remember that this is butter at half the calories and twice the taste, so it’s relatively healthy!

Here is the basic recipe for Shiitake Butter:

Ingredients:

Shiitake, stems removed, to weigh 1 lb.

2 Tbsp butter

1 small onion

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1 Tbsp soy sauce

About one and a half pounds of salted butter, softened

Method:

Tear up a pound of stemmed shiitake. You’ll be cooking these down and pureeing, so large pieces are okay.

With medium heat, melt 2 Tbsp butter in a medium skillet and add 1 small chopped onion, sauté until soft. Add mushroom pieces, stir around a bit and cover the pan. Every few minutes, check the pan and stir things around, keep the heat warm enough to cook the mushrooms but try to avoid browning the onions. Once the

mushrooms start to cook down and you see a liquid at the bottom of the pan (about 5-10 minutes) add the salt and sugar. Reduce the heat and keep stirring things around every few minutes until the cloudy liquid at the bottom of the pan starts to become clear. Remove the lid and add soy sauce and cook a few minutes more, then off the heat.

COOL the mixture (duxelles) until it reaches room temp. Stir things around in the pan as it sits to aid in even cooling. Once the mushrooms are only slightly warm to the touch, puree in a food processor until the mixture is a paste.

HERE is the secret to making an excellent shiitake butter: make sure everything, especially the ingredients and mixing bowl, is at room temperature for this final blending of mushroom puree and butter!

What is room temperature butter you may ask? If the Sami people of the far north have hundreds of words for snow, the pastry chef ought have the same amount of words for butter, but the best description might be “medium soft.” Ready a mixer with a whip attachment if you have it; otherwise regular beaters will do.

Measure out your puree and ready an equal amount of medium soft butter. The puree volume can vary depending on the raw mushrooms moisture content, but it should be around 3 cups.

Whip or beat the butter till fluffy, then stir in the puree, finally whipping it, until the butter and mushrooms are well blended. This is the secret to making a consistent, well blended butter. If components are too warm , you’ll end up with soup; too cool, you’ll end up with chunky butter.

This makes about 3 lb. Shiitake Butter. Transfer to individual deli containers or jars for gifting, or wrap in freezer paper. This recipe can be doubled with a standard 4 ½ qt mixing bowl.

Before you think that I’m overlooking the fact that many of you don’t grow mushrooms in the deep of winter, know that it can be made out of the frozen mushroom duxelles you have squirreled away in your freezer from your abundant fall harvests. Bring the duxelles to room temperature before pureeing. Butter made from these duxelles can be refrozen, though for optimal flavor should be used within a few months. Mushroom butter made from fresh mushrooms, however, double wrapped, can be frozen up to 8 months, so its nice to put up a supply when mushrooms are in full season.

This year my sister asked for a “log of mushroom butter” for Christmas, which could be a clever double entendre as many of us grow Shiitake mushrooms on wood logs. But of course she means a sausage shaped roll of Shiitake Butter wrapped in parchment that she can put in the freezer and whack off a chunk whenever she needs some. What a great Christmas present idea!

Have an amazing, Merry Christmas!

Operation Inoculation, Complete
Written by Laura

Over 500 newly inoculated logs are stored indoors at a temperature near 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The logs have been dead stacked and covered with cardboard to absorb any moisture released by the logs. Next they will be wrapped in plastic (see below).

Today we finished up our fall inoculation with the covering of our logs. I must admit it feels good putting a lid on the entire project. Lots of hard work went into getting our logs to their current state. With callused hands (for the newbys anyway) we can just sit back and be proud of what will one day become a bountiful mushroom harvest.

The whole process took us several days, spanning nearly two weeks. We still had to continue with the day to day runnings of the farm, so at times many of us would disappear from the ranks. Orders still had to be processed and packed. Spawn had to be made, and mushrooms picked. Luckily the hired temporary help were pretty reliable. A successful inoculation can easily be attained with good help, good music, and good coffee.

When Mary Ellen moves logs...Joe is sure to wear his safety glasses!

Joe uses a high speed angle grinder with adapter to get the logs drilled quickly.

As you can see...Jasen, Rachel, and Jeni take this job seriously. Laughing is absolutely not tolerated! Notice how Jeni is using our new Dual Tool and Rachel is using our traditional Palm Tool. What's nice is that the Dual Tool can be used with either the palm or thumb.

Brian, an elected helper, meticulously waxes each log, making sure no hole goes unfilled.

Our logs are now draped in plastic. This method insures adequate moisture content. 

This concludes our fall inoculation journey. Come spring, all of these logs will be moved out into our laying yard. We expect the first fruits of our labor sometime in mid-summer. We truly hope that our fall inoculation series of blog posts has taught you something you never knew before. Good luck to all of our Shiitake growers!

Greenhouse farming technology in Kenya

Greenhouse’s farming is any commercial agricultural activity that is carried out using special enclosures. This technology is widely practiced in Israel, due to scarcity of water and land  aiming at increasing the incomes of rural households. In most African countries adoption of Greenhouse farming is in the initial stages, and it is increasingly becoming popular. This technology has several benefits as below:-

• The system increases agricultural output
•  Allows growing of crops not suited to the region due to climate modification.
• Economizes on space and irrigation water
• Improves farming income
• Improves food security
• The technology reduces crop pest and diseases incidences

When operated correctly a greenhouse can give fresh produce throughout the year regardless of the season. The capacity to carefully control the temperature and humidity are important advantages of this farming system. Greenhouse system enables the use of modern technology such as hydroponics which involves growing plants in soil-less media, whereby they are suspended in a liquid, which can be water infused with specialized nutrient mixes. This allows plants to grow larger and faster than normal, helping to maximize efficiency. The main disadvantage of greenhouse farming is high cost of buildings construction and maintenance, which in Africa and developing countries can be addressed by organizing smallholders into green house farming groups, in order to pool resources.

                       

While this technology offers numerous advantages, proper techniques are necessary to realize the benefits, and avoid any of the typical pitfalls of the technology. If you manage your project well all the year round, you'll need to prepare for the hazards of each season. In hot season cross-ventilation system is required. Passive ventilation with exhaust openings cut both high and low on the walls may provide sufficient air circulation for small structures. However, most greenhouses require a system of fans to keep the air circulating during the hot season due to high temperatures. In cool weather the circulation will be unnecessary in most cases. Soil fertility management practices are vital and they include crop rotation, regular application of compost, mulching, leaving the soil fallow to improve and maintain fertility. Apply fertilizers according to the soil requirements and the crops to be grown following soil analysis report. Fumigation or entire change of soil may be required before planting to clear crop pests and diseases. Fumigation involves saturating the greenhouse soil with pesticides to control soil pest and diseases.In conclusion this is a farming technology whose time is ripe.
More-http://yagrein.blogspot.com/p/what-are-youth-saying.html

Small Scale Broiler Chicken Business Plan

 A broiler is a type of chicken raised specifically for meat production.  Broiler Chicken production is one of the most progressive livestock enterprises in Africa today. Chicken broiler production is advantageous as it requires minimal land for housing only, as commercial feeds can be used for the enterprise. Because of their efficient meat conversion, broiler chickens are also popular in small family farms in rural communities, where families raise small flocks of broilers for home consumption and local sale.Therefore the poultry industry began as a backyard enterprise which has grown to contract farming business. Alternative broiler markets which include hotels, institutional buyers, Supermarkets, Butcheries etc should be surveyed before starting a broiler business to ensure ready market at the time of harvest. The most profitable options between selling the birds dressed or live and selling in the market or at the farm gate should be chosen.

Broiler Chicken Business Returns Calculation for 300 Birds in 6-8weeks
Item	Number of units	Cost per unit	Total Cost(sh)	Remarks
Expected sales	270 birds	Kes 280	120,960	1.6 kg per bird
Chick purchase	300 chicks	Kes 70	Kes21,000	10% may die
Feeds required	1350 kgs	Kes 50	Kes 67,500	5kg feeds per bird
Labor& others	15 man days	Kes 200	Kes  3000
Veterinary	N/A	N/A	Kes  4000	!0% of the cost
Total Cost			Kes 95,500
Returns			Kes 25,460

When Making starter  broiler chicken business plan, determine the total amount of initial investment capital you need for:-

• Housing construction for a beginner
• Purchase of equipments
• Purchase of day old chicks
• Chick booster feed 10g /chick /day for the first 7 days     
• Broiler starter feed 60g/chick per day for 3 weeks
• Broiler finisher feed 90g/chick per day for 2-4weeks
• Operating expenses (labor, electricity etc)
• Medication and veterinary services

 Housing

The length of the broiler house should run from east to west to prevent direct sunlight. One sq foot floor space per bird is required,. The house should be cat proof, bird proof, rat proof and well ventilated. chicken house and all the equipments should be cleaned and disinfected in preparation for arrival of day old chicks.

 Rearing Day old chicks

The day old chicks should be purchased from reputable hatcheries with a good track record. Broiler chicks selected should be approximately 33g in weight and healthy.

1)      Provide sufficient artificial heat to keep day old chicks warm. Avoid abrupt changes in brooder temperatures during the first two weeks.

2)      Provide adequate space for chicks to avoid overcrowding which can lead to poor growth. Good ventilation and good lighting are important to prevent respiratory diseases and encourage the chicks to start feeding respectively.

3)      Feed chicks intermittently with good quality feeds other than continuously for better utilization of feeds. However do not leave feed troughs empty for more than 1-2 hours. The chicks should be fed regularly following a definite schedule especially during the first  3 weeks. Ensure that fresh drinking water is always available. Vitamins, minerals and antibiotics may be added to drinking water during the 1^st few days.

4)      Keep the brooder clean and dry to prevent disease and parasite contamination. Prevent sudden changes in the environment (e.g. removal of brooder canopy and slamming doors) to prevent stress.

5)      Check the chicks every night before sleeping. Immediate burning or burying of dead birds is important for good hygiene.

 Diseases

The most common diseases of poultry affect respiratory and digestive systems. Keep in touch with your Veterinary practitioner for advice and services on disease control and treatment. Vaccinations are necessary for diseases such as Newcastle disease, coccidiosis, infectious bronchitis. 

Performance Indicators

Some important performance indicators for chicken broiler enterprises include feed conversion ratio (FCR), Mortality rate, average body weight and Harvest recovery rate.

Feed conversion ratio=	Total kg of feeds ÷ total body weight of the whole flock at harvest The lower the FCR the better as it refers to Kilograms of feed consumed to gain 1 kilogram of meat.
Mortality rate          =	Birds that died during growth cycle and should not exceed  5 %
Average body weight =	Total Kg marketed ÷ total number of birds A good average is 1.6 kg-2.0 kg achieved within 45-60 days
Harvest recovery rate=	% of total birds that were marketed which should not be lower than 90%

Environmental Impacts of broiler chicken enterprise

Livestock production enterprises impacts on the environment through possible contamination of surface and ground water, gas emission from animal waste and unpleasant odors. Gases emitted from livestock enterprises include ammonia, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxides.

The latter three gases cause atmospheric changes that lead to global warming. The challenge is to constantly develop more effective and efficient technologies for managing animal waste. The chicken dung is currently i used as fertilizer in the farm, feeds for fish and dairy cows in addition to making biogas. 

Read also-http://yagrein.blogspot.com/2013/11/dairy-farming-in-kenya-has-become.ht

POULTRY FARMING e-MANUAL (BROILERS, LAYERS, IMPROVED KIENYEJI & INCUBATION

We sell the above detailed farming e-manual. We shall email the manual to you after payment thro’ Mpesa. The content includes:

Poultry Farming systems in Kenya

Poultry housiang

Broilers poultry Farming

Poultry market trends

Broiler business returns

Rearing day old chicks

Broiler performance indicators

Poultry vaccination programme

Poultry equipments

Space requirements for different ages

Improved Kienyeji poultry production

Hybrid layers production

Eggs care and storage

Incubation management

poultry diseases and control

Email yagrein@gmail.com for more information.

Our Products and Services 

We offer the following products and services at affordable fees.

1. Agribusiness plans preparation
2. Agribusiness information e-manuals

AGRIBUSINESS PLANS PREPARATION

An Agribusiness Plan is the road-map to success in any farming business. An Agribusiness Plan preparation is therefore crucial for success of any farming business. This is the document which will support your agribusiness to grow, seek funding from financial institutions and/or donors, and monitor performance over a period of time for continuous improvement. Agribusiness plan is a management tool which will help you to avoid expensive mistakes in your farming business. FAILURE TO PLAN IS PLANNING TO FAIL. MAKE SURE YOU PREPARE AN AGRIBUSINESS PLAN BEFORE STARTING YOUR FARMING BUSINESS.The second important milestone is to get the right technical information.
 

AGRIBUSINESS INFORMATION E-MANUALS

a)       Watermelon farming e-manual 

b)       Dairy Farming e-manual

c)       Passion fruit farming e-manual

d)      Strawberry farming e-manual

g)      Tomatoes farming e-manual

h)      Capsicum farming e-manual

i)       Greenhouse farming e-manual

j)       Oyster mushroom Farming e-manual

k)      Tissue culture Bananas farming e-manual

l)       Upland arrowroot, Cassava, Sweet potatoes and yams e-manual

m)    Poultry Broilers, layers and improved indigenous/ Kienyeji e-manual

n)    Value addition and Agro-processing e-manual:The e-manual contains Manufacture of Fruit juices, yogurt, Fruit Jam, Small scale ice-cream making ,Tomato sauce processing, bread baking & cakes baking, cake decoration, vegetable solar drying,  Banana crisps and flour processing, cassava fermenting and flour processing, Soya milk and peanut butter processing.    

Email yagrein@gmail.com for more information