Understanding Soil Diseases
It is always disappointing when a farmer plants seeds and they fail to germinate or they sprout but do not take off after transplanting. Among things that cause this failure…
Hass Avocado farmers in Muranga turn to electric fencing to curb theft
Rampant theft of avocados – touted as the new ‘green gold’ – has been on the rise in Murang’a County. This has forced farmers in the county, which is the…
Farm machines changing farmers fortunes in Kenya
A thrumming decorticator welcomes visitors to Kyumani, a sleepy neighbourhood in Masongaleni, one of the driest regions in Makueni County. The last two decades have seen the rural farming community…
Safeguarding Kenya’s avocado export market
KENYA is the sixth-largest exporter of avocados in the world and the leading exporter in Africa. The country accounts for 81.6 percent of EAC avocado fruit exports. Most farmers grow…
A look at cannabis farming debate in Kenya, whats in it for farmers
Cannabis is a drug crop with a long history in Africa. Alongside coca and opium poppy, it has been subjected to international control for nearly a century. The International Opium Convention of 1925 institutionalised…
To curb avocado theft, let’s adopt traceability system
Ernest Muthomi is the chief executive of the Avocado Society of Kenya (ASOK), which brings together farmers, exporters and other stakeholders across the value chain. He spoke to Sammy Waweru…
Cashew Nuts; Golden crop of colonial era that fell from grace
Cashew nuts are indigenous to Central America, the Caribbean Islands and Brazil. The crop reached the East African Coast from Goa, India, where the Portuguese introduced it in the 1560s.…
Common Fruit Farming Terminologies Explained By Seed Farm
Agroforestry: A land management system that integrates trees within other crops or livestock systems to improve the complex beneficial interactions with other organisms (bacteria, fungi, insects, birds, mammals) and so…
Kenyan avocados from Del Monte’s sustainable farms
Fresh Del Monte Europe keeps on with their strategy to bring a diversified range of added-value, high quality fruits, carefully selected from their own farming operations with the benefit of…
Farmers to reap big in direct access to global market
Hundreds of smallholder coffee farmers in Kisii County will now sell their coffee directly to the global market. The move will translate to the farmers who are under Gusii Coffee…