Technology

Government is especially prioritising dairy sector to boost food security. (Image source: GAA)

The Government of Kenya has partnered with the country's farmers to commission the Sh500-million Meru Maziwa Millers Feed Mill at Mitunguu in Imenti South Sub-County

While the Government contributed Sh200mn for the project, farmers raised the remaining Sh300mn.

According to Deputy President, Kithure Kindiki, farmers can look forward to increased profit margins once the new facility is operational, reducing the cost of dairy feed from the current average of Sh3,200 to about Sh2,800 per bag. With revised farm-gate rates of Sh52 per litre from Sh50 since this month, dairy farmers can expect boosted returns as well. 

Further securing quality and productivity of dairy herds for farmers, the Government has also announced reduced cost of sexed semen from Sh7,000 to Sh1,400. 

“As we celebrate the success of Meru Dairy, let us also remember what the government has done for you. We will continue increasing the supply of subsidised sexed semen across the country,” Kindiki said. 

He highlighted that the Government is especially prioritising the dairy sector to boost food security and farmers' incomes. A Sh100mn budget plan is already in place for Phase Two of the mill, while another Sh100mn through the supplementary budget will facilitate Phase Three.

According to the Chief Executive Officer of the Meru Central Dairy Cooperative Union, Kenneth Gitonga, the feed mill investments will be transformational for the 720,000 lpd-capacity cooperative, which is already seeing substantial progress. 

Gitonga is anticipating expansion encouraged by the promising numbers reflecting the cooperative's steady growth. Over the last three years, farmers membership rose from 11,012 to 161,874. Daily milk intake has increased from 287,000 litres to 670,000 litres, and the number of affiliated cooperative societies has grown from 139 to 168. 

The cooperative is aiming to make Sh25bn in annual sales next year, given its consistent returns from Sh9.3bn in 2023 to Sh20.1bn in 2025. 

The C1450T is built to increase capacity. (Image source: John Deere)

Farmers can now target larger acres between refills with John Deere’s latest air cart version with boosted capacity option, the C1450T

This comes as an expansion of the global agricultural equipment manufacturer’s C-Series air cart offerings. The new air cart is a combination of all the features in the previous versions and much more, including corrosion-resistant AccuRate meters, EZCal calibration system and precision ag technology. The solution makes sure to improve farmer productivity. In addition, the cart is seamlessly integrated into the John Deere Operations Center, so that farmers can achieve maximum operational efficiency.

“Seeding windows continue to get tighter, and farmers are looking for ways to cover more ground without adding complexity,” said Benjamin Zelle, who is the marketing manager for seeders and planters in John Deere.

“The C1450T is built to help them scale their operation with increased capacity, so they can stay productive and make the most of every available hour in the field.”

John Deere's EZCal system of the C-Series carts come with a push-button calibration system that is faster and more efficient than older, manual bag calibration systems, eliminating the need to crawl under the cart to calibrate while also decreasing the back-and-forth steps to complete this task.

“The C1450T combines increased capacity with the precision technologies farmers depend on every day,” Zelle said.

“Features like the ActiveCal system give operators real-time visibility into product levels and application performance, helping them make in-field adjustments and maintain accuracy without slowing down.”

The company’s slurry handling equipment come with competitive price ranges.

SlurryKat has introduced its new SlurryKat farmline range to especially cater to the needs of part-time farmers, weekend farmers and smaller livestock enterprises

Available from 1,350 to 2,500 gallons, covering a diverse range of farms, the farmline tanker boasts of advanced level durability. Farmline slurry tankers are made of high-tensile steel with premium paint system to meet the manufacturing standards for light weight agricultural slurry tankers.

The company’s slurry handling equipment come with competitive price ranges and ensure shorter lead times.

SlurryKat’s slurry tankers are now available in three ranges, including Farmline, Premium Plus or Elete slurry tanker range. The ranges are designed to serve all kinds from owner-operated farms to large-scale farming businesses and contractors.

The company brings extensive experience to the industry, which helps in generating sleek and portable slurry tankers that are equipped to perform equally well on the road as well as the field.

The tanker and spreading system are especially designed reduce overall weight by more than 20%.

Other special features include highly capable filling and discharge cycles by up to 28%; fuels-saving capacity by more than 15%, and reduced soil compaction. These tankers are equipped to operate as a fully integrated and balanced unit. 

Farmline tankers run on a powerful onboard pump (such as a 9,000 L MEC pump) and suction hoses that draw liquid slurry up from farm storage tanks or lagoons into the high-tensile steel tank. The organic waste is disposed safely across farm tracks and roads from the yard to the target field. The nutrient-rich material is directed onto crops and grassland with the help of either a traditional rear splash plate or a compact 9m/10.5m dribble bar/trailing shoe system for precise nutrient uptake. 

The project is set to become an exemplary climate-smart agriculture.

As part of the Transforming African Agricultural Universities to Meaningfully Contribute to Africa's Growth and Development (TagDev 2.0) programme that has been designed to boost high value crop yield and educate farmers on Artificial Intelligence, the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) has introduced an AI-powered fertigation system that digitalises irrigation and fertiliser application by leveraging real-time data

The project is set to become an exemplary climate-smart agriculture, working wonders on boosting crop production.

The installation is already operational at a greenhouse built in MUST's main campus in Thyolo, which will be supporting the growth of tomatoes, bell peppers and cucumbers.

“We are using AI to make farming more efficient, productive and climate-resilient while providing students and communities with practical skills that can transform agriculture,” said Jabulani Nyengere, senior lecturer in geoinformatics and postgraduate coordinator at MUST, who has been spearheading the project. He explained that the system ensures sustainability by cutting down water and nutrient waste. It works from the combined effects of AI, precision irrigation and automated fertiliser management.

The advanced technology is designed to decode crop growth data without any breaks and automatically adjusts water and nutrient levels, ensuring plants receive the right inputs while conserving resources, he said. 

The project aligns with MUST's vision on advancing research and development on innovation and technology to address food security, climate change and sustainable agricultural development. 

The smart system combines irrigation and fertiliser application, automatically adjusting in real time the crop estimates according to their growth stage. As the right quantity of nutrients are secured for the crops at the right time, less waste is generated, ensuring boosted productivity, crop quality and efficient use of resources.