Listen An agricultural revolution is taking place in Kenya’s towns with mini-farms sprouting in the most unlikely of spaces. From buckets to plastic containers, sacks, and pots, the little farms are sprouting everywhere. In some instances, no soil is needed. The urban farming movement is especially spreading fast in Nairobi and central Kenya. Hydroponic technology […]
Listen Fred Okemwa Omoke found a sure-fire way to make money from beetroot despite its taste which many find unpleasant. British writer, editor, critic, poet and suffragist once wrote: “The true colour of life is the colour of the body, the colour of the covered red, the implicit and not explicit red of the living […]
Listen Humphrey Njoroge, a retired military officer, fell in love with trees while growing up in Nyandarua County on the edge of the Aberdare Forest in the 1950s. His fascination with the plants would blossom during his time at Kapsabet Boys and Kagumo high schools where different types of trees, labelled by botanical names, rose […]
Listen Exports of fresh horticultural products were worth an estimated Ksh153.7 billion in 2018, an increase of 33.3 percent compared to 2017. Horticulture has, sometimes, been mistaken for market gardening. While both involve some form of farm work, the crucial difference is in scale. Market gardening refers to small-scale production, on under one acre, of […]
Listen Farmers have been advised to buy seeds from licensed stockists or agrovet stores to avoid losses. Speaking during a farmers’ exhibition at Sigot in Nandi County, agricultural experts told farmers to avoid buying seeds that have been divided into smaller rations. “What you produce depends on what you plant. I am also urging you […]
Listen Introduction of the science of tissue culture has made it easier to grow fast-maturing and healthy bananas locally. Until a few years ago, farmers relied on banana suckers harvested from growing plants for planting materials. Some farmers still uproot and re-plant the suckers, but this practice has cost many dearly due to diseases such […]
Listen For increased agricultural production, the government has set up various parastatals and other agencies that offer services such as research, finance and marketing. The sector’s success depends on how these institutions deliver on their mandate. These institutions include: Agriculture and Food Authority The Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) brings together various regulatory institutions in […]
Listen Legislation drawn up and passed to regulate agriculture in Kenya guides the conducted of business in the livestock and crop sub-sectors while ensuring that farmers and consumers are safe. Seed and Plant Varieties Act This key law is aimed at regulating transactions in seeds, including indigenous and farm-saved ones which were incorporated in the […]
Listen For Dr. Mary Okelo, the nickname ‘Mrs. Barclays’ was well-deserved. Over the years she distinguished herself in the banking world through a series of firsts. She is recognised today as the woman who made it possible for other women in Kenya and in Africa to be granted access to banking facilities, thus enabling them […]
Listen Over a period of nearly 25 years, Joyce-Ann Muthoni Wainaina climbed steadily up the corporate ladder from the position of an intern to that of Chief Executive Officer. In July 2014, she was appointed CEO of Citibank Kenya and East Africa, and became the first Kenyan to hold that position since the company’s entry […]