SNV holds a business opportunity meeting between HGSF schools from Muhotetu

By Bob Aston

The Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV) held a business opportunity meeting between sixteen (16) Home Grown School Meal Programme (HGSMP) schools in Muhotetu zone and farmer groups at Gatundia Secondary School on May 30, 2014. The match making meeting which was also attended by Arid Lands Information Network (ALIN), provided an opportunity for the farmer groups to see how they can do business with the schools.

Farmer groups present during the meeting included Laikipia Produce and Marketing Co-operative Society, Ng’arua cereals and produce SHG, Sipili cereal Bank and Ndurumo Cereal bank.

Nzuki addressing participants

Speaking during the meeting Augustus Nzuki from SNV said that schools should give farmers and parents the first priority when giving out tenders for HGSMP. He said this will help uplift the livelihood of the farmers who in most of the case are also parents.

 “Tendering process should be transparent and all the applicants should be given an equal opportunity,” said Nzuki.

Nzuki said that they normally try to help farmers aggregate their produce in order to benefit from HGSMP. He urged the school meal programme committees to always ensure that food is verified before being stored. This he said will help to determine the quantity and the quality of maize and beans.

HGSMP started in the county with an initial phase from 1980 to 1985 whose beneficiary level was 240,000 school children. By 2007, the beneficiary levels had increased to over 1.2 million children in 3,847 primary schools.  The increase was greatly influenced by the introduction of Free Primary Education by the Government in January 2003 and availability of food in targeted schools.

At the inception of the Programme in 2009, the Government estimated Ksh. 7 per child per day to cover the cost of providing a mid-day meal. The schools are currently receiving Ksh.10 per child per day. The targeted primary schools are allocated funds by the Government of Kenya to cover the cost of food for a specified period based on the number of school children in these schools.

“The safety and hygiene of the food should be of paramount importance. Storage room should be clean and well organized,’ said Nzuki.

Nzuki encouraged the schools to use a systematic method of stacking to prevent food losses and damage.

Cecilia Gacheri, officer in charge of school Feeding Program, Laikipia West said that the program was started in Muhotetu zone in 2013.

Cecilia took participants through the objectives of the HGSM Programme which are: To provide a comprehensive source of information on implementation of Home Grown School Meals Programme and provide school management programme managers with technical content and handout materials that can be used for implementation and planning of HGSMP.

Cecilia addressing participants

She warned school heads and chairperson to ensure that they do not store food in their houses. She said HGSMP file should always be available in the school. Cecilia urged the school meal program committees to strictly adhere to the laid down regulations in order for their students to continue benefiting from the project.

“Monitor use of the food every day. Food should be measured according to number of students present,” said Cecilia.

HGSMP is currently being done in 22 counties in Kenya. The programme is implemented in semi-arid areas of the country that are vulnerable to food insecurity.

Cecilia said that schools should document how the funds are used and all documentation filed in the HGSMP file.

“Attendance form should be done every day. This will make it easier to take stock of how the funds have been used after every month,” said Cecilia.

The co-operative and the three cereal banks took the opportunity to impress upon the schools on why they should do business together with each stating that they have met the selection criteria for small scale local farmer groups.

They urged the school meals programme committees to give preference to the local small scale farmers as they have all met the procurement criteria outlined in the HGSMP guidelines.

“We are able to supply the required amount of grains to the schools. We hope we will be given an opportunity to supply food to your schools as we have met the selection criteria,” said Waweru Kanja, Chairman Laikipia Produce and Marketing Co-operative Society.

Home Grown School Meals Programme (HGSMP) aims at:  Providing equal opportunities of access to free education to Kenyan school going children from poverty stricken backgrounds, reducing short term hunger , improving the children’s’ health and nutrition status, improving the children’s’ attention span and cognitive ability, minimizing the dropout and improving academic performance.

In addition to the benefits of a regular School Meals Programme, the HGSM programme also aims at: Linking school feeding to local agricultural production, increasing Small-Scale Farmers’ (SSF) access to the school feeding market, encouraging improved production practices among small-scale farmers and increasing direct purchases from small holders.

Climate change project unveiled in Laikipia County

By Bob Aston and Sam Nzioka

Arid Lands Information Network (ALIN) has begun a one year project implementation on climate change on behalf of Act! Change! Transform! (ACT). ALIN held a stakeholders consultative meeting at Beisa Hotel in Nanyuki town on May 28, 2014 to highlight and deliberate on climate change issues in the county and how it would partner with various stakeholders to effectively implement the project.

Speaking during the meeting Noah Lusaka, Project Manager-ALIN said that the main objective of the meeting was to brief other stakeholders about the project so that they can identify areas which they can work together and also learn from other stakeholders doing similar projects.

 “The Project will build the capacities of communities on a range of adaptation practices including water harvesting techniques and use of mobile irrigation technology for increased food production,” said Noah.

The project goal is to enhance community resilience to adapt to the impacts of climate change for improved livelihood in Kajiado, Baringo and Laikipia counties.

Noah  taking participants through the project

The objectives of the project are; To lobby for the development of climate change adaptation framework informed by National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP)/National Climate Change Response Strategy (NCCRS), to enhance communities capacity to adopt climate smart agricultural practices for improved livelihoods and to enhance communities access to usable information and knowledge on climate change adaptation for increased resilience.

The project is aimed at strengthening policy formulation infrastructure at national and county level. The project will tackle a number of issues to address inadequate community capacity and lack of access to appropriate information on climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies.

Noah said that the project will be underpinned by three key approaches which will include capacity building of partner communities and of ALIN, introduction and promotion of new climate smart agriculture technologies; documentation and dissemination of locally developed innovations; and knowledge management to ensure exchange of usable information and knowledge utilizing conventional and modern information and communication technologies (ICTs).

He said that the project is underpinned by three unique innovations as follows; The introduction of Mobile Irrigation Technology, use of bulk SMS to deliver timely and authoritative information to large numbers of farmers and Farm Records Management Information System (FARMIS-Kenya).

On her part Margaret Maina, Laikipia County Meteorological services Director thanked ALIN for holding the inception meeting. She said not many organizations hold such meetings thus leading to duplication of projects.

Margaret said that it is important for people to gather synergy and work together in order to address persistent change in weather pattern.

“Stakeholders should bring together resources and also work together for better development,” said Margaret.

The project will play a key role in lobbying for inclusion of climate change in County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP) and allocation of finances to support climate change.

Wangwaci Young Farmers strives to improve livelihood of members

By Bob Aston

Wangwaci Young Farmers Self Help Group is a village investment group that was started in 2011. The group was started by farmers who came together, faced with a similar situation; inability to pay loans given to them by Equity bank. The main reason for defaulting was due to drought that struck the area in 2009 leading to massive crop failure.

The group is comprised of 16 members, seven male and nine female. Members have grown tomatoes and maize. They have now propagated capsicum in a nursery and are waiting to transplant once they finish harvesting maize.

Arid Lands Information Network officials at the group's farm

“We were initially 26 members but we had to get rid of inactive members. We prefer to work with active members as this will allow us to achieve our objective,” said Gabriel Kimani, a member of Wangwaci Young Farmers Self Help Group.

Gabriel said that they were given a 2 acre piece of land near Wangwaci dam by the government through the Ministry of Agriculture to cultivate. The Ministry expects them to conserve the environment by practicing climate smart agriculture.

“We normally subdivide money that we get when we harvest our produce. Part of the money will go to members while the rest we reinvest in our projects,” said Gabriel.

Last year the group planted the H6210 maize variety and managed to harvest 70 bags. This year they planted Pioneer maize which they have already started harvesting. Early this week they sold 6,800 pieces of green maize at Ksh 4 each. They group has also sold more than 80 crates of tomatoes.

“We decided to sell the green maize as we feared that elephants might invade the farm. Some people had also started stealing some. The price was very low but it was better than losing our produce through elephant invasion,” said Gabriel.

Gabriel said that they have also been practicing table banking. This has enabled the members to save and access loans from their collections. They have been contributing Ksh 650 after every two weeks thus making monthly contributing to stand at Ksh 1,300. During merry go round they give the member that they have visited Ksh 5,200 to invest in a livelihood project.

Nursery where group has propagated capsicum

He said that members have also been keeping indigenous chicken. Each member started with 30 birds. They have been capacity built by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries on poultry farming as well as good farming practices. The patron of the group is the Deputy Agriculture officer, Sipili Division.

“Members have benefited a lot from different training that they have received from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. This has empowered most members and they are now able to improve their livelihood through agriculture,” said Gabriel.

The group has been irrigating their maize and tomatoes using water from the dam. This has been an expensive venture as they do not have a generator or pump. They have been hiring a generator and pump which at times has caused a lot of inconvenience to the members.

Gabriel said that they were planning to purchase a tractor but the plan did not go well. They have not given up on this and they hope that one day they will own a tractor.

Matwiku Horticulture Growers seeks to expand market

By Bob Aston

Horticulture farming in Kenya has been on the rise in recent past. More farmers have diversified their activities by venturing into the field. Farmers in Matwiku village in Ng’arua Division, Laikipia County, have not been left behind as they have come together to form Matwiku Horticulture Growers Self Help Group to champion their interest. The group was officially registered on January 27, 2014 though it has been in existence for four years.

The group is comprised of 21 members, nineteen male and two female. Members have grown kales, tomatoes and cabbages.

Members during a meeting with ALIN officials

Peter Gicheru, Secretary, Matwiku Horticulture Growers Self Help Group said that they decided to form the group as they realized that they all have a common interest. Gicheru said that initially finding a reliable market for their produce was a problem as members were selling individually thus getting low returns.

“Forming the group has enabled us to bulk produce. This has given us a good bargaining power when selling our farm produce,” said Gicheru.

With market access being a challenge Gicheru said that they have been bulking their produce and taking them to Kisii or Nairobi twice a week.

Horticulture is the most vibrant sectors in Kenya's agricultural sector and contributes immensely to the socio-economic development of the country. The sector currently records an average growth of 15% to 20% per annum.

The sub sector employs approximately 4.5 million people countrywide directly in production, processing, and marketing, while another 3.5 million people benefit indirectly through trade and other activities.

“The group members have more than 20 acres but they farm according to their ability. Most members practice crop rotation by planting maize,” said Gicheru.

Members have been meeting once per month. They have set up a revolving fund whereby each month they contribute Ksh 100. They started by each member initially saving 1,000 shares. They are now able to borrow money from the group in case one needs   to buy inputs but lacks finance.

 A member is expected to return the loan with an interest of 10%. They have set up a grace period of one month. Repayment of the loan is expected to be completed within a duration of four months as this is the time it takes for horticulture to be harvested. A member can borrow as much as six times the amount contributed.

“Horticulture farming can at times be frustrating as one can lack funds for buying inputs. The group helps members to acquire the inputs during such times. All the members have so far benefited from this,” said Gicheru.

Arid Lands Information Network officials together with group members

Gicheru said that the group has been partnering with Syngenta Kenya and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock. Syngenta has been helping them to farm more productively by providing a wide range of innovative products and solutions to the group.

Gicheru said that they intend to open an agro vet early next year so that they can start selling farm inputs to members and other farmers.

“We would like to leave a legacy that will help our children. We hope that youths will learn from us how to improve their livelihood through farming,” said Gicheru.

The group now plans to use Sokopepe to sell their produce as well as to automate their farm records. Members have already joined Farm Records Management Information System (FARMIS-Kenya).

FARMIS is a farm management and diagnostic tool based on the use of farm records. They will now be able to have access to various reports which highlight husbandry practices, market trends, weather condition and on farm challenges.

Gicheru said that they are using furrow irrigation. This is one of the most widely used type of irrigation where water is applied and distributed over the soil surface by gravity. Water has never been a problem there as most of the members have dug boreholes while others get water from a nearby dam. Soil in the area is also conducive for farming as it retains a lot of water.

The group’s main challenge has been wild animals. Most of their crops are normally destroyed by elephants.

Mlima Meza Green Development helps in conserving environment

By Bob Aston

The impact of climate change is already being felt in arid and semi arid regions in the country. Solving the problems of climate change and reducing its inevitable negative effects has now become a priority for many. Mlima Meza Green Development Self Help Group from Wangwaci location in Laikipia West has for the past six (6) years been trying to mitigate the impact of climate change.

Members during a meeting

The group which is made up of twenty (20) women initially started by helping members acquire house hold utensils like cups, plates, blankets and bowls but they soon realized that to empower the members they had to do more than that.

“We decided to change and look for a better way of improving the livelihood of members. This could only be achieved through financial empowerment,” said Monica Wangui Kimondo, Chairlady Mlima Meza Green Development S.H.G.

The group explored different ways of empowering members and finally settled on starting a tree nursery. This they believed would help members conserve the environment as well as practice climate smart agriculture.

Kimondo said that they started a merry go round whereby all the members were contributing Ksh 200 after every two weeks. They then opened a bank account and started saving the money while at the same time ploughing some into their tree nursery business.

“We are trying to financially empower all members through the various projects that we are undertaking. Currently it is possible for a member to receive emergency loan when in financial difficulty,” said Kimondo.

Kimondo said that members have been at the forefront of planting trees. Last year the members planted more than 1,000 trees. They expected to plant more this year but lack of rainfall led to most of the trees drying up. They have three different varieties of trees namely; Olive tree, grevellea and eucalyptus.

“We have spent a lot of money to buy water for irrigating the trees. Despite this most of the trees could not withstand the dry season hence they dried up,” said Kimondo.

Noah Lusaka from ALIN addressing group members

The members have also been keeping indigenous chicken. They have received various capacity building trainings about poultry keeping from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries. Kimondo said that the poultry training equipped them with enough knowledge concerning poultry farming.

“Some members have as much as 70 indigenous chicken. Members normally sell some of the chicken during planting season in order to get money for farming,” said Kimondo.

Kimondo said that the members realized that they spent a lot of money on buying kerosene for lighting. The kerosene lamps she said produced a lot of smoke and normally cause health problems. They eventually decided to buy solar lamps worth Ksh 1,000 for all the members.

“Solar lamps has helped to reduce dependence on kerosene and this has enabled the members to save money that they would initially have used to buy kerosene,” said Kimondo.

Kimondo said that one of their objectives was to reduce cutting down of trees by members as deforestation has led to drastic climate change. This led the group to ensure that all the members have improved jikos.

“Members are no longer looking for firewood. This has significantly reduced cutting down of trees,” said Kimondo.

The group is now exploring various ways in which the members can adapt to the changing climatic condition as well as practicing climate smart agriculture.

Co-operative set to celebrate one year in existence

By Bob Aston

Laikipia Produce and Marketing Cooperative Society which was started in 2013 by farmers in Sipili Division, Laikipia West is set to commemorate one year since it was formed next month. The co-operative currently has 286 members with males being 178 while females are 108.

The co-operative has already supplied 60 tonnes of fertilizer worth Ksh 3,300,000 and 23.456 tonnes of seeds worth Ksh 3,166,560 to farmers in Sipili.

ALIN Deputy Director addressing co-op members during a past function

Arid Lands Information Network (ALIN) through Ng’arua Maarifa Centre, with support from the Ford Foundation, initiated the formation of the Co-operative to help farmers bulk produce, particularly maize.

ALIN is currently offering advisory support services, capacity building, information access and empowerment to the members of the Co-operative.

Kanja Waweru, Chairman Laikipia Produce and Marketing Co-operative Society said that they have made great strides in addressing problems facing farmers like sale of fake seeds, fake fertilizer and lack of market.

Kanja said that the co-operative has been registered as agents of Kenya Seed Company Ltd. This he said has enabled them to buy seeds directly from the company.

He said that they are now in the process of receiving warehouse Receipt System certification from Eastern Africa Grain Council (EAGC). This he said will reduce uncertainty and enhance efficiency in cereal marketing.

“We established the cooperative in order to address the problem of exploitation by middlemen who buy our maize cheaply when we harvest it, only to sell it at a much higher price a few months later,” said Kanja.

Kanja said that the co-operative has partnered with ALIN, MEA Ltd, Kenya Seed Company Ltd and Ministry of Agriculture to set up five (5) demonstration plots which are now being used to train farmers on best farming practices.

Kanja said that they are now seeking to source for better markets for their members as well as provision of inputs, value addition, training and capacity building for producer groups, establishment of financing and welfare and agency banking.

Sam Mwangi from ALIN addressing members during a past function

The co-operative has formed strategic alliances with organizations in public and private sector including; ALIN, Netherlands Development Organization (SNV), Kenya Seed Company Ltd, MEA Ltd, EAGC, Kilimo Biashara, Department of Co-operative in the Ministry of Industrialization and Enterprise Development, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Co-operative Bank and Agriculture Sector Support Program (ASDSP).

 “Lack of market has significantly been addressed by Sokopepe Ltd. Most of the members have been connected to buyers through SOKO+ and they have also been able to access commodity prices from major markets from the same platform,” said Kanja.

Kanja said that all the members of the co-operative are now having their farm records automated through Farm Record Management Information System (FARMIS-Kenya). This he said will help the members have access to various reports which highlight husbandry practices, market trends, weather conditions and on farm challenges.

Some of the objectives of the co-operative include; To improve economic welfare of members, to link farmers to markets and other business opportunities, to train and build capacities of farmers to adopt good agricultural practices, to increase access of quality, quantity and timely farm input supplies to farmers, to maximize profits by adding value to produce and to improve financial base of the cooperative and services to farmers.

Kanja addressing the co-operative members during a past function

Bett Kipsang who was instrumental in the formation of the co-operative said that initially most farmers did not know whether to form a self help group, community based organization or co-operative. They had to do a series of meetings with the provincial administration and church leaders in order to come up with the co-operative.

“We explained to the community the need to form a co-operative until they agreed to join. It was not a simple process as it took a long time to mobilize the community,” said Bett.

Bett said that the history of co-operative movement in Kenya has not been good as the sector has always been riddled with scandals. He said this discouraged most farmers from joining co-operatives.

“We had to convince the community that the co-operative will be different from others as they will be transparent and all members will be involved in decision making,” said Bett.

Bett said that the co-operative should be alive to the fact that members expect a lot from them thus they should strive to ensure that they sustain the confidence of the members.

Noah Koinett, officer in charge of Agribusiness, Ministry of Agriculture, Sipili Division said that the Ministry is proud of what the co-operative has achieved within a year. Noah said that most of the issues that led to the formation of the co-operative have been addressed or are in the process of being addressed.

Some of the members carrying certified hybrid seeds

He urged the co-operative officials to now look at sustainability of the business. He said that more farm inputs should be provided by the co-operative as seeds and fertilizers are seasonal hence need to increase other inputs.

“The management should try to ensure members continue buying shares as this is the backbone of the co-operative,” said Noah.

Tabitha Wanjiru, a member of the co-operative said that this year she has managed to get certified seeds as well as fertilizer from the co-operative. Tabitha is proud of the achievements of the co-operative as she said that they have achieved a lot within a short time.

“Various trainings have been organized for us by ALIN through the co-operative. The trainings have really empowered us as we are implementing what we were taught in our farms,” said Tabitha.

Tabitha has given a quarter of an acre for a demonstration plot. She expects to be able to practice Kilimo Biashara after learning through the various trainings that will be conducted at the demo plot.

“Bulk producing is helping us as a co-operative as we are now able to reap maximum benefits from maize farming. Soon all the members will be able to improve their livelihood,” said Tabitha.

Farmer set to start supplying rabbit meat to supermarket

By Bob Aston

Kanja Waweru, a farmer in Muhotetu Division, Laikipia County is set to start supplying rabbit meat to Mugo Supermarket in Nyahururu from Friday next week. Kanja has already bought packaging materials and has hired a cooler box that will be used to transport the rabbits.

An employee feeding the rabbits

“I approached the supermarket sometimes back and inquired whether I could supply rabbit meat to them. We held a lengthy discussion and finally from next week this will now become a reality,” said Kanja.

Kanja is set to deliver 10 kilos to the supermarket on May 30, 2014. Subsequent deliveries will depend with demand of the meat. A kilo of the meat will be sold at Ksh 400.

The rabbits will be slaughtered at Muhotetu slaughter slab. After inspection from veterinary officers he will then transport them to the supermarket.

 “Kenyans are not accustomed to eating rabbit meat despite the numerous nutritional benefits. They are cholesterol free and have high protein content,” said Kanja.

Kanja started rearing rabbits in 2010. He has been a member of Rabbit Breeders Association of Kenya (RABAK). He has attributed the emergence of rabbit farming to RABAK which he says has been at the forefront of marketing rabbit farming.

“Most people like rabbit meat but they do not have a place to buy. From next week residents of Nyahururu will now have a place where they can buy the meat,” said Kanja.

Some of the rabbits feeding

Kanja said some of the benefits of rabbit meat include; Low in cholesterol, calories, sodium and saturated fats. Has vitamin B2 and vitamin B12, has high protein content, contains Potassium that helps with fluid regulation and helps remove salts from the body, contains selenium that works as an antioxidant by removing free radicals before they can do damage to someone’s body and they also contains calcium and phosphorous.

He is now planning to expand his rabbit rearing agribusiness in order to meet the expected demand from the public.

Resilience set to pay off from yellow passion farming

By Bob Aston 

Starting an orchard has always been hard for most farmers as the duration that it takes for some fruits to mature is long. Despite this factor Francis Kinyanjui, a resident of Leleshwa B, Sipili Division in Laikipia County decided to venture into yellow passion farming and was not discouraged by the long wait.

Kinyanjui started growing yellow passion in 2012. He was scheduled to harvest for the first time last year but elephants destroyed all the trees. This did not deter him from pursuing his business venture and thus he decided to grow the fruits afresh.

Kinyanjui at his farm

Kinyanjui was initially concentrating on purple passion but the high growing cost and the fact that they are susceptible to various diseases made him to rethink its viability.

He decided to research and find out if he can graft them or if he can plant a different variety. It was during this period that he came to learn of a new variety called yellow passion which had been released by Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI).

“I learned that the yellow passion is high yielding, is resistant to Fusarium wilt and is tolerant to phytophthora root rot, nematodes, brown spot and woodiness virus and  more important they cut growing cost by half compared to the purple passion,” said Kinyanjui.

He has planted over 100 vines in a half an acre piece of land though he says the land can accommodate more than 300 plants. He expects each vine to yield 30 kg of fruits per year.

“Yellow passion yields more juice than the purple passion fruit. The fruit has a high acidity content and strong flavour,” said Kinyanjui.

Kinyanjui says that the yellow passion is a perennial plant which matures inside nine months and can be harvested four times a year, depending on the availability of rain or irrigation water. The vine has a lifespan of about 5-7 years. Carefully tended sweet yellow passion fruit vine will grow to a length of over 20 meters, after the first 4-5 months of transplanting.

“Lower growing cost of yellow passion ensures that one can realize higher profits,” said Kinjanjui.

Kinyanjui looking at some of the crops in the farm

Kinyanjui is set to harvest for the first time by the end of June. He has already started harvesting some fruits and every day he is capable of getting 2 kilos.

“The fruits normally drop to the ground when they are fully mature. I have already started harvesting some but I expect to harvest a lot of the fruits by end of June,” said Kinyanjui.

He says that the yellow passion does well in hot regions like Sipili as the plant grows a deep root system making it resistant to effects of low soil moisture.

Besides the yellow passion he is also growing several fruits that include; Purple passion, macadamia, pineapples, oranges, guavas, passion fruits, tree tomatoes, custard apple, mangoes, bananas, apples, pawpaw, avocado, strawberry, grapes, plums, pears, thorny melon and loquat.

He has also planted cabbages, kales, pumpkins, sun flower and cassava. He has also kept rabbits.

“Yellow passion farming is a good economic opportunity that has not yet been fully exploited. One is capable of improving his livelihood through it,” said Kinjanjui.

He has a fruit nursery where he has kept various varieties of seedlings. He has been selling seedlings between Ksh 20- Ksh 200 depending on type of fruit seedling required by a farmer. He has been grafting his own fruits before transplanting.

Kinyanjui has been a frequent visitor of Ng’arua Maarifa Centre. He has been visiting the centre to read agricultural publications and also to seek for advisory services.

During one of the visits he was introduced to Sokopepe Ltd. Since then he has been using Sokopepe to get market information and also query market prices. He now plans to use it to get market for his yellow passion.

“Sokopepe has been connecting producers with buyers and I hope that I will be able to sell my produce through Sokopepe once I harvest all my produce,” said Kinyanjui.

Kinyanjui collecting some mature passion

He says that lack of water has been a big challenge as some of the fruits have dried while the quality of fruits produced has reduced as he has been unable to get enough water to irrigate the plants. This challenge prompted him to invest in a 20 litres water pump. He now expects the problem of water to reduce.

Destruction of the plants by elephants has also been a concern to him as he has lost several plants.

“I used to get close to Ksh 500,000 per year from my orchard before elephants destroyed my fruits. I had to start afresh by planting fruits. Some have not yet matured but I expect by end of next year all the fruits will be mature,” said Kinyanjui.

To increase his earnings he is planning to add value to his produce through making juice instead of just selling the fruits."Yellow passion farming requires someone who is patient and dedicated as they take a long time to grown.Fruits like mangoes and avocadoes take more than two years to mature," said Kinyanjui.

Yellow passion farming requires someone who is patient and dedicated as they take a long time to grow.Fruits like mangoes and avocadoes take more than two years to mature," said Kinyanjui.

SNV holds a business opportunity meeting between HGSF schools

By Bob Aston

The Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV) held a business opportunity meeting between Home Grown School Meal Programme (HGSMP) schools in Rumuruti zone and farmer groups at Rumuruti Catholic Centre on May 14, 2014. The match making meeting which was also attended by Arid Lands Information Network (ALIN), provided an opportunity for the farmer groups to see how they can do business with the schools.

Farmer groups present during the meeting included Laikipia Produce and Marketing Co-operative Society, Ng’arua cereals and produce SHG, Sipili cereal Bank and Ndurumo Cereal bank.

Leah addressing participants

Speaking during the event, Leah Njeri, a governance advisor on PG-HGSF with SNV urged schools benefiting from the programme to give everyone a fair chance when they advertise for cereals.

Leah said that farmers operating within the locality where the schools are should be given first priority. She said this will empower the farmers thus leading to increase in production.

“The intention of this meeting is for you to meet farmer groups and see if you can do business with them,” said Leah.

HGSMP started in the county with an initial phase from 1980 to 1985 whose beneficiary level was 240,000 school children. By 2007, the beneficiary levels had increased to over 1.2 million children in 3,847 primary schools.  The increase was greatly influenced by the introduction of Free Primary Education by the Government in January 2003 and availability of food in targeted schools.

At the inception of the Programme in 2009, the Government estimated Ksh. 7 per child per day to cover the cost of providing a mid-day meal. The schools are currently receiving Ksh.10 per child per day. The targeted primary schools are allocated funds by the Government of Kenya to cover the cost of food for a specified period based on the number of school children in these schools.

The co-operative and the three cereal banks took the opportunity to impress upon the schools on why they should do business together with each stating that they have met the selection criteria for small scale local farmer groups.

They urged the school meals programme committees to give preference to the local small scale farmers as they have all met the procurement criteria outlined in the HGSMP guidelines.

“We are able to supply food to the schools. We are looking forward to being your business partners. Please give us a chance as I believe that we have met the selection criteria,” said Waweru Kanja, Chairman Laikipia Produce and Marketing Co-operative Society.

Justus Nzuki from Kilimo Biashara addressing participants

HGSMP is currently being done in 22 counties in Kenya. The programme is implemented in semi-arid areas of the country that are vulnerable to food insecurity.

The objectives of the HGSM Programme are: Provide a comprehensive source of information on implementation of Home Grown School Meals Programme and provide school management programme managers with technical content and handout materials that can be used for implementation and planning of HGSMP.

“The farmer groups are investors. They are investing on behalf of the farmers. This will enable the farmers to get something to uplift their livelihood,” said Leah.

Home Grown School Meals Programme (HGSMP) aims at:  Providing equal opportunities of access to free education to Kenyan school going children from poverty stricken backgrounds, reducing short term hunger , improving the children’s’ health and nutrition status, improving the children’s’ attention span and cognitive ability, minimizing the dropout and improving academic performance.

In addition to the benefits of a regular School Meals Programme, the HGSM programme also aims at: Linking school feeding to local agricultural production, increasing Small-Scale Farmers’ (SSF) access to the school feeding market, encouraging improved production practices among small-scale farmers and increasing direct purchases from small holders.