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The newspaper for sustainable agriculture in Kenya Nr. 18 November 2006

Dear farmers,There is a widespread view among farmersthat farming has become a loss makingventure. Many will sit back and remem-ber the good old days when they could selltheir agricultural produce at good priceswhich were regulated by the Govern-ment. But things have changed with theliberalisation of the market, together withcompetition from other producers of thesame goods. Competition is stiff and onlythe best can meet the demands of the everchanging market.

How can farmers really survive in thisenvironment? In this issue (see page 4)we have a story on farmers in Meru, whohave, against all odds, managed to starta factory to process their farm produce.This is a major step in the right directionbecause the farmers will now earn morefrom their farm produce. For many years,Kenyan farmers like their counterpartsin the rest of Africa, have been primaryproducers of agricultural goods which donot fetch good prices because they are notprocessed.

Sometimes when we visit farmers inthe field, we are shocked to learn thatthey do not have even the most basictools, yet the same people can spend largesums of money on ceremonies which donot promote their farming activities. Itis often surprising to find a farmer whodoes not even possess a wheelbarrow forcarrying fodder for their cattle or whodoes not have even milk cans to delivertheir milk to KCC. Some of these itemscan even be bought on credit.

What we are saying is that farmers haveto do more. They should be well orga-nized and be able to plan ahead. Farmingshould be viewed as an investment thatcan bring good returns and help raisethe standards of living for the majorityof rural people. Some farmers have bor-rowed money from Savings and CreditCooperatives (SACCOs) in their areasand used it wisely to develop their farms.

We keep our word. Some months ago, wepromised you that we would increase thenumber of copies of The Organic Farmer

following the great demand from farmersacross the country. With the supportof BioVision Switzerland we have nowincreased the number of copies from12,000 to 14,000. Karibuni, wakulima!

Value addition 4Meru farmers earn more afterprocessing their farm produce.

Pest control 5ICIPE develops a natural method

for control of termites.Organic seed production 6Kenya is yet to produceorganically certified seeds.

in this issue

The Organic Farmer

Sus organic shopnow open in NairobiOrganic food consumers in Nairobifinally have a shop where they canget fresh supplies: Su Kahumbu, wellknown to readers of the The OrganicFarmer , opened the Shop at GigiriShopping Center near the UNEP head-

quarters on September 2 this year. Theshop is stocked with lots of certifiedorganic products from farmers' groupstrained through the TOF Support Pro-gramme. See page 8

Good response to ourplant extracts special

We have received numerous letters,telephone calls and SMS messagesfrom farmers commending us onour September / October 2006 issuethat featured plant extracts. Thatis why we have decided to make areprint in English. Farmers inter-ested in getting copies of the reprint

can get in touch with us through ourusual address. We thank you all foryour positive comments.

Delays in payment, exploitation bymiddlemen, storage problems harvesting time is a real challenge tomaize farmers.

Peter Kamau

It is once again that time of the year whenfarmers are harvesting their maize.They are doing this with great expecta-tion that markets will be available andthe prices favourable to them.

The harvesting time is a difficultperiod for farmers. Although theNational Cereals and Produce Boardhas somewhat stabilised prices, delaysin payment has often forced farmersto sell the produce to middlemen whobuy it at throwaway prices and sell ata premium in maize deficit areas. Atleast the NCPB has already openedtheir depots which will enable farmersto deliver the produce on time.

Another problem among farmersis their tendency to wait for too long before they start harvesting. By this

time, most of the maize cobs haveopened, exposing the grain to weevils

and rotting. Storage structures in mostfarming areas today are made of timberoff-cuts which provide a good havenfor weevils. A store made of wire meshis ideal as it gives adequate spacefor air circulation. The use of chemi-cal pesticide dusts in Kenya is tricky.Many dusts are no longer effectiveagainst weevils and other dangerous

pests such as the Larger Grain Borer(). Experts now suspect the productsare faked. Unless farmers use the avail-

Its harvesting time, farmers!

Harvest early andstore properly.See page 3

able organicmethods ofpest control,p r e v e n t i v em e a s u r e sseem to be theonly optionavailable tothem.

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There are many ways a farmer canconserve run off water for use in cropproduction, even during the dryseason.

The Organic FarmerWith the increasing frequencies ofdrought and water scarcity in manyparts of the country, farmers needto know and practise water conser-vation methods in order to makemaximum use of the available waterresources on their farms. Water con-servation involves trapping as muchwater as possible and storing it on thesurface or allowing it to sink into thesoil in order to raise the water tableand increase the soil moisture level.

A protective vegetation cover on thesoil surface helps to slow down theflow of running water before it settleson pits and dams. Contour ditches arethen dug to help spread the water allover the farm.

As we mentioned in previous edi-tions, keeping the soil covered pre-vents soil erosion and water loss, andin the process improves the overallproductivity of the soil. One methodof doing this is the use of mulch; thisis the use of dry plant residue to coverthe soil. Mulch keeps the soil under-neath moist, which is not possible ifthe soil is left bare. It also suppressesweeds and promotes a healthy plantgrowth. Mulching also reduces soilerosion and provides plant nutrientsas the material decomposes.

Water conservation methods

Contour ploughing: Contour farminginvolves ploughing, planting andweeding along the contour, which isacross the slope rather than up anddown. (see photo)

Tumbukiza method: In this method, ahole 60 cm and 60 cm wide is dugand filled with compost mixed withsoil and planted with maize or Napiergrass. Water from run off collects in

Nr. 18 November 20062 The Organic Farmer

The Organic Farmer

The Organic Farmer is an indepen-dent newspaper for the Kenyanfarming community. It promotesorganic farming and supports dis-cussions on all aspects of sustainabledevelopment. The Organic Farmeris published monthly byICIPE and distributed freeto farmers. The reportsof The Organic Farmer donot necessarily reflect the

views of ICIPE.The Organic Farmer is sponsored byBioVision, a Swiss based founda-tion for the promotion of sustain-able development.

www.biovision.ch

PublisherInternational Centre of InsectPhysiology and Ecology (ICIPE)P.O.Box 30772, 00100 NairobiKENYATel. +254 20 863 2000e-mail: icipe@icipe.orghomepage: http://www.icipe.orgEditorsPeter Kamau, Peter BaumgartnerSecretariatLucy W. MachariaAdvisory BoardDr. Bernhard Lhr, ICIPEDr. Nguya Maniania, ICIPEDr. Fritz Schulthess, ICIPECharles Kimani, farmer, WangigeAddressThe Organic FarmerP.O.Box 14352, 00800 Nairobi

KENYATel. +254 020 445 03 98e-mail : info@organickenya.comLayoutIn-A-Vision Systems(k)

MY OPINION

Every month I look forward to receiv-ing a copy ofThe Organic Farmer.The reason for this is simple, TOFis not an ordinary newspaper. Everyissue comes with something newfor the farmer. It is so exciting to try

new methods of farming which helpincrease production on my farm, atthe same time cutting the cost ofusing expensive and harmful chemi-cals. Since most of the farmers inmy locality do not receive a copy, Ialways share this information withthem and also encourage them totry new ideas. I feel this is the onlyway information on organic farmingcan get to as many farmers as pos-sible.

Robert Mukhwana, Bungoma

How to prevent water loss

A garden with terraces Photo TOF

Our series on waterIn the August 2006 issue of TheOrganic Farmer , we introduced dripirrigation, which can help farmers

grow crops using very little water. Inthis issue, we will provide you withcheap and easy methods of retainingwater in the soil as long as possible.In December, we will share the expe-riences of farmers in Lare Divisionin Nakuru District who have learnedvarious methods of water harvestingfor agricultural production, livestockand domestic use.

the hole and seeps slowly into theplant. (Sketch)Fanya juu method: Fanya juu terracesare made by digging a trench alongthe contour and throwing the soiluphill to form an embankment. Foddergrasses are then planted to stabilizethe embankment. It later developsinto bench terraces which harvest andconserve water (see sketch).Bench terraces: Bench terraces are level

steps constructed on the contour andseparated by embankments. Theycan be formed by excavation or maydevelop over time from a grass striporfanya juu.Stone Terraces: Stone terraces areuseful in areas with steep slopes.The terrace walls are made of stonescollected from the land. Howevermany farmers do not prefer them asthey provide shelter to rats and otherrodents which eat the crops.Intercropping: Planting maize as an

intercrop between the rows of themain crop such as beans, cabbages,sukuma wiki (Kales) or potatoes pro-vides shade which helps reduce waterloss and also protects from the wind.

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3Harvesting early cuts down losses

The Organic FarmerNr. 18 November 2006

Battleagainst rats

Apart from wee-vils, rats andmice are trou- blesome peststhat bring hugelosses to farmers because they eat large quantitiesof maize especially during storage.Rats can be controlled by use oftraps and rat poison. Fixing of ratguards on raised stores can stopthe rodents from access to the store.The rat guards look like a collar

fitted around the pole (see photo).Farmers should take great care whenusing rat poison to ensure children,pets and livestock do not come intocontact with the chemicals.

Every year, farmers lose a large portion of their harvest due to poortiming, pests and lack of properstorage facilities.

Peter KamauOnce again farmers are harvestingtheir maize crop. It is the dream ofevery farmer to harvest much morethan they did last year. But this maynot be the case for many of them.Although the crop may look healthywhile still in the shamba, much of thecrop will be lost due to pest damageand the rains. Every year farmerseither lose a huge portion of theirharvest, not because they did not usethe right inputs but because they did

not harvest at the right time or takethe necessary measures to reduce pestdamage.

As we have said before in this news-paper, losses to farmers always beginin the field. The maize crop is themost affected, due to poor timing andpoor storage methods and facilitiesused by farmers across the country.Many farmers tend to leave the croptoo long in the field where rains andpests attack the crop even before it isharvested. Most of the maize varie-ties grown at the beginning of therainy season in mid-March and Aprilare ready for harvest by October andNovember. In areas where the crophas been knocked down by windand has come into contact with thewet ground, decay and pest damageis always faster. Right now, weatherforecasts indicate that rains willincrease in November and December.This means that farmers who harvestlate will lose a considerable portion oftheir crop.

Reducing post harvest losses

the shelling. The maize should thenbe dried in the sun for a further 3 to4 days after shelling. Direct sunlight

kills weevils which have not enteredthe maize grain; the maize should beturned and stirred to ensure it driesevenly. Drying also helps bring downthe moisture level to 13 %, which isideal for long term storage of grain.Construction of store: A good storeshould be well constructed. It shouldhave adequate space for air circula-tion at the base and also on the upperpart; pests prefer a warm environ-ment and will keep away if the storeis well ventilated. It is recommended

that a store should have 40 to 50 %open space for the stored grain to dryproperly. The store platform should be raised up to 60-90 cm above theground to allow for air circulation.Cleaning: Weevils reside in cracksin the wood of the store; they canremain there until the next harvest.Thorough cleaning is therefore nece-ssary before fresh grain is stored to

ensure infestation of the maize doesnot occur during storage. Cow dungand fresh eucalyptus leaves can be

burned to keep away any pests beforestorage. Granary floors and walls canalso be plastered with cow dung forthe same purpose.

Natural pest control methods

Diatomite: Diatomite is one of themost effective of natural pest controlcompounds. It is a natural preserva-tive that does not affect the qualityof grain. It is made up of millions offossilized microscopic plants, calleddiatoms, which have sharp edgeswhich pierce insects, killing them. Itis not poisonous to both animals andhuman beings. The Kensil F gradeof diatomite is the most appropri-ate (it costs Ksh 350 for a 20 kg bag).The recommended application ratesare 3 kg of diatomite to one tonne ofmaize, wheat, oats, rice or sorghum.It is applied directly to the grain andmixed with a shovel.Wash off the diat-omite and dry the grain before con-sumption.

Various plants can also be used tocontrol pests in stored grain. Research

shows that neem oil can repel TheLarger Grain Borer. When applied atthe rate of 20ml/ kg of maize neemoil has been found to prevent repro-duction of the LGB and to drasticallyreduce damage to stored maize. Theeffect of neem oil has been found tolast for up to 6 months.Pyrethrum dust (CrysanthemumCinerari): Flowers can be pickedduring a hot day and dried in theshade. They are then crushed intopowder and mixed with grain. Pyre-thrum powder from plants in general

are said to reduce pest damage tomaize and other cereals. Wash thegrain and dry before consumption. Theashes mixed with grain are known togive 4 to 6 months protection.

Farmers should take the followingmeasures to reduce losses duringharvest and storage:Sorting: Before storage, the maizeshould be sorted out to remove thecobs that have already been damaged by insects and mildew (mould).Research shows that sorting can helpreduce the damage by up to 36 %.Drying: The maize should be driedfor a few days before storage. Dryinggets rid of excess moisture which isresponsible for decay during storage.

Shelling: Shelling helps to checkpest damage. Since most pests prefermaize which is still on the cob for easymovement. If a farmer has to applypesticides, this should be done after

A large portion of maize harvested every year is lost to pests and rotting. Photo TOF

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This farmers group can now sell awide range of farm products after pro-cessing them in their factory.

Jane Kigo, Meru

StanleyMukuru, a farmer from Chuka,Meru South, practised farming likeany other farmer in his village- thatwas to provide food for his familyand sell the surplus whenever hecould get a buyer. It was very hardfor him to depend on farming as asource of income. This was due tothe fact that many people in the areawere farmers and did not requirefarm produce. The market, too wasoverflowing with the same products,pushing the prices down.

But all this changed in the year 2003,when the Ministry of Agricultureintroduced the National Agricultureand Livestock Extension Programme(NALEP1). Mukuru and 15 otherfarmers from his village formed theMungoni Focal Area Organic Group.They were trained by the Kenya Insti-tute of Organic Farming (KIOF) underthe NALEP programme. The groupmembers were trained on compostmaking, use of plant extracts for pestcontrol, value addition through pro-cessing and how to practise farming

as a business.It was not hard for many of us,

because our farms are not contami-nated and we only needed to applysome other requirements of organicfarming, Mukuru says.

Arrowroot around homestead

The group (now renamed the MungoniOrganic Farmers' Group) is one of themost successful in Meru district. Fol-lowing the training, they have trans-formed their farms into some of themost productive enterprises in theregion. Mukurus farm, located a fewkilometres from the Nyayo Tea Zonefarm, is a good example of the skillsthe farmers have acquired from thetraining. Contrary to the belief thatarrowroot are planted near or next toa river for a constant supply of water,he has been able to turn a flowergarden near his homestead into anarrowroot garden. From a shallow basin, he has dug several holes 1metre deep and 2/3 metre wide. Aninlay of perforated polythene sheet-

ing is spread in the trenches wherearrow roots are then planted. Thepolythene helps conserve water. Soilenriched with manure is put ontothe polythene paper to cover 2fts

Nr. 18 November 20064 The Organic Farmer

Value addition helps Meru farmers

of the trench. Through this method,arrow roots and other crops can beplanted throughout the year bringinga steady income. The water supply tothe garden is replenished from a tapin the homestead.

The other portion of Mukurus landis covered by a healthy crop of maize,sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes anda small banana plantation. On thelower side next to the river is a planta-tion of Napier-grass, coffee trees andtea bushes.

Factory for value addition

Mukuru and his group members rea-

lized that their main difficulty wasmarketing of their produce. Theytherefore decided to go into valueaddition using the knowledge theyacquired in the training.

They approached their ConstituencyDevelopment Fund (CDF) committeefor assistance to set up a food process-ing factory. After going through theirintended plan of work, the Commit-tee decided to offer assistance of Ksh600,000 in two phases. The first phaseof Ksh 400,000 has enabled them tobuild the factory and buy the neces-

sary equipment.The factory has been processing

pawpaw fruit jam; fruit juice frompassion, mangoes, avocado and pine-apples; cassava and banana flour; andcakes from arrowroots and cassava.They also process crisps from bananas,arrowroots and Irish potatoes, andeven a beverage from amaranth. Theproducts are sold in Meru, Embu,Sagana and even supermarkets inNairobi.The processing of these farm pro-

ducts has greatly improved incomefor our members and also createda market for other farmers in thisregion, says Mukuru.The group is currently developing a

marketing strategy to expand theirreach. They have also incorporatedother farmers' groups into their pro-duction and marketing chain. Theproducts will in future sell under the brand name VACID. To retain thegroup identity however, each of thegroups will also have a brand nameunder which they will market theirproducts.

Invested in training and marketing

Although production has been goingon for the last one year, the membersplough back their profits into thefactory for expansion and other pur-

poses such as registration, licensesand purchase of production equip-ment. Following their success withthe factory, they now want to set up amulti-million food processing complexto process more farm pro-ducts, muchof which goes to waste during peakproduction period and which willnow earn income for members andthe community at large.

The group is now recruiting newmembers. The approved constitu-tion allows a maximum number of70 members; to date 50 members are

registered. An agricultural officeris available to train them on weekly basis. They have been given a pieceof land by Ndagani Secondary Schoolwhich they use for demonstrationsduring training. Produce from thedemonstrations land is given free ofcharge to the school.

The group plans to develop alarge training institution to train otherfarmers in Meru district. With theresults from the market survey con-ducted by the Groups sales represen-

tative, the entire range of their pro-ducts have a lot of market potential. Ittakes a lot of hard work, but the groupsays it well in their motto wherethere is a will there is a way.

Products ready for the market (left), farmer S. Mukuru tends his arrow roots. Photos: TOF

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Termites cause great damage tocrops. ICIPE has developed an

environmental friendly fungusto control them.

Nguya K. Maniania *Termites or white ants are knownto concentrate their feeding activitieson dead plant material from woodto humus. By these activities theycontribute to the soil profile, soiltexture and redistribution of organicmatter. Termites are therefore impor-tant for recycling matter. But in theirquest for cellulose, termites may alsocause significant damage to crops,trees and houses of poor subsistencefarmers, particularly in developing

countries. Data on economic lossescaused by termites to crops is dif-ficult to obtain; but in most Africancountries the losses appear to be spo-radic and localized, and can be morewidespread and catastrophic in manyother countries.

Rain fed crops more vulnerable

In general, damage by termites isgreater in rain-fed than irrigatedcrops, during dry periods or droughtsthan periods of regular rainfall, inlowland rather than highland areas,and in plants under stress, becauseof lack of moisture, disease or physi-cal damage, rather than healthy andvigorous plants. In particular, exoticcrops are more susceptible to termiteattacks than indigenous crops.

Conventionally, damage to plants by subterranean termites has beenprevented by persistent insecticidal barriers in the soil around the roots,thus, preventing termite access to thecrops and trees. This has in the pastrelied almost exclusively on the use of

insecticides (lindane, aldrin, dialdrin,chlordane and heptachlor). Followingthe ban imposed on the use of theseinsecticides, less persistent insecticidegroups such as organophosphates(chlorpyrifos, iodofenphos), carba-mates (carbosulfan, carbofuran), andpyrethroids (permethrin, decame-thrin) have been used as alternativesto termite control; but their low per-sistence calls for repeated applica-tions.

5The Organic FarmerNr. 18 November 2006

Methods to control termites naturally

fore, cultural practices should aimat maintaining or enhancing planthealth.

The use of good quality seed,healthy seedlings, and appropri-ate transplanting procedure is morelikely to produce healthy plants. Ingeneral, indigenous crops show moreresistance or tolerance to termites.For instance, sorghum and milletare more resistant to termites than

maize and groundnut, which areexotic crops. Deficiency or excess ofwater may stress plants and encour-age termite attack. In general, attackon crops and trees is greater in drierareas and during dry periods. Overallannual rainfall is important but theeven distribution of rainfall throughthe growing season may be moresignificant.

Control techniques

A number of techniques are used andinclude cultural methods, plant insec-

ticides and biological control.Cultural practices: Deep ploughingor hand tillage exposes termites todehydration and to predators, thusreducing their number in the crops.* Dr. Nguya K. Maniania is Scientist at ICIPE

Healthy plants more resistant

Although healthy plants may bedamaged by termites, unhealthy andstressed plants are generally moresusceptible to termite attack. There-

Pre-planting tillage also destroys thetunnels caused by termites and mini-mizes their foraging activities andassociated damage to crops. Removalof the queen and/or destruction of thenest have frequently been used byfarmers as a traditional method forcontrol of mound-building termites.Mounds are dug, flooded or burntwith straw to suffocate and kill thecolony.

Intercropping is the most effec-tive cultural practice used by small-scale farmers in sub-Saharan Africato control insects that have specifichost ranges. However, controversialresults have been reported in case oftermites. Intercropping in forestry has

been suggested as a means of retain-ing termite diversity in the crop inorder to prevent them from achievingpest status. Certain grasses are inter-cropped with different crops in WestAfrica to repel termites.

The removal of residues and otherdebris from the field may reducepotential termite food supplies andhence lead to a reduction in termitenumbers and subsequent attack. Onthe other hand, leaving residues inthe field or adding further organicmatter could provide alternative foodto which termites will be attracted,thereby reducing levels of attack onthe main crop.Plant extracts: Various parts of plantsand extracts are known to be eithertoxic or repellent to pests of agri-culture, and widely used in ruralsettings. Some of these extracts have been investigated in the laboratoryand found effective against termites.Plant extracts such as those of neemand dried chilli have been used tocontrol termites in the field and in

storage.Biological control: Many naturalenemies (predators, parasites andpathogens) attack termites in nature.Biological control is the use of thesenatural enemies for their control. Itconstitutes a more environmentallyacceptable alternative to traditionalchemical control measures.

A new method: Control by fungi

Among the pathogens (bacteria,viruses and fungi), fungi offer a greateropportunity as termite control agents

compared to other pathogens. Fungiinfect their host through the cuticleand do not need to be ingested. Theyare environmentally safe. The ento-

continued on Page 7

Termites (worker and soldier)

Damage to maize cobs (Photos courtesy Dr J.van den Berg)

Termite mound

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Nr. 18 November 20066

Su Kahumbuanswers yourquestions

Write to

The Organic FarmerP.O. Box 1435200800 Nairobi KenyaTel: 020 445 03 98, 0721 541 590e-mail: info@organickenya.com

Organically certified seeds are hard to getThe Organic Farmer

Growing tomatoes without chemicals is not easySylvester (Tel. 0727 400 821) plansto start tomato growing betweenNovember and December this year.Please advise me on care, diseasecontrol and other requirements, heasks.Tomatoes are easily subject to insectand fungal diseases. They are particu-larly difficult to grow organically and

require much vigilance throughouttheir growth period. To begin with,a good disease free source of seedmust be used. If you are producingby using self grown seed, be sure tohave selected your seed from yourhealthiest plants. If you are purcha-

sing seed from a seed agent, ask forseed that generally does well in yourparticular area.

It is important that you plant the seedin a well prepared seed bed. Makesure there is good spacing betweeneach seed to avoid overcrowding ofemerging seedlings. Seed beds mustbe kept moist, but not too wet, espe-

cially for tomato seedlings. If thereis evidence of damping off, noticedby collapse of seedlings, remove theaffected seedlings immediately, andalso a few good ones on each side ofthose affected. This is mainly causedby over watering.

Tomato seedlings are generallyready for transplanting at 6 weeksof age. Do not leave seedlings in bed for much longer than this asthey will struggle for nutrients andbecome stunted, stressed and subjectto disease.

When transplanting, make sure toallow ample spacing between plants,up to 3 feet. Most diseases affectingtomatoes spread from plant to plantand strive in damp humid condi-

tions. By giving ample spacing this isavoided.

Tomatoes are heavy feeders andrequire soil with ample compost andvery good drainage. Weekly feeds arerecommended using plant teas, eitherfed to the plant at the root base, or asa foliar feed.

Any onset of disease must be

quickly recognized and dealt with.Fungus and blight are common andcan sometimes be contained using aspray of milk and water 1:10, neemor garlic. Blight is very difficult tocontrol using organic solutions.

Insects are normally not too muchof a bother apart from the spidermites. These can be controlled withpyrethrum extract; neem extract,Sodom apple extract etc. (The OrganicFarmer, Sept./Oct. 2006 issue).

It is important to realize when

pruning and harvesting tomatoes,that we act as carriers of insect anddisease from plant to plant. Thereforewe must keep a keen eye on theseissues and avoid contamination.

M Abuoro (Tel. 0720 063 460) in Rongowants to know if the use of certifiedseed is allowed in organic farming.

Certified seed implies the seed has

been grown following strict standards,and the resulting seed has been triedand tested before being given thestatus of being certified. This ensuresthat there are no disease pathogens onthe seed and the viability is good. Italso ensures that the seed is pest free.Certified seed is not the same thingas Organically certified seed.

From an organic producers per-spective nevertheless, certified seed isgood to use as we are less at risk fromdiseases and pests from the start, andshould get a good quality yield fromproduction.

The international standards fororganic production require that seedis undressed, or untreated and comesfrom an organically certified source.Conventional certified seed is oftentreated with Thiram or some otherchemical. Untreated seed does nothave any chemicals. It is howevermore prone to getting fungal diseaseand other infestations. In Kenya wedo not have certified organic seedsavailable yet. As producers, we may

therefore, if following internationalstandards, apply for a derogation

on seed. This requires getting lettersfrom 3 local seed companies support-ing our claim to the non-availabilityof their organic equivalents. Alterna-tively, we can opt to import them but

must follow very strict phytosanitaryregulations set by KEPHIS.

This starts with making applicationto KEPHIS and if successful, beinggranted a Q-license to import, withcertain conditions. A Q-license is aquarantine license and comes with thefollowing requirements: Documenta-tion of the origin of the seed must besupplied to KEPHIS and on enteringthe country, the seed is immediatelytaken to and tested at the KEPHISlaboratories. If it is seen to be carry-

ing pathogens foreign to our localpathogens, it will be destroyed. Fromthere, germination tests are done andif all goes well, you will be giventhe seed on certain planting condi-tions. The entire planting area will bequarantined, which includes 6 footplastic sheet fencing and foot and car/tractor baths at all entrance and exits.Transfer or sale of the seed is alsoprohibited. As you can see, as organicproducers we are caught between arock and a hard place. To import fol-lowing the regulations is expensive,time consuming and risky. To grow

our own seed can also be risky as weare subject to many variables. Our best option to minimize risk is touse certified seed and try to propa-

gate our own when we feel confidentenough to.

What about Nibecidine?Is Nibecidine organic? asks MaryWanja (Tel. 0721 673 830) in Molo.Unfortunately I do not know whatNibecidine is. However, just asfarmers/producers are expected toshow integrity via organic certifica-tion, so too must be manufacturersof agricultural inputs and solutions.The best thing to do when in doubtis to ask them for documentation orsymbol proving organic certification.

Farmers can propagate their own organic seeds

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Dear Farmers,If you have any questionsor ideas for articles, orif you would like us topublish experiences aboutyour shamba or within your

farmers' group, please contactus. We shall get back to you!SMS ONLY

Tuma maoni yako! Asante.

0721541590

tural termite control method...continued from page 5

The Organic FarmerNr. 18 November 2006

mopathogenic fungus, Metarhiziumanisopliae, has recently been deve-loped for control of termites in Kenya by the International Centre of InsectPhysiology and Ecology (ICIPE) andKenya Agricultural Research Institute(KARI). The spores of the fungus areinjected in the nest and thus, resultingin the destruction of termite colonies.Successful control of termites has also been achieved in maize crops, tree

nurseries and grass. The fungus isproduced on rice as substrate andformulated as pure spores or granulesand applied in the soil. - The fungus isstill under development at ICIPE.

Visit us in Matuga!It was until the start of this monthwhen I managed to come acrossyour June issue of the newspaper.

While visiting a farmers field schoolat Mau Narok, the facilitator of thesame school produced a number ofcopies of The Organic Farmer , dis-tributed them and started a topic oncrops nutrient deficiency symptoms.As she referred to each, the paper hadthe pictures where the participantscould look and verify the colors. Isaw a number nodding their headssignifying acknowledgements. Surelythe technology on organic farmingis unheard off in the coast more so

Matuga division where am servingas a forest extension officer. Whilechallenging you to consider pokingyour nose to this area, I kindly askyou to send me a few copies to dis-tribute them to a number of organizedgroups within the Division some ofwhich I am very closely working with.Please keep it up.

P. O Kibagendi,Divisional Forest Extension Officer,P.O Box 5, Kwale

TOF for East PokotI am interested in receiving your pub-lication titled The Organic Farmer. I ama missionary living in Barpello, EastPokot and have seen a few issues ofyour newspaper which I found veryhelpful. Would you please put me onyour mailing list.My mailing address is:

Sr. Rebecca Janacek,Barpello Catholic Mission,P.O. Box 47, Marigat

Ideal for adultsI congratulate you for continu-ing to inform farmers through yournewspaper. By chance I have come

across your publications thrice. I ama voluntary adult education teacherworking at Njoro division, Ngatalocation. Together with my students,we are small-scale farmers, farmingon a quarter acre farm. The materialsyou publish is ideal to my literacyclass and my immediate community.Therefore, I request to be receiving10 copies of the newspaper and alsothe publications of previous monthswould be of paramount importanceto us if possible. Thank you.

Daniel Gikima,C/o Ngano AIC,P.O Box 110, Njoro

I want to know moreIn good faith I am writing to thankyou for your response to my requestfor backdated copies of July 2006and before. From this, I am gettingsome knowledge, which I am begin-ning to implement practically on thefarm with good results, very humblyplease do me a favour by defining in

very simple language the meaning oforganic farming. I am looking forwardto your more knowledgeable and edu-cative copies magazine. Thanks.

Rev. Jacob Henry Adhinga,P.O Box 37, Butere

Dear Rev. Adhinga,We shall send you by post a copyof an article which tells you insimple words the meaning of

organic farming.Useful for studentsMsingi Bora Club is one of the clubsin Magana Primary School. The clubis engaged in activities that promotecharacter building and better farmingmethods. On behalf of club members,I wish to request you to be sendingus monthly copies of your esteemedand informative issues of The OrganicFarmer. The magazines would beplaced in our school library wherethey will be accessible to all pupilsand nearby farmers. Kindly consideralso sending us previous issues.

Stephen Waweru,

P.O Box 28, Thika

We lack marketOn behalf of my group we are muchinterested in receiving your monthlynewspaper for us to learn more. Wewould request you to assist us inmarketing our farm produce whichwe are growing organically. We have been hearing that there are marketswithin and outside the country. Butour farmers lag behind because weare not aware of it. So assist us toknow more by sending us these mag-azines.

Stephen Marindany, P.O Box, Moiben

Helping the poorI am agricultural extension and edu-cation officer of SMART in West PokotDistrict, semi arid areas of Kenya. Theorganization promotes bio intensive/ organic agriculture in the region. Iam interested in your monthly maga-zine which gives the real gospel onorganic agriculture. This will leadto improved productionin rural

Kenya and the African continent. Irequest to be supplied with monthlycopies of the newspaper so thatthe farmers in my region can get it.

Dismas Weminah Marango, Box 1395Webuye, Kenya. Thanks.

Carrots ready for market

8/3/2019 TOF, Issue 18

8/8

Nr. 18 November 20068 The Organic Farmer

tips and bitsfrom farmers for farmers

Market PlaceGoats for sale: Farming Systems ofKenya, a non-governmental orga-nization working with farmers inNakuru district has 20 female and50 male goats for sale, Farmers inter-ested should get in touch with theorganization at the address givenbelow:Farming Systems Kenya, P.O. Box2816, Nakuru, Tel. 051 2211177 or0722 588 143 Ask for David Gicharuor Joseph Muraya.

Export: A German-based companywould like to buy certified fruitsfrom Kenyan farmers. They wouldlike to buy mangoes, avocadoes,pawpaws and pineapples (Victo-ria baby varieties). Farmers groups

or individuals should be able tosupply a minimum of one tonne perweek. They should also indicatethe seasons when they can deliversupplies. Contact Wachira Waikwa,E-mail: nefshi@yahoo.com

Market for daisies: An organicfarmer Limuru is looking for amarket where he can sell flowersof the daisy variety. He would alsolike to sell his organically producedvegetables.Interested: Alphaxard K. NjorogeP.O.Box 62 Nderu, Limuru.

Beekeeping: I would be grateful ifanyone would send me any informa-tion they may have on organic honeyproduction. I am also interested inexploiting marketing opportuni-ties for organic honey and beeswax.Kindly get in touch with me at thefollowing address: Thomas Carrol,Director of Community Develop-ment, Baraka Agricultural College,P.O. Box 52, Molo, 20106, Tel. 051721310 Fax: 051 721 310E mail: tom@sustainableag.org

Photocopies: In the July issue of TheOrganic Farmer , we advised farmersin need of past issues of the newspa-

per that we were no longer able tosend them these copies because wehad run out of most of the issues. Werepeat here that we can still assistthose of you who need the copiesby making photocopies of the sameand sending them to you. But wecannot do this for free. Any farmerinterested in getting the copies willhave to buy stamps worth Ksh. 350put them in an envelope and send itto us. We will then send the copiesto you. We can make copies of all theissues. Give us your full address.

Contacts: I am producing organicfertilizer and would like to have adatabase of organic farmers locatedin Kiambu, Ruaka. I am farming 2acres bananas and am an organicfarmer. Please contact Silas Mwaura,0722 300610.

In the last issue of The Organic Farmer,we published on this page an articleon a very cheap and easy method toclean drinking water. However, we forgot to mention the Website wherereaders can get more information onthis method (www.sodis.ch). One ofthe scientists behind this water clean-ing method saw the article and wroteus a letter which we reproduce below:

I am pleased to see a nice shortarticle on SODIS (Solar Water Dis-infection) written by Felix MbituMurimi and published on page 8 in

your journal The Organic Farmer Nr.17, Sept/Oct 2006. We would like tothank you for your efforts and thewell written note. On this occasion,we would like to inform you that our

Thank you for the SODIS articleSODIS Lead Agency KWAHO (KenyaWater For Health Organisation) isimplementing large scale SODIS proj-ects in Kibera and Mukuru slumsof Nairobi. Finally, I am pleased toinform you that Elgg, the villagewhere I am living in Switzerlandhas made several donations for theThe Organic Farmer. At the moment,several shops in Elgg sell productsat a slightly higher price to collectmoney for your journal. Congratula-tion for the very practical informa-tion published in The Organic Farmer.

Martin Wegelin,Dept. of Water and Sanitation in DevelopingCountries (Sandec) Eawag,P.O.Box 611, CH-8600 Duebemdorf, Switzerland

Anja Bengelstorff

One of the biggest problems facingorganic marketing in Kenya is lackof a system to authenticate organicproducts. Although most shops claimto be selling organic products, it isoften difficult for them to prove toconsumers that the products werereally organic as they are not labelled.Su Kahumbu, a certified organicfarmer herself, saw this problem anddecided to do something. The resultof her effort is the Organic Shop,which opened its doors to customers

on September 2 this year.Her consumers are mostly from the

middle and upper class and foreign-ers working in Kenya, Su says. Theyhave been educated about the organicconcept in their countries and appre-ciate to find those products here.The news of the shop opening spreadfast, and Su enjoys a steady increasein customers and turnover. So far,the Organic Shop is supplied by twoorganic farmers groups from Gilgiland one group from Wangige who

are already undergoing the certifica-tion process under The Organic FarmerSupport Programme. Among prod-ucts on sale are vegetables, frozenchicken, milk products, differentkinds of jam, and Herbal productsfrom brands such as Meru Herbs aswell as coffee and tea, among others.All products are clearly labelled toshow their organic status and origin,

Shop in Nairobi offers organic products

a departure from other organic foodoutlets in Nairobi

However, Su Kahumbu wouldlike to offer her customers a widervariety of fresh vegetables, includingtomatoes, onions, aubergines, differ-ent types of beans and okra. Thefarmers cannot always deliver whatthey promise, and when they do it isnot always in time to be sold fresh,Su explains. But I am sure thoseare teething problems which we will

be able to overcome with time. Shenevertheless urges farmers who wishto provide the shop with their organicproducts to contact the shop firstbefore they supply anything.

The Organic Shop is open fromMonday to Saturday between 9 amand 5.30 pm. Home delivery is pos-sible. For this service, customers cancall Helen on Tel. 0722-874 172.