Kenya’s potato production has shrunk from 22.4 tons per hectare in 2008 to just 8.4 t/ha in 2022. This is four times lower than the country’s 30 to 40 t/ha production potential. The main culprit for this has been one fungal disease; potato late blight Almost all potato farmers in Kenya rely solely on synthetic …
Kenya’s potato late blight resistance ticking time bomb for Sh50B agri-sector Read More »
The heavy rains experienced across Kenya are driving up fungal infections and fungicide application by farmers. Rains are correlated with an increase in fungal parasites which eat away at crops depleting harvests. Farmers are estimated to lose up to 23 per cent of their crops to fungus annually despite antifungals being widely available. Another 20 …
While E. coli is among the leading causes of illness from the consumption of unsanitary raw vegetables, new evidence shows that diseased or pest-ridden crops have significantly higher levels of the bacteria. There is also growing evidence that it can get into plants making it impossible to get rid by washing or cutting off the …
The continued spread of four potato diseases has led to a 62.5 per cent decrease in Kenya’s per-hectare potato production from 22.4 tons in 2008 to just 8.4 tons in 2022. This is despite the increased availability of improved potato varieties and access to information on the best agriculture practices. With a global average output …
Four diseases decrease Kenya’s potato yield 62%, decimating food security Read More »
First reported in Kenya in 2020, the invasive apple snail has quickly become one of the leading pest concerns for Mwea rice farmers reducing yields by 14 per cent and incomes by 60 per cent. The spread of this highly invasive pest which affects paddy-grown rice could have dire consequences for rice production and food …
Rice snail cuts farmer incomes 60% endangering Kenya’s food security Read More »
While the dangers of eating grains infected with aflatoxins have been well-documented, there is little information on a common occurrence with Kenyan and African farmers in general– consumption of spoilt vegetables and fruits from farms. Fruits and vegetables account for the greatest agricultural loss and waste; 30 per cent of what is produced. In Africa, …
As farmers protest across Europe, blockading cities, smashing through police barricades, and dumping manure, European politicians are falling over themselves to promise increased trade barriers against African food and agriculture imports. But how is it that locking out Kenyan horticulture, South African oranges, and Tanzanian sunflower seeds has become such a burning issue for Africa’s …
Striga hermonthica or the Purple Witchweed is the single most important cause of poor maize yields, particularly in western Kenya, eliminating 60 to 100 per cent of cereal crops. This is because the parasitic plant germinates quickly, and is easily dispersed. Its seeds also withstand extreme conditions and lie dormant in the soil until a …
Factsheet: Understanding and Controlling Striga– Kenya’s cereal killer Read More »
Farmers can control the lethal fusarium wilt disease with a 100 per cent deadly rate by grafting purple and yellow passion plants to obtain a hybrid. The disease, which is caused by a fungus, attacks stems and leaves and causes death of the entire plant within four to 14 days. In Kenya, the disease has led to …
Grafting purple and yellow passion fruit controls lethal fusarium wilt Read More »