Nice sexy concept for nascent industry. Hapa we have tried just about everything so I'm not sure how it would plug in. Take maize. There's no incentive you can throw to make it cheaper/internationally competitive. We import because ours are bloody expensive.
I think what we need is experimenting new stuff
As a Ugandan local brand, our mission has always been to use innovation to empower local entrepreneurs. We are thrilled to expand our community beyond SafeBoda riders to include Kampala's finest street food vendors! #SBFood pic.twitter.com/586uNjW2ga
— SafeBoda (@SafeBoda) March 10, 2020
Nice sexy concept for nascent industry. Hapa we have tried just about everything so I'm not sure how it would plug in. Take maize. There's no incentive you can throw to make it cheaper/internationally competitive. We import because ours are bloody expensive.
I think what we need is experimenting new stuff
Uganda - Kampala - street vendors and hawkers will be expected to have uniforms - I think each division or hawkers sacco should have uniform of certain branding - and the sacco officials should work with City or Town Council - so we do not have chase them like they are criminals
Kampala.
The ordinance further proposes that all traders be given uniforms and specific colors, according to the division they operate from. Vendors in Central division will wear a green uniform, Nakawa blue, Lubaga Orange, Kawempe Red and Makindye division Yellow.
Look here SafeBoda have hawkers - these boda and hawkers - can be organized, be orderly, and they can benefit from loans and live a dignified life - even if their fortunes wont turn around so much.As a Ugandan local brand, our mission has always been to use innovation to empower local entrepreneurs. We are thrilled to expand our community beyond SafeBoda riders to include Kampala's finest street food vendors! #SBFood pic.twitter.com/586uNjW2ga
— SafeBoda (@SafeBoda) March 10, 2020
(http://[tweet]1237259948578557952[/tweet]/photo/1)
Resolving the hasora issues does not even require government funding. Just a common sense regulatory policy. Any business with customers rarely requires loans unless it is for expansion at which point you will get a rentable premise.
In Dar the hawkers clean up their trash from the streets because they are not bothered but in Nairobi they cannot even have a broom or a smal waste bin- they will be arrested for littering/ dumping😂😂😂 Total madness!
Makangas do not want to don their uniforms because once they step out of the vehicle they can be extorted by anybody in the streets.
Land rates and unused land penalties or something of that sort can be increased and ringfenced to be given to farmers.
This would be an easy way of counties and Ruto to hit on the dynasties and help the hustling farmers. It is also likely to free up idle land in the hands of the big landowners who can lease and chop it up. Heck, the rates can be calculated back to 1920 if it will be about vengeance.
But why do we want to add quantity of land under farming; while our productivity is 5 times less than Asia or Europe. Using the current land under cultivation - we can improve the agriculture 5 times - by simply applying 5 times the fertilizers - using quality seeds - embracing GMO and applying required pesticides - better agronomy - and of course figuring out the market for all that excess food that will be produced.Land rates and unused land penalties or something of that sort can be increased and ringfenced to be given to farmers.
This would be an easy way of counties and Ruto to hit on the dynasties and help the hustling farmers. It is also likely to free up idle land in the hands of the big landowners who can lease and chop it up. Heck, the rates can be calculated back to 1920 if it will be about vengeance.
I would say we work with what we have - if it is land and water- let mwafrika use it to the maximum. Fertilizers costs seem higher than leasing an extra acre of land. We can even ride on the organic higher prices train.
Agreed. I am against gov regulating matatu or hawkers directly - but self-regulation. Therefore the police if they notice certain hawker sacco are floating rules - they punish the saccos. The sacco official therefore should regulate their own.
It's like a company. If Kanjo arrived at our company -and find violation - it doesnt go around chasing everyone in the building - and hunting them down like rats. It simply ask the CEO and they sort the issues.
The same need to happen in informal sector. These SACCOS will become like companies - and these hawkers, mechanics, makangas - become employees of SACCOS - the sacco then regulate them - expelling anyone who doesnt for example follow the rules. The gov if they notice a SACCO is violating - they can be kicked out for say a week - until they improve.
So SACCOS - Uniform of the SACCO - and then SACCOs are given a street - if they are mechanics - they are given an area.Resolving the hasora issues does not even require government funding. Just a common sense regulatory policy. Any business with customers rarely requires loans unless it is for expansion at which point you will get a rentable premise.
In Dar the hawkers clean up their trash from the streets because they are not bothered but in Nairobi they cannot even have a broom or a smal waste bin- they will be arrested for littering/ dumping😂😂😂 Total madness!
Makangas do not want to don their uniforms because once they step out of the vehicle they can be extorted by anybody in the streets.
Precisely. It just needs a presidential that there should be no police talking to matatu drivers na baas. Just like we take our criminal cases to police - it should be the case with matatus, bars, hawkers. Get these leeches of the back of these enterprises and they will use the money to improve services, scale up, integrate innovations and formalize.
Yes I think laws just need to change. The police should deal with SACCO officials. This need to be codified into law. We need to go for group or sacco punishment. So basically those hawkers become employers or member of SACCO complete with uniform and badge. The police if they find violation - should go to SACCO office. These SACCO should also get gov funding to improve say on hygiene standards, these uniforms can be funded free from gov, etc. And then SACCOs can compete like Matatus do. Each Sacco competing - but no makanga or driver should be arrested except for clearly criminal individual responsibility kind of crime - SACCO itself should get banned or punished for business kind of rules.Precisely. It just needs a presidential that there should be no police talking to matatu drivers na baas. Just like we take our criminal cases to police - it should be the case with matatus, bars, hawkers. Get these leeches of the back of these enterprises and they will use the money to improve services, scale up, integrate innovations and formalize.
These businesses make money. The extortion fees are enough for the upgrades, the uniforms, paying offices and daily remittances as is already happening with matatus. In the boda boda where there are no saccos, they are being milked by hire purchase guys who give them the motor bikes and they pay a daily fee taking 9-12 months.
There are enough laws but no one is bold to call off the traffic police and kanjo extortionists.
Ruto is a piece of shit, no original idea. I listen to him and want to weep, he is a dumb mwizi.
Look at fertilizer application in kenya - it stuck or even regressing. And this key to unlock agriculture - gov need to subsidize fertilizers - from now 3500 per 50bag to 1,000 - and then import 5 times more - and agriculture gdp will move from 25B to 100B dollars
What will be cost of fertilizer subsidy programme of such magnitude....
KTDA import nearly 1/5 of all the fertilizers - about 100K metric tonnes - out of the roughly 500K metric tonnes being imported in the country
"KTDA Management Services Ltd imported 95,937 metric tonnes (1,918,734 bags) of NPK 26:5:5 fertilizer valued at Kshs. 3.822 Billion on behalf of 619,637 small-scale tea farmers and some multinational companies. The fertilizer has been distributed through the 69 KTDA-managed tea factories in Kenya."
Now that tell you total fertilizer imports to kenya - is mere 20B Kshs.
To raise that 5 times - gov will need to spend 80Bkshs - but because farmers will buy say at 1,000 per bag (spending almost the same amount now - but getting 5 bags instead of 1) - gov need to spend 80B minus 20B.
A fertlizer subsidy programme of 60B kshs - that is just 600M dollars - can generate 100B dollars (with other factors).
So give and take - subsidize quality seeds and pesticides - you can spend 1B dollars consisting of 600m on fertilizers, 400m in other aspects such as seeds/pesticide - and generate 100B dollars.
With lots of food generated - animal feeds, poutry, dairy - will become profitable.
And with that agro-processing will make sense - so you can similarly lift manufacturing.
https://africafertilizer.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Kenya-Fertilizer-Statistics-Overview-2015.pdf
Subsidies won't work. They promote laziness, are a disincentive against efficiency as long as target market is local.
Subsidizing only means shifting partial cost of a product from the consumer to the public. If a farmer can't buy inputs at the market rate, farm and turn a profit, they should shift to other economic activity. Government involvement in agriculture is what has hampered market driven growth. NCPB should be immediately be relegated to warehousing only. There's a reason why there's no farmers owned flour company, yet Maize is far more easier to process and market unlike milk for example.
There are two things that you've overlooking. Large portion of kenyans are farmers - NOT BY CHOICE - but because they have no other option. There are at least 8m poor farmers in kenya - who can never afford farm inputs - they rely on almost zero fertilizers - bad seeds - and this will continue - and they will remain poor.Secondly it's proven by fertilizer application will increase yield - double application - will nearly double the yields.NCPB farmers aren't poor just pampered inefficient farmers. The subsistence farmer can use organic fertilizers to increase yields, then grow to afford chemical fertilizers. The productivity increment for a subsistence farmer use of chemical fertilizer vs organic is marginal. Its the same reason why David ndii is advocating for use of charcoal for the poor as bridge to electricity or gas.
So it's Productivity cum Poverty (social investment) - I believe this essence of the bottom up economy - deliberate intervention as opposed to policy intervention that hopefully trickle down.
We either give them low interest loans or we subsidize fertilizers - and bring it to the floor - and hope everyone can afford it. But we are doing so badly - we need to increase fertilizer application at least 5 times - in the short term - and 10 times in the medium term.
Maize milling - there is a literally a posho mill in every hamlet - the overcapacity is incredible - unless you mean the urban market - otherwise staple food flour milling in kenya is a non-issues.Subsidizing only means shifting partial cost of a product from the consumer to the public. If a farmer can't buy inputs at the market rate, farm and turn a profit, they should shift to other economic activity. Government involvement in agriculture is what has hampered market driven growth. NCPB should be immediately be relegated to warehousing only. There's a reason why there's no farmers owned flour company, yet Maize is far more easier to process and market unlike milk for example.
NCPB farmers aren't poor just pampered inefficient farmers. The subsistence farmer can use organic fertilizers to increase yields, then grow to afford chemical fertilizers. The productivity increment for a subsistence farmer use of chemical fertilizer vs organic is marginal. Its the same reason why David ndii is advocating for use of charcoal for the poor as bridge to electricity or gas.
Milk is also hawked in every hamlet since independence. The point is farmers owned milling/packaging/branding company would drive increase in productivity downstream. It's the reason why Githunguri, meru and mukurweini dairy farmers are some of the most productive in the country.
Polemics. Subsidizing inputs will work. Subsidizing seeds or fertilizer will work. It worked under Ruto. Subsidizing Ugali is a problem. Like now fuel subsidy thing - they are running out of money.
You can invest 1B dollars in agri to generate 100B.
Or you can try to subsidize Ugali - and get nowhere.
Look at Netherland - small country - of merely 2 million hectares - that applies 10 times of our fertilizer. They export nearly 100B dollars of agriclutural products.
This a very low hanging fruit.Subsidies won't work. They promote laziness, are a disincentive against efficiency as long as target market is local.
You don't need to subsidize ugali, just open import floodgates and ugali will cost a fraction.
Instant uppercut to inflation.
Look at fertilizer application in kenya - it stuck or even regressing. And this key to unlock agriculture - gov need to subsidize fertilizers - from now 3500 per 50bag to 1,000 - and then import 5 times more - and agriculture gdp will move from 25B to 100B dollars
What will be cost of fertilizer subsidy programme of such magnitude....
KTDA import nearly 1/5 of all the fertilizers - about 100K metric tonnes - out of the roughly 500K metric tonnes being imported in the country
"KTDA Management Services Ltd imported 95,937 metric tonnes (1,918,734 bags) of NPK 26:5:5 fertilizer valued at Kshs. 3.822 Billion on behalf of 619,637 small-scale tea farmers and some multinational companies. The fertilizer has been distributed through the 69 KTDA-managed tea factories in Kenya."
Now that tell you total fertilizer imports to kenya - is mere 20B Kshs.
To raise that 5 times - gov will need to spend 80Bkshs - but because farmers will buy say at 1,000 per bag (spending almost the same amount now - but getting 5 bags instead of 1) - gov need to spend 80B minus 20B.
A fertlizer subsidy programme of 60B kshs - that is just 600M dollars - can generate 100B dollars (with other factors).
So give and take - subsidize quality seeds and pesticides - you can spend 1B dollars consisting of 600m on fertilizers, 400m in other aspects such as seeds/pesticide - and generate 100B dollars.
With lots of food generated - animal feeds, poutry, dairy - will become profitable.
And with that agro-processing will make sense - so you can similarly lift manufacturing.
https://africafertilizer.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Kenya-Fertilizer-Statistics-Overview-2015.pdf
Subsidies won't work. They promote laziness, are a disincentive against efficiency as long as target market is local.
Fertilizer are like antibiotics - they kill good nutrients leaving farmers to depend on them every year. In the end there is no nutrients in the foods being produced.
Pundit you've repeated these ideas year after year, but no policy while Ruto has been in high office for twenty plus years.
What makes you think I should believe this will be done in 5yrs?
That I agree entirely.
But I also think the 8M poor farmers without any career options; need help.
We have been unable to help them with blocking imports - and we have many consumers suffering.
So for me open the floodgates
And then assist the farmers to compete.
There is NO MAGIC in agricluture...it just fertilizers, quality seeds and rainfall.
If after giving them 1B dollars shot in the arm - and they are unable to compete with international prizes - then we cannot help themYou don't need to subsidize ugali, just open import floodgates and ugali will cost a fraction.
Instant uppercut to inflation.
There's nothing you can do to bring down the cost of maize to say Uganda's.
As long as they are producing for local market then you may as well let them be and instead buy maize at above market price as NCPB which you then resell to millers.
International soko is a new ball game where you don't get to set prices.
Fertilizer are like antibiotics - they kill good nutrients leaving farmers to depend on them every year. In the end there is no nutrients in the foods being produced.
Pundit you've repeated these ideas year after year, but no policy while Ruto has been in high office for twenty plus years.
What makes you think I should believe this will be done in 5yrs?
Kula tano you showing ecological know how.
Fertiliziers are 19th century mistake.
21st century will be about taking care of soil microbes which give soil nutrients. Fertilizers kill soil microorganisms.
Uasin Gishu used to be one of the most fertile areas and the breadbasket of Kenya's its soils are turning barren yields decreasing dramatically because of overapplication of chemical fertilizers burning the soil, pure acid and salt.
He loves running his mouth about shit he doesn't know anything about.
Subsidies are a time bomb, they destroy countries, hard to withdraw even after the stated goal has been achieved.
He is having wet dreams about Ruto presidency that will not be, a world of make believe.
Boy will be utterly shattered mentally this time next year.
I think we are not talking about the same farmers. If you're talking small scale commercial farming like you see in Eldoret or Kericho or Kitale - those ones are okayish - they just need small incentive - NCPB to be reformed. They need KFA that is working - a farmers bank - that can lend along the season. They need low cost loans...and they will apply enough fertilizers, buy quality seeds, pesticides and are almost as good as any maize farmer in the world.The 8m poor farmers if they were farming the ideal crops for their area would do just fine or atleast improve their lot. Bungoma, vihiga or Embu can focus on legumes. There's a ready market for legumes in North Eastern and kenya in general. Kitui had produced ndengu successfully.
Some have grown to milling - like Kili's in Eldoret.
Now move on to 8M POOR REALLY SMALLHOLDER FARMING
I am talking 8m farmers in vihiga, bungoma, gusii, embu, bomet - these are farmers - who own 1-2 acres of land. These are farming model I am talking about.
Oneacrefund has been successfully in part of western kenya - and gov need to adopt such a model
Listen to OnAcreFund founder.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=wlR1ojoiue0&feature=emb_logoNCPB farmers aren't poor just pampered inefficient farmers. The subsistence farmer can use organic fertilizers to increase yields, then grow to afford chemical fertilizers. The productivity increment for a subsistence farmer use of chemical fertilizer vs organic is marginal. Its the same reason why David ndii is advocating for use of charcoal for the poor as bridge to electricity or gas.
Milk is also hawked in every hamlet since independence. The point is farmers owned milling/packaging/branding company would drive increase in productivity downstream. It's the reason why Githunguri, meru and mukurweini dairy farmers are some of the most productive in the country.
The 8m poor farmers if they were farming the ideal crops for their area would do just fine or atleast improve their lot. Bungoma, vihiga or Embu can focus on legumes. There's a ready market for legumes in North Eastern and kenya in general. Kitui had produced ndengu successfully.
Instead of offering subsidized loan, treasury should work to lower interest rates for everyone. A farmer should easily walk to the nearest bank and borrow, after all farming is an economic endeavor just like any other.
But Ruto did it under Ministry of Kilimo - before Raila got jealous and demoted him to Min of Higher education.He also banned export of raw nuts, killing the cashew nuts industry in coast. And also deprived macadamia farmers higher gate prices for macadamia as the foreign buyers were deported.
He delivered in Min of Higher Education - they fired him to stay at home.
Ruto delivered in Jubilee 1.0 - Uhuru got jealous and fired him. Now he unable to even print HUDUMA number and Big 4 is totally zero. BBI ndio hiyo found with 20 fatal errors. They cannot do nothing - while Jubilee 1.0 broke the record by increasing their votes while running as incumbent
Ruto was so good as Ass min under Moi - he was allowed to sit in Cabinet. Ruto just has never failed to deliver on a given job...he expend energy and commitmentand get stuff done.
Now Ruto as PORK - many of these common sense ideas will be EXECUTED. Ruto knows how to get stuff done. We do not need MAGICAL ideas - we just need to do common sense stuff - that works - SACCOs - Fertilizers - etc.
Under his kilimo tenure
Fertilizers were so cheap - they used to be re-sold to uganda by corrupt gangs - and we got maize surplus.
Ruto is also a farmer himself.
My father was not a Ruto fan - but in 2009 - they went and saw Ruto - and he fixed their tea problem instantly - he just picked a phone and told KTDA to f.off and my father /others were able to sell their tea to James Finlay and my village totally changed in 5yrs as people became rich -
Ruto use to reserve wednesday to see people and fix their issues. Simple stuff like picking a phone and reading riot act to stupid people in gov - can change a lot.Fertilizer are like antibiotics - they kill good nutrients leaving farmers to depend on them every year. In the end there is no nutrients in the foods being produced.
Pundit you've repeated these ideas year after year, but no policy while Ruto has been in high office for twenty plus years.
What makes you think I should believe this will be done in 5yrs?
He also banned export of raw nuts, killing the cashew nuts industry in coast. And also deprived macadamia farmers higher gate prices for macadamia as the foreign buyers were deported.
Subsidized fertilizer distorts cost of production and farmers never really increase productivity cause they're solely dependent on cheap fertilizer. Even worse the subsidy is shouldered by the public.
No, farming cannot work like commercial banks. Farm loans need to follow farming seasons. This not a shop keeper who will be in business everyday. This an activity that start with farming and end with harvesting. People need inputs in planting period - and then grace period - until harvestig.Actually local banks have Agriculture division that supposed to lend to farmers, coop, kcb and equity. The loans are specifically structured for agriculture. The 8m subsistence farmers don't they farm mainly for their own consumption? If that's the case, the primary objective would be to find out what economic activity they can engage in that's commercially viable.
KFA then KGGCU before it became privatized use to work really well - and many farmers were successfully.
What we need now is KFA that is public - the other one is private - or gov to acquire KFA - and make it big.
KFA - should offer farm input loans and crop insurance around the farming calender - and should be everywhere.
Safaricom has digifarm thing that is working somewhat.
These 8M people are not sophisticated enough to go to bank - take a loan - and do all that. They are mostly illiterates. They need to be given fertilizers - and after harvesting - the money is deducted - if crop failed due to rain - crop insurance deal with that.The 8m poor farmers if they were farming the ideal crops for their area would do just fine or atleast improve their lot. Bungoma, vihiga or Embu can focus on legumes. There's a ready market for legumes in North Eastern and kenya in general. Kitui had produced ndengu successfully.
Instead of offering subsidized loan, treasury should work to lower interest rates for everyone. A farmer should easily walk to the nearest bank and borrow, after all farming is an economic endeavor just like any other.
Actually local banks have Agriculture division that supposed to lend to farmers, coop, kcb and equity. The loans are specifically structured for agriculture. The 8m subsistence farmers don't they farm mainly for their own consumption? If that's the case, the primary objective would be to find out what economic activity they can engage in that's commercially viable.
For example, Wakulima dairy in Nyeri provides farmers with everything they need to run a household its then deducted from their milk earnings. The farmer can then focus on dairy farming.
Post Ruto reforms - see how Kenya has risen in MacademiaThat has nothing to do with Ruto. This was underway, just like dairy farming exploded in Githunguri after collapse of coffee industry. Macadamia and avocado farming are the alternative or supplement of coffee farming. https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/big-read/2018-08-17-meru-macadamia-farmers-want-to-sell-their-nuts-to-chinese/ . Even the biggest macadamia producer Australia hasn't banned export of raw nuts.
(https://p0.ipstatp.com/large/005adec86d4680a3a563)He also banned export of raw nuts, killing the cashew nuts industry in coast. And also deprived macadamia farmers higher gate prices for macadamia as the foreign buyers were deported.
Subsidized fertilizer distorts cost of production and farmers never really increase productivity cause they're solely dependent on cheap fertilizer. Even worse the subsidy is shouldered by the public.
That has nothing to do with Ruto. This was underway, just like dairy farming exploded in Githunguri after collapse of coffee industry. Macadamia and avocado farming are the alternative or supplement of coffee farming. https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/big-read/2018-08-17-meru-macadamia-farmers-want-to-sell-their-nuts-to-chinese/ . Even the biggest macadamia producer Australia hasn't banned export of raw nuts.
Pure nonsense. Without fertilizers, the world would not have been able to support 7B people. Fertilizers application is through the roof outside Africa - and their agriculture thrives.
Fertilizers do not take nutrients away - how is that even possible when Nitrogen is freely available in the air. We are doing 15kilos -while Egypt is doing 500kilos per hectare...and now we are importing 1.5B dollars worth of food...more if you include palm oil...and you think subsidy wont work? While we are sending 1.5B dollars every year abroad to import food we can produce?
Results from long-term experiments have shown that continuous use of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides only ensures short term gains in production, but fails to give high yields sustainably in the long-term owing to declining soil fertility as demand for nutrients exceed natural replenishment mechanisms, especially where high yielding varieties are used,” says Dr Anne Muriuki, Centre director KALRO Kabete and technical coordinator of the organic farming trials.
what takes nutrient away from soil is useless crops like sugar cane and tobbaco - those are the ones that have sucked up nyanza and western soil. And the soil require heavy dosage of fertilizers to replenish their nutrients.
If there is a problem in places like Eldoret - it soil acidity - and it just need dosage of lime - from Koru.
Next agricluture - cannot be done organic old stone age way - we have to go scientific - do soil testing - and apply the required dossage of fertilizers and chemicals - and voila we are food sufficent - and can export lot more food.
So the problem you have is prices?Price affects future production. The chinese were offering ksh. 50 more than the local buyers, 42500000*50=2.1b , so basically farmers lost 2b in 2018. Basically the policy was very simple ban export of raw nuts depressing local prices, while having a backdoor to export raw nuts priced at "international prices". As a result a macadamia cartel was created headed by Thika mp. wainanaina jungle nuts.
What I know - Ruto most likely found such policy document - and he went ahead to implement - gov has many ideas - but nobody execute them
Seem production wise it's growing meaning farmers are not dampened by banning of raw export
Kenya’s macadamia production increased rapidly during the last decade, from around 11,000 tonnes nut-in-shell (NIS) production in 2009 to 42,500 tonnes in 2018. Kenya’s Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) estimates that, with increased acreage under the crop, production will reach 60,000 tonnes NIS by 2022. That would constitute an increase by around 40 percent from the production achieved in 2018.That has nothing to do with Ruto. This was underway, just like dairy farming exploded in Githunguri after collapse of coffee industry. Macadamia and avocado farming are the alternative or supplement of coffee farming. https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/big-read/2018-08-17-meru-macadamia-farmers-want-to-sell-their-nuts-to-chinese/ . Even the biggest macadamia producer Australia hasn't banned export of raw nuts.
Pure nonsense. Without fertilizers, the world would not have been able to support 7B people. Fertilizers application is through the roof outside Africa - and their agriculture thrives.
True, we would have been at 3 bn people max. Synthetic fertilizers have serious drawbacks which the world is awakening to.
1. Cost - inorganic fertilizers are obtained from fossil fuels which are imported and manufactured in energy intensive industries.
2. Serious ecological damage - algal blooms and ocean dead zones, acid rain, greenhouse gases such nitrous oxide, they pollute drinking water, etc
3. Soil fertility is compromised in the long run, you get spikes in yield but it is short lived and you require even more fertilizers to get the same yield every year. This is because inorganic fertilizers kill soil microorganisms which are essential for healthy plant growth - if soil life is vibrant you need not fertilizers and biocides. Plants will be healthy naturally. Nature has evolved an elegant system of growth for plants before industrial fertilizers were invented. Read about the dangers of fertilizers below.
https://amosinstitute.com/blog/the-health-impacts-of-chemical-fertilizers/
Agriculture is not thriving by any stretch. Soils are dying around the world due to combination of ploughing, heavy application of inorganic fertilizers, monoculture/lack of diversity, indiscriminate use of biocides, irrigation. Fertilizers are papering over serious faults temporarily but nature is undefeated, it always wins. Topsoil is being lost at alarming rate due to current agricultural practices.Fertilizers do not take nutrients away - how is that even possible when Nitrogen is freely available in the air. We are doing 15kilos -while Egypt is doing 500kilos per hectare...and now we are importing 1.5B dollars worth of food...more if you include palm oil...and you think subsidy wont work? While we are sending 1.5B dollars every year abroad to import food we can produce?
The nitrogen that is in the air which is fixed by bacteria aka organic nitrogen is different in kind and quantity from the inorganic nitrogen gotten via industrial process - Haber Bosch, from fossil fuels. If you don't know that get up to speed.QuoteResults from long-term experiments have shown that continuous use of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides only ensures short term gains in production, but fails to give high yields sustainably in the long-term owing to declining soil fertility as demand for nutrients exceed natural replenishment mechanisms, especially where high yielding varieties are used,” says Dr Anne Muriuki, Centre director KALRO Kabete and technical coordinator of the organic farming trials.what takes nutrient away from soil is useless crops like sugar cane and tobbaco - those are the ones that have sucked up nyanza and western soil. And the soil require heavy dosage of fertilizers to replenish their nutrients.
If there is a problem in places like Eldoret - it soil acidity - and it just need dosage of lime - from Koru.
Ukabila hata kwa kilimo, Ngai, ati useless crops, ile jeuri unayo. Your take is scientifically wrong. The same poor agricultural practices are destroying soils across this country, soils have no nutrients especially trace minerals, no carbon.Next agricluture - cannot be done organic old stone age way - we have to go scientific - do soil testing - and apply the required dossage of fertilizers and chemicals - and voila we are food sufficent - and can export lot more food.
Organic agriculture is not enough, we need regenerative agriculture. We had agriculture that was organic for the last 10,000 years and the results haven't been good.
Price affects future production. The chinese were offering ksh. 50 more than the local buyers, 42500000*50=2.1b , so basically farmers lost 2b in 2018. Basically the policy was very simple ban export of raw nuts depressing local prices, while having a backdoor to export raw nuts priced at "international prices". As a result a macadamia cartel was created headed by Thika mp. wainanaina jungle nuts.
The reality is that production growth has slowed while avocado production has exploded .
I have no problem if gov listen to people and reverse certain policies - but all sides of the coin need to be considered.There hasn't been new macadamia processor since the ban. The likes of jungle existed before the ban. The ban barely increased local jobs because macadamia needs processing before export(cleaning and removing moisture). The ban only added cracking and vacuum packing . Meanwhile farmers lost 2b, farmers would have bought vated and excise taxed goods indirectly paying taxes more than the measly paye paid by a few processors employees.
Macadamia processing is not a monopoly and with the ban - we have seen more processors - and likes of Jungle - are also creating jobs and more value chain for KRA and all. We need people like Ruto brave enough to ban export of Kenya or coffee premium tea...that is blended...and sold as Lipton tea or whatever. Nobody even know Kenya grow the best tea or coffee...the charltans buy it...mix with poor quality teas worldwide..and pass it as their own.
We get into a situation where agricluture grows - but taxes regress - because sector is untaxed - so gov has to fix agro-processing - once they fix agri part.
Gov has to exercise certain level of control and regulation. We saw Avacados get into problem. I have bought kenya avacados abroad...and they were mostly immature. Most in Europe I hear prefer to buy from Kakuzi only. Now horticulture board is regulating closely. We have the same problem with nuts - poor quality nuts.Price affects future production. The chinese were offering ksh. 50 more than the local buyers, 42500000*50=2.1b , so basically farmers lost 2b in 2018. Basically the policy was very simple ban export of raw nuts depressing local prices, while having a backdoor to export raw nuts priced at "international prices". As a result a macadamia cartel was created headed by Thika mp. wainanaina jungle nuts.
The reality is that production growth has slowed while avocado production has exploded .
There hasn't been new macadamia processor since the ban. The likes of jungle existed before the ban. The ban barely increased local jobs because macadamia needs processing before export(cleaning and removing moisture). The ban only added cracking and vacuum packing . Meanwhile farmers lost 2b, farmers would have bought vated and excise taxed goods indirectly paying taxes more than the measly paye paid by a few processors employees.
Tea farmers should be thinking of buying a known brand that the likes of nestle are jettisoning. Most of the quality coffee produced in kenya is fresh roasted and brewed in boutique coffee shops. It's not used in instant coffee e.g nescafe. The key is to innovate to make something similar to coffee pods https://www.keurig.com/beverages/c/beverages101 and create a brand especially targeted to new coffee consumers.
Avocado; the horticulture board should have a marketing department with mark of product. Every avocado approved by the KHE would have that mark. This is what the mexican, chilean have done .
The point is banning export of commodities doesn't create value added jobs. To create value added jobs its important to have local marketed brands. Its the reason why EPZ textile jobs have stagnated and Kenya can't even meet AGOA limits.
In commodities where we dominate; we can short-cut that and force the creation of a value chain by banning raw exports;Actually sri lanka hasn't banned export of raw tea. Sri lanka export 45% of its tea in value added form the rest raw. Everyone wants to value add and capture as much of value chain as possible. Arbitrarily banning export of commodities doesn't create value addition especially in commodities that the country doesn't have great leverage. Tax policy, innovation and encouraging creation of brands is how to add value. The tea development board should have a marketing department to market kenya brands internationally. Sri Lanka it has taken them more than 20yrs to create a global brand.
Tea is good candidate for us to simply put down our feet. It's going to be hard to create another market to rival mombasa tea auction. Srilanka did the banning of raw tea export - and everyone now know of Ceylon tea - nobody knows Kenya produces the best tea. Everywhere everyone think tea is either Lipton or Ceylon. And we do not need to create brands - we can force Lipton Tea to do the processing and packaging right here - creating jobs, paying more taxes and the work.
Why do we allow Uniliver to take our raw tea - and multiply it - without adding any real value? Let them move the whole blending, packaging and factories for doing that here....or they can import uganda poor quality tea.
But for other sectors - yes I agree - we need to come up with brands - as we grow production. Coffee can do much more - Uganda is doing 10 times our production and they started recently.
We cannot be comfortable exporting raw materials - even in low hanging fruits - like agro-processing.
Jobs creation is not just about PAYE. Farmers are educating kids -exporting raw materials - and expect their kids to get jobs where? If they do not create a value-chain that would multiply jobs?
And we should not be afraid of losing 2B in short term - if in the medium and long term - we will grow an entire industry and value chain.There hasn't been new macadamia processor since the ban. The likes of jungle existed before the ban. The ban barely increased local jobs because macadamia needs processing before export(cleaning and removing moisture). The ban only added cracking and vacuum packing . Meanwhile farmers lost 2b, farmers would have bought vated and excise taxed goods indirectly paying taxes more than the measly paye paid by a few processors employees.
Tea farmers should be thinking of buying a known brand that the likes of nestle are jettisoning. Most of the quality coffee produced in kenya is fresh roasted and brewed in boutique coffee shops. It's not used in instant coffee e.g nescafe. The key is to innovate to make something similar to coffee pods https://www.keurig.com/beverages/c/beverages101 and create a brand especially targeted to new coffee consumers.
Avocado; the horticulture board should have a marketing department with mark of product. Every avocado approved by the KHE would have that mark. This is what the mexican, chilean have done .
The point is banning export of commodities doesn't create value added jobs. To create value added jobs its important to have local marketed brands. Its the reason why EPZ textile jobs have stagnated and Kenya can't even meet AGOA limits.
Actually sri lanka hasn't banned export of raw tea. Sri lanka export 45% of its tea in value added form the rest raw. Everyone wants to value add and capture as much of value chain as possible. Arbitrarily banning export of commodities doesn't create value addition especially in commodities that the country doesn't have great leverage. Tax policy, innovation and encouraging creation of brands is how to add value. The tea development board should have a marketing department to market kenya brands internationally. Sri Lanka it has taken them more than 20yrs to create a global brand.
HK reading a tea factory feasibility done in 2009 - near my homeAdding value is what every commodity producer is aiming for. Banning raw export is populist but does little to address the underlying impediments to value addition.
Can you imagine kenya tea locally sold is more expensive that rubbish export
The current market price for processed tea is Ksh 280/= per kilogram in the local
market and Ksh 220/= for export
Heck look at Ketepa - cheapest kenyans buy is 1000 per kilo plus - while we are exporting for 200shs
https://www.jumia.co.ke/ketepa/
Modern day slavery - we are struggling to sell a kilo for 200shs to pampered foreign buyers - tea farmers themselves cannot buy half a kilo for that
Adding value is what every commodity producer is aiming for. Banning raw export is populist but does little to address the underlying impediments to value addition.
https://stir-tea-coffee.com/tea-report/kenya%E2%80%99s-tea-taxes/
It adds to levies that are small in absolute terms but a heavy burden in a sector operating on thin margins. A 12% VAT is charged for tea sold and consumed locally. A 1% levy on tea traded at the Mombasa auctions is not incurred by foreign sellers. This means they can price their goods lower than Kenyan growers and packers even where the quality is lower. The Mombasa auction is the world’s largest and ten tea producing nations bring their goods to it.
This is part of the obstacles. Nobody is against value addition, the question is how to. Sri lanka had some serious entrepreneurs also who have propelled the industry. KTDA doesn't have the wherewithal, expertise or risk tolerance. Gold crown beverages seems to be doing it https://www.wsj.com/articles/kenyan-tea-a-reliable-export-brews-a-market-at-home-1488796208
Explain to me why kenya cannot use it market dominance in black tea to force packers, blenders and brands to create value-chain?And where would farmers take their tea if the buyers withdrew from auction? Its not like the farmers have great option either. Solution either buy existing global brand e.g lipton https://www.wsj.com/articles/tea-giant-weighs-giving-up-on-tea-11580380902 or create a global brand. Already uniliver wants to exit the business so imagine forcing them to value addd in kenya.
Recently we forced a reserve price - I see market had no option but accept it. They cannot find alternative black tea.
Kenya now produce about 560K tonnes of tea...that is more than all the 9 countries.
Our competitor would be both China and India at 1.5m-2m - but they can hardly fulfil their market demand.
we should negotiate....we put our foot down...and global brand already existing will shift their operation to kenya.
Why cant these global brands package the tea in Mombasa? Why wont Uniliver not build their factory in Mombasa?Adding value is what every commodity producer is aiming for. Banning raw export is populist but does little to address the underlying impediments to value addition.
https://stir-tea-coffee.com/tea-report/kenya%E2%80%99s-tea-taxes/
It adds to levies that are small in absolute terms but a heavy burden in a sector operating on thin margins. A 12% VAT is charged for tea sold and consumed locally. A 1% levy on tea traded at the Mombasa auctions is not incurred by foreign sellers. This means they can price their goods lower than Kenyan growers and packers even where the quality is lower. The Mombasa auction is the world’s largest and ten tea producing nations bring their goods to it.
This is part of the obstacles. Nobody is against value addition, the question is how to. Sri lanka had some serious entrepreneurs also who have propelled the industry. KTDA doesn't have the wherewithal, expertise or risk tolerance. Gold crown beverages seems to be doing it https://www.wsj.com/articles/kenyan-tea-a-reliable-export-brews-a-market-at-home-1488796208
And where would farmers take their tea if the buyers withdrew from auction? Its not like the farmers have great option either. Solution either buy existing global brand e.g lipton https://www.wsj.com/articles/tea-giant-weighs-giving-up-on-tea-11580380902 or create a global brand. Already uniliver wants to exit the business so imagine forcing them to value addd in kenya.
Yes we better buy it. This how gov can assist farmers. Unless value chain is built here - we will become slaves of export market. I believe where we have market dominance - we should make it work.
Surely if kenyans can afford to buy dust - for more 1,000 ksh - why are we selling premium tea abroad for 190-300shs?
We surely talk to other countries - and all coordinate to ban export of unpacked tea. What is complicated about branding and packaging tea - and we start selling them for 10-20usd instead of 2 dollars - that is like 10 times more value. Most of difficult manufacturing we do here.....it just branding, marketting and the works.
Let us start to build Brand KENYA - through our tea.And where would farmers take their tea if the buyers withdrew from auction? Its not like the farmers have great option either. Solution either buy existing global brand e.g lipton https://www.wsj.com/articles/tea-giant-weighs-giving-up-on-tea-11580380902 or create a global brand. Already uniliver wants to exit the business so imagine forcing them to value addd in kenya.
Explain to me why kenya cannot use it market dominance in black tea to force packers, blenders and brands to create value-chain?And where would farmers take their tea if the buyers withdrew from auction? Its not like the farmers have great option either. Solution either buy existing global brand e.g lipton https://www.wsj.com/articles/tea-giant-weighs-giving-up-on-tea-11580380902 or create a global brand. Already uniliver wants to exit the business so imagine forcing them to value addd in kenya.
Recently we forced a reserve price - I see market had no option but accept it. They cannot find alternative black tea.
Kenya now produce about 560K tonnes of tea...that is more than all the 9 countries.
Our competitor would be both China and India at 1.5m-2m - but they can hardly fulfil their market demand.
we should negotiate....we put our foot down...and global brand already existing will shift their operation to kenya.
Why cant these global brands package the tea in Mombasa? Why wont Uniliver not build their factory in Mombasa?Adding value is what every commodity producer is aiming for. Banning raw export is populist but does little to address the underlying impediments to value addition.
https://stir-tea-coffee.com/tea-report/kenya%E2%80%99s-tea-taxes/
It adds to levies that are small in absolute terms but a heavy burden in a sector operating on thin margins. A 12% VAT is charged for tea sold and consumed locally. A 1% levy on tea traded at the Mombasa auctions is not incurred by foreign sellers. This means they can price their goods lower than Kenyan growers and packers even where the quality is lower. The Mombasa auction is the world’s largest and ten tea producing nations bring their goods to it.
This is part of the obstacles. Nobody is against value addition, the question is how to. Sri lanka had some serious entrepreneurs also who have propelled the industry. KTDA doesn't have the wherewithal, expertise or risk tolerance. Gold crown beverages seems to be doing it https://www.wsj.com/articles/kenyan-tea-a-reliable-export-brews-a-market-at-home-1488796208
Yes we better buy it. This how gov can assist farmers. Unless value chain is built here - we will become slaves of export market. I believe where we have market dominance - we should make it work.
Surely if kenyans can afford to buy dust - for more 1,000 ksh - why are we selling premium tea abroad for 190-300shs?
We surely talk to other countries - and all coordinate to ban export of unpacked tea. What is complicated about branding and packaging tea - and we start selling them for 10-20usd instead of 2 dollars - that is like 10 times more value. Most of difficult manufacturing we do here.....it just branding, marketting and the works.
Let us start to build Brand KENYA - through our tea.And where would farmers take their tea if the buyers withdrew from auction? Its not like the farmers have great option either. Solution either buy existing global brand e.g lipton https://www.wsj.com/articles/tea-giant-weighs-giving-up-on-tea-11580380902 or create a global brand. Already uniliver wants to exit the business so imagine forcing them to value addd in kenya.
Little Rwanda did it with coffee but Kenya can't do it.
Maajabu ya Musa
Something is wrong with this country.
You are right. Right policies can create good business environments. A ten year tax incentive, starting at 0 tax the first few years, can incentivize businesses to add value before export instead of outright banning exports. Farmers lost because they had nobody to buy their crop.
Even tea processing can take the same approach, starting with coops. S. Korea does it and they make good cash. But they dont get tax subsidies.
Which is that Rwandese coffee brand?
Little Rwanda did it with coffee but Kenya can't do it.
Maajabu ya Musa
Something is wrong with this country.
Why are we being nice? The tea packers should pack their tea here in small packages, blend here and write a big made in kenya; and pay the taxes here; There is no processing they are going to add in their country. It's like Toyota allowing us to import their cars - and stick a made in kenya badge.Have you looked at cost of production in Kenya? I mean from regulation compliance, taxes to logistics etc. This are the factors to consider for multinationals. Banning export without addressing the obstacles is really shortsighted. The price would immediately collapse without buyers. BTW, farmers need to create their own brand e.g ocean spray or sunkist , otherwise even if private corporations setup in kenya and create a global brand, farmers wouldn't benefit.
(http://newsofasia.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/BF-AO761A_KENYA_9U_20170302161507.jpg)
Have you looked at cost of production in Kenya? I mean from regulation compliance, taxes to logistics etc. This are the factors to consider for multinationals. Banning export without addressing the obstacles is really shortsighted. The price would immediately collapse without buyers. BTW, farmers need to create their own brand e.g ocean spray or sunkist , otherwise even if private corporations setup in kenya and create a global brand, farmers wouldn't benefit.
Which is that Rwandese coffee brand?
Rwandan entrepreneur dared to dream big and now he is taking his Coffee Brand Global!This is single origin coffee company that buy green beans in Rwanda, roast and package in america. There several Kenya immigrants owned companies like this in america e.g kikwetu, kahawa 1893. Hell even Waiguru opened a coffee shop in new york. Bottomline all these companies roast and package their coffee in America not in Rwanda or Kenya. And all of them sell less than 20 tonnes of coffee annually.