Managing fruit flies Focus: Oserian, Xpressions Flora Strawberry

Transcription

Issue No. 13
September - October 2010
KSH 250, USD $3
●
●
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KCB Naivasha Horticultural Fair 2010
Selling in Japan
War on counterfeits
Managing fruit flies
Focus: Oserian, Xpressions Flora
Strawberry farming
www.kenyaflowercouncil.org / www.hortnews.co.ke
Asian�Fruit�Fly�Management
In�2009�Taiwan�ICDF�commissioned�a�research�project�to�GlobalHort on�the�
Asian�Fruit�Fly.�These�emerging�and�invasive�fly�species�cause�enormous�damage�on�tropical�
fruits�and�more�recently�on�vegetables�like�melons�and�other�cucurbits.�This�justifies�a�
global�approach�based�on�public�private�partnership�and�integrated�pest�management.�The�
Asian�Institute�of�Technology�is�coordinating�this�2�year�regional�project.
GlobalHort is an international consortium for the promotion of innovation in
Global Horticulture Initiative
horticulture, with a pro-poor vision. Its constituencies are its members, and it is
Call�for�proposals�in�2009
an open initiative: visit www.globalhort .org and contact us!
Recipes for Success
From�this�successful�call�and�severe�selection�from�GlobalHort
Secretariat,�one�project�proposal�has�been�granted�focusing�on�
Health�and�Nutrition.�“Recipes�for�Success”�is�coordinated�by�
“INNOVATION IN HORTICULTURE
Crops�For�the�Future�and�involves�three�countries�in�West�and�
FOR HEALTH AND PROSPERITY”
East�Africa.�It�is�granted�for�one�year�and�additional�funding�is�
GlobalHort is an international consortium
one�expected�output�of�its�work�plan.
for the promotion of innovation in
horticulture, with a public-private
partnership approach.
Facilitating�capacity�building�and�knowledge�management
Core activities
•
Promotes and advocates horticulture
The�concept�of�regional�innovation�platforms
for development
CORIPHA
•
Networks diverse and dispersed
GlobalHort is�coordinating�a�proposal�to�fill�the�gaps�of�knowledge�management�and�
communities
information�sharing�in�horticulture.�The�main�objective�for�each�regional�platform�would�
•
Facilitates funding and coaching of
be�strengthening�national�taskforces�in�horticulture�and�networking�them�at�regional�
research for development projects
level.�GlobalHort will�facilitate�information�flows�between�the�Eastern�and�the�Western�
•
Stimulates training, education and
capacity building at regional level
African�platforms�in�order�to�make�them�useful,�efficient�and�sustainable.�This�proposal�
called�CORIPHA�is�to�be�funded�by�the�European�Thematic�Programme
on�Food�Security,�
GlobalHort in action
and�possibly�by�USAID�through�the�Hort CRSP�program�for�regional�Excellence�Center.
•
Creates and co-organizes events like
the All AfricaHorticulture Congress
-Nairobi 2009 -Nelspruit 2012
Video�conferences�on�high�value�markets�in�Africa
•
Organizes workshops and
GlobalHort has�been�mandated�by�The�World�Bank�to�organize�a�series�of�ten�seminars�
conferences for stimulating regional
on�various�topics�related�to�regional�trade�of�horticultural�produce�in�Eastern�and�
coordination - Concept of Regional
Southern�Africa.��The�network�of�Global�Development�Learning�Centers�network�will�be�
Innovation Platform (CORIPHA)
hosting�participants�from�seven�countries�to�share�information�and�discuss�strategies.
-Series of interactive seminars on
horticulture inSouthern and Eastern
Increasing�consumption�of�fresh�and�safe�F&V
Africa
GlobalHort is�collaborating�in�the�FAO�WHO�initiative�for�the�promotion�of�fruits��
and�vegetables�for�human�health�and�higher�incomes.�The�workshop�of�Yaoundé,��
“Empowering
Women • Reducing Child Mortality • Improving Maternal Health
2007,�gathered�representatives�from�Agriculture,�Health�and�Education�of�tropical�
Contact
Francophone�Africa.�The�Arusha
workshop�of�2010�will�gather�those�from�tropical�
Executive
Secretary
Board Chair
ORTICULTURE
FOR
HEALTH
AND
Rémi
KAHANE
Anglophone�Africa.
Norman
E. LOONEY
GlobalHort
President -International Society
PROSPERITY”
for Horticultural Science
P.O. Box 500, 3001 Leuven, BELGIUM
Principal Scientist Emeritus
Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre
4200 Highway 97S -PO Box 5000
Summerland, B.C. V0H 1Z0 CANADA
Tel: (1) 250-494-6361
Home tel/fax: (1) 250-494-9689
Cell: (1) 250-460-1211
Email: [email protected]
c/o AVRDC-RCA
PO Box 10 Duluti
Arusha –TANZANIA
Tel: +255-272553093
Fax:+255-272553125
[email protected]
nternational consortium for the promotion
culture, with a public-private partnership
www.globalhort.org
H O R T I C U LT U R A L N E W S I S E P T E M B E R - O C T O B E R
3
Oserian
Development Company Limited
PartofofMavuno
Mavuno Network
Part
Network
Our drive for perfection has led us to
implement the most efficient advanced
technological and biological research unit
We are proud to be associated with
Naivasha Horticultural Fair
Nairobi Office, P. O. Box 43340 - 00100, Nairobi, Kenya
Head Office, P. O. Box 2010 - 20117 Naivasha, Kenya
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Office Fax: +254 (0) 20 6608240 Office Tel: +254 (0) 50 2030210 / 2021036, Office Fax: +254 (0) 50
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Part of M
4
Issue No. 13
H O R T I C U LT U R A L N E W S I S E P T E M B E R - O C T O B E R , 2 0 1 0
September - October 2010
Opinion
KSH 250, USD $3
E d i to r i a l b oa r d
●
●
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KCB Naivasha Horticultural Fair 2010
Selling in Japan
War on counterfeits
Arim Ogolla
Catherine Riungu
Gilad Millo
Jane Ngige
Joseph Kariuki
Steve New
M a n ag i ng E d i to r
Although horticulture has many issues
that require urgent attention, let us, for
now, welcome the new constitution and
look forward to the realization of a better
environment for agriculture to thrive. .
Catherine Riungu
Managing fruit flies
Focus: Oserian, Xpressions Flora
[email protected]
Jane Ngige
Strawberry farming
www.kenyaflowercouncil.org / www.hortnews.co.ke
M a r ke t i ng
Nelson Maina
[email protected]
Writers
Ben Omondi
Tony Njuguna
Steve Mucheru
Wilson Maina
Des i gn a n d L ayo u t
Samuel Irungu
[email protected]
Horticultural News
is published six times a year by
Karuri Ventures and circulated
to personnel in the horticultural
industry, foreign missions and
Kenya embassies abroad, extension officers in the Ministry of
Agriculture, research officers
and suppliers of inputs and
services.
Contributions are welcome,
and, although every effort will
be made to return manuscripts
and photographs, these are
submitted at owner’s risk.
The opinion expressed by the
contributors does not necessarily reflect the views of the
editorial board of Horticultural
News.
Karuri Ventures
Nature Hse 3rd Fl (513) Tom Mboya St
P O Box 1066 - 00518 Nairobi
Tel: 020 35566911
254-722 403103
Email:[email protected]
www. kenyaflowercouncil.org
www:hortinews.co.ke
This is among the best times to be a Kenyan in Kenya and in Kenya. We have made history by ushering in a new
constitutional dispensation, and with that engaged our country’s high gear to prosperity. In a country where
August has always evoked sad memories because, by a strange coincidence, it is a month known for unfortunate, tragic events. However August 2010 was exceptional for two dates that will forever be entrenched on
the right side. We voted peacefully on August 4, and celebrated the promulgation of the new constitution on
August 27. That the two events defied predictions of a possible breakout of violence associated with voting in
the country is the clearest indication yet that Kenya can only get better. The air of optimism is at a seven-year
high, and there is every reason to believe analysts’ projections that the passing of the constitution would give
the economy a shot in the arm. Considering that 2010 has been a fairy wet year and that food production has
so far been bountiful, the economy will achieve a 5 per cent growth. The agricultural industry has reason to
toast in doubles. The new constitution came within weeks of the launch of a new agricultural policy seeking
to accerelate the development of this critical sector in the next 10 years. The government has pledged to give
agriculture the attention it deserves on the basis of its being key to the realization of Kenya’s economic and
social development blueprint, Vision 2030. Agriculture Minister Sally Kosgey recently said she would propose
that all ministries dealing with agriculture be amalgamated to create efficiency in the sector. Her reasoning is
that when ministries were split to accommodate a bloated Cabinet, related services were scattered in different ministries creating confusion and unnecessary bureaucracy. The ministries of agriculture and irrigation,
fisheries and livestock should surely be under a single portfolio. Agricultural officers at the grassroots have
echoed frustration at having to deal with different ministries for one project leading to wastage of resources
and time. Under the new constitution, the number of ministries will be limited while ministers will be hired on
merit as opposed to the current system where they are appointed for political expediency. Although horticulture has many issues that require urgent attention, let us, for now, welcome the new constitution and look
forward to the realization of a better environment for agriculture to thrive.
Jane Ngige
CEO, Kenya Flower Council
[email protected]
Contents
Electronic certification on the way
Highlights
5
KCB sponsors fair
NHF 8
Corporate Social Responsibility
Oserian
12
Selling in Japan
Marketing 15
Starting off on the right footing
Xpressions Flora18
Growing Strawberries
Strawberries 22
War on counterfeits
Counterfeits
26
Managing fruitflies
Infestation
28
Floriculture executive forum
Forum
32
5
HIGHLIGHTS
Electronic certification on the way
A pilot programme slated for October will test the paperless system
By ANDREW DOUGHMAN
F
lower growers could rid
themselves of reams of
paperwork if governing
bodies successfully implement online inspection and export
documents.
A pilot programme slated for
October will test the paperless system among select rose growers exporting to the Netherlands.
If the programme succeeds,
growers could use a system that
fast-tracks certification, traces documents and serves as an online file
cabinet of past consignments.
Such a data system would allow
government officials to easily see
whose consignments meet standards. Collecting such data over time
would reveal trends, meaning that
bodies like the Kenya Plant Health
Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) could
begin to assign “green,” “yellow,” or
“red” ratings to growers. These ratings
would be based on data and would
reveal the extent to which growers
have complied with standards.
Once a rating like this has been
established, KEPHIS could tailor
its inspections to individual farms
based on their rating. For instance,
a grower whose consignments
consistently have problems would
be subjected to a more thorough
inspection than a grower who has
largely adhered to the rules.
In another shift, KEPHIS officials
have said that they want to change
where inspections happen.
“KEPHIS will continue the same
service but with more focus shifting away from the airport,” said
Washington Otieno, from KEPHIS.
He said that farm-based inspections
would help the industry since problems could be fixed before the products arrive at the airport. The approach,
though, will be limited to farms at which
this approach is feasible, he said.
One grower had lamented that
she would have to wait for an in-
spector at her isolated farm while
her export-ready flowers wilted. Dr
Otieno, however, said that airport
inspections will only be phased out
for those growers whose farms are
easily accessible.
KEPHIS has yet to decide the
criteria for an on-site inspection,
but the results could be hosted
on secure, online databases that
would reduce paperwork for both
growers and government.
For growers, the online program
that handles export certifications
is relatively simple. The program
would require little more than an
Internet connection and some basic
computer knowledge.
It’s also
cheap. KEPHIS officials have said
that growers should not incur any
costs associated with the online system since registration will be free. In
fact, costs for the government might
even drop since they no longer
would have to invest time and materials for administrative paperwork.
KEPHIS plans to staff some IT experts who can help growers understand and use the pilot system.
DODHIA PACKAGING LTD.
Manufacturers of:
CORRUGATED CARDBOARD BOXES FOR INDUSTRIAL,
HORTICULTURAL, FLORICULTURE AND FISHERIES
P.O. Box 42571- 00100, Kampala Road, Industrial Area, Nairobi, Kenya.
Tel: + 254 20 53 10 20, Fax: + 254 20 53 10 25, Mobile + 254 734 295 101.
Email: [email protected] Website: www.dplkenya.com
Please provide us with logos and advise accordingly
6
Oserian wins 5 awards in Nakuru
O
serian Development
Company scooped
five awards at the
Nakuru Agricultural
Show.
It was judged the the best agricultural-based non-statutory board
stand. Among the visitors to the
firm’s elegant stand was President
Mwai Kibaki who was impressed by
the show of flowers and technology.
The stand was a showstopper
what with the expertise decoration
done with flowers of different varieties and colours.
According to Oserian’s Samson
Lukoba, the flower firm was encouraged by the by the high number of
visitors to its stand despite this being its debut appearance in a local
show, and will particiate in more local events and in the process reach
out to the ordinary mwananchi and
help them understand the business.
The awards were:
l
The best agricultural-based
non- statutory board stand.
l
The best medium commercial trade stand.
l
Second best demonstrated
technology innovation.
l
Third best agri-business
trade stand
l
Third best environmental
management trade stand.
Horti Fair 2010October 12 to 15
This year’s Horti Fair , to run under the theme ‘earning sustainably’, will be held in Amsterdam. For
paticipants and visitors, Horti Fair is
a unique platform where effective
business deals are struck alongside
introduction of new products and
services, besides acquiring and reinforcing contacts.
FloraHolland and the Horti Fair
recently announced that from 2011
they will be working together to
organize the international Holland
HortiWeek in the first week of
November.
Samson Lukoba of Oserian (left)taking President Mwai Kibaki round the firm’s stand.
Syngenta launches new
fungicide – REVUS
Syngenta East Africa has launched Revus, a product
that dries and bonds quickly to the waxy layer of the
leaf in just under an hour. Revus is meant to combat
Downy Mildew in roses and other ornamental crops,
a fungi that is notorious causing farmers huge losses.
The launch of Revus got farmers excited with some
noting that they have already used the product with
amazing results. Revus’ main advantage lies in its ability to filter through the waxy layer of the leaf surface
after application assuring excellent rain fastness as
soon as the spray liquid has dried, explained Syngenta
Technical Development Manager Susan Njoroge.
The absorption ability dubbed ‘Lok+Flo Action’ enables the active ingredient to bond quickly and strongly
regardless of the weather conditions. Once the active
ingredient ‘mandipropamid’ in the spray liquid has
dried, it cannot be washed away by the rain.
The active ingredient gradually penetrates the the
leaf tissue, protecting both surfaces by translaminar
movement.
Mandipropamid is fundamentally highly active and delivers powerful disease control at low application rates.
Other advantages of Revus include being non-toxic
to fish, birds and other beneficial insects. It is also safe,
thus workers-friendly as breaks down fast in the soil.
The product, a member of the Mandelamides
chemical class is also safe to most of the crops around
the spraying area.
Application: 250SC Revus applied on 0.6 hectares
costs Sh3,860. Going by the advantages realized,
Revus is pocket friendly.
Product benefits
J   It has consistency and excellent efficacy against
Downy Mildew disease no matter the weather.
J   Revus is compatible with IPM programmes
meaning it fits well in Integrated Crop
Management protocols.
J    It leaves no visible residues or taint on the crop.
J    The ‘Lok+Flo Action’ provides the unique combination of three ways of action providing a reliable and long lasting disease control.
J    Revus meets industry needs concerning worker
safety and environmental profile.
J     It dries within one hour of application and assures excellent foliar protection against Downy
Mildew even in wet weather conditions and under frequent rainfall.
J     Revus shows no phytotoxicity at the recommended use rates.
7
A new label for flowers
“We must attach ourselves to the labels that are recognized internationally,” said Erastus Mureithi,
the chairman of the Kenya Flower Council.
By ANDREW DOUGHMAN
K
enyan flower growers
have been granted an
international label that
recognizes good environmental and social practices.
Now growers with a Kenya Flower
Council silver certification or higher
can register with Fair Flowers Fair
Planters (FFP), which partners with
more than 4,000 European flower
vendors.
Growers who register stand to
benefit financially since the FFP relationship opens the market to consumers interested in sustainable
products. Growers may also gain
a marketing boost, since they can
now claim their operations adhere
to strict labour and environmental
standards.
“We are putting in a lot of effort
on the social and environmental
standards and we should be able
to capitalize on these efforts in the
marketplace,” said Jane Ngige, CEO
of the KFC.
The flower council and FFP formally signed their partnership
agreement in August at a meeting
at the Norfolk Hotel. FFP will rely
on the flower council’s certification
programme, although they have
also requested that representatives
from NGOs and trade unions accompany KFC auditors who inspect
and certify flower farms.
Growers at the meeting said the
FFP label seemed a good public relations tool, at least one that would
be worth more than the 50 to 200
Euro registration fee. Membership
is good for one year, and during
that year Kenyan flowers can be
sold through FFP-supported auc-
tion houses and retailers.
FFP has relationships with retailers in 10 European countries. These
retailers sell both flowers with and
without the FFP label, but the FFP
claims that their sustainability label
attracts many European consumers.
For Kenya’s growers, this wide reach
means that the new label could
have more strength than a KFC certification alone.
International recognition
“We must attach ourselves to the
labels that are recognized internationally,” said Erastus Mureithi, the chairman of the Kenya Flower Council.
To secure the FFP label, growers
must first attain a KFC silver certificate. Then, FFP registration becomes
an option. Growers pay the FFP fee,
and then gain access to FFP’s retail
partners and the label certifying the
grower’s farm as both environmentally and socially conscious.
Growers are required to register
on the FFP website, which FFP uses
to track growers and potentially revoke the membership of those who
are not following the rules.
At the meeting, FFP representatives sold the label as an important
barrier to negative publicity. Apart
from disarming critics, the new labels could have political value.
The agreement with the internationally-recognized FFP could weaken allegations that growers damage the environment and mistreat
workers just as the industry makes
its entreaties to government.
Since the FFP-KFC agreement
came into effect, those growers
who already have a KFC silver certification should be able to apply for
membership immediately.
Dutch know-how and technology
for durable quality
Dutch suppliers and advisors are offering their services to you under the banner
of “Green Farming”. Green Farming combines Dutch technology and experience
with your specific production needs, so that you can rest assured of a totally
custom-made product and service package, including on-farm training
programs, maintenance and service cycles.
Trade Mission Kenya 10 – 14 September
During this mission a delegation of the Dutch horticultural supply industry and government
representatives will visit Kenya in order to obtain more insight into the specific sector needs of
Kenyan horticulture and to strengthen their network amongst growers, horticultural associations and
policy makers.
We would be happy to meet you at the
Green Farming seminar on September 13th
14:30 hrs Hillpark Hotel, Nairobi
Green Farming Seminar 13th of September
We would like to invite you to the Green Farming Seminar, which will take place on Monday 13th of
September 2010 from 14:30 hrs at Hillpark Hotel, Upper Hill Rd, Nairobi Hill in Nairobi. During the
seminar the program will be introduced by the Green Farming chairman and presentations will be
given by the Dutch Agricultural Counsellor, a representative of KEPHIS, Dutch horticultural suppliers
Farming
+31 317will
491540
E: [email protected]
I:www.greenfarming.nl
and KenyanGreen
growers.
The T:
seminar
be concluded
with a group
discussion on the development
needs of the sector.
8
N A I VA S H A H O R T I C U LT U R A L FA I R
KCB in Ksh4 million Naivasha
Horticultural Fair sponsorship
The sponsorship is a move by the regional bank to widen its footprint in all economic
sectors as it continues its growth momentum across the five East African countries.
KCB Corporate Banking divisional director Wilfred Sang and Roddy Benjamin, Naivasha Horticultural Fair
chair when KCB announced the Ksh4 million sponsorship.
By ben Omondi
K
CB Bank has announced
a Ksh4 million sponsorship for the annual
Naivasha Horticultural
Fair that runs from September 10 to
11 at the Naivasha Sports Club.
The sponsorship is a move by the
regional bank to widen its footprint
in all economic sectors as it continues its growth momentum across
the five East African countries where
it operates.
While announcing the partnership recently, the bank’s corporate
banking divisional director Wilfred
Sang, said the sponsorship would
be a long-term initiative aimed at
improving the bank’s outreach to
the sector.
“Naivasha is host to about 50
multinational flower and horticultural companies. This is a huge
growth opportunity for KCB that is
the region’s largest bank in terms of
asset base standing at over Ksh226
70,000 are employed in related industries like packaging, chemicals,
and freight services.
The industry is the fastest growing agricultural sub-sector in the
“Started in 2003 as a charity initiative,
Naivasha Horticultural Fair is the
second largest exhibitor’s event in
Africa . “
billion,” said Sang.
The horticulture industry is broadly classified as fruits, vegetables and
cut flowers and currently provides
direct employment to an estimated
100,000 Kenyans, while a further
country and is ranked second in
terms of foreign exchange earnings
after tourism. In 2009, the country
earned about Ksh71.6 billion from
the sector, down from Ksh73.7 billion in 2008.
“This is an important growth
channel for KCB Bank that has the financial capacity to meet the needs
of agribusinesses in Kenya. Be it
business expansion, asset finance,
Mortgage or employee facilities we
are able to offer banking services
across all our 168 locations in the
country,” said Sang.
He added that the Bank, currently
exposed to the tune of Ksh1.038 billion to the sector, is developing a
horticultural finance product that
would boost significantly the bank’s
asset book in 2011 from the current
4 per cent market share.
Speaking
at
the
event,
Roddy Benjamin, the Naivasha
Horticultural Fair (NHF) chair, said
that NHF was the second largest
exhibitors’ event of its kind in Africa,
each year bringing together horticultural producers and farmers
alongside key buyers and suppliers
in the industry showcase.
“The fair started in 2003 as a
charity initiative but has since transformed into an important industry
barometer, managing to attract
managers and directors of almost
all the flower farms in Kenya,” said
Benjamin.
He added that the fair aims to
show the professionalism in the industry where clients and companies
can network while updating growers and customers on innovations
and business opportunities.
In 2009, the fair attracted over
140 exhibitors’ mostly international firms while the 2010 edition expects participation of more than
150 exhibitors.
Proceeds from this year’s event
will go towards local charities including the Rotary Safe House,
Naivasha
Children’s
Shelter,
Mary’s Hospital Elementaita and
IDP camps in Naivasha among
others.
9
10
Eight years and going strong
Interview with Richard Macgonell, Vice Chairman Naivasha Horticultural Fair (NHF)
bY CATHERINE RIUNGU
What is NHF? How did it come
about and how was the idea carried to fruition to the level where
we are now looking at its 8th edition?
N H F is a trade/business fair that is
focused on the horticultural business in East Africa, conceived over
a bottle of beer to show the rest of
Kenya that the Horti business is a
serious business open to everyone,
and indeed affordable to most. We
are where we are now, because we
are open to the smallest exhibitor;
our fees are probably one-fifth of
other exhibitions
.
What was the first show like? How
has it grown year by year? Has it
stuck to its original objective or
have certain things changed?
The first show was a huge success
- 55 stands - which encouraged us
to go forward. Clients were very
happy and urged us to do it again!!
It has grown yearly and this year we
expect over 150 trade stands of all
types. When you are in business,
you need many types of products,
ranging from printing paper to
lorries, to fertilisers to first aid kits.
The original objectives were to be
professional, have fun and keep it
affordable. We feel we have done
all the above: we attract the senior
managers, CEOs of all the flower
companies. Indeed, we are the place
to be to learn about the industry as
a newcomer or a seasoned grower
learning new products/techniques,
or just coming to browse and meet
friends.
Why should I care about the show
as an exhibitor/visitor?
Being an exhibitor in this fair, means
you are participatiung in one of the
world’s leading fairs, where business is the password, meeting clients both exisiting and potentially
new. Some people thought this was
just a whim that would die off, they
are now the biggest clients !!
On the premise that its proceeds
go to charity, how many has it
supported to date? Can we have
short profiles of each? Is there
someone who we can profile as a
beneficiary?
Charities, there are literaly hundreds, from the Rotary Club of
Naivasha Safe House, where it has
been claimed it has saved the lives
of hundreds if not thousands of
children lives to sponsoring footballs - from “alive and kicking” for
An aids awarenes tournament.
Naivasha Childrens Shelter, Feed
the Hungry, NACOHAG, Red Cross,
St Marys Hospital, Aga Khan, dozens of schools desks and toilets, local market toilets in Ihindu, disaster
relief, IDP’s, and dozens more. For
more profiles, just contact me !!
How does it identify projects to
be supported?
There are so many that do not need
to be identified but we work closely
with other groups, Rotary Club of
Naivasha being one and an overseas group, Children of the Third
World. Cases like the IDP’s are right
in our face, so no need to find them.
Also, schools are so under funded
there is a continous supply of letters
asking for assistance.
Naivasha is usually in the news
mostly for all the wrong reasons?
What role does the show play in
toning down the negative perception? How do the fair days
transform Naivasha?
Naivasha being in the News for
the wrong resasons!!! Cheap journalism. The farms around the lake
Richard Macgonell, Vice Chairman Naivasha Hortcultural Fair.
generally are very good, socially etc
etc, but journalists make up stories
about the farms, which are mostly
untrue. There was a report in a national paper a few weeks ago that
the growers had killed the crocodiles in the lake !!!! Well, excuse me
,who pays this reporter? Made up
story: there has never been a crocodile in lake Naivasha. The growers
are attacked from all angles over
the water. How much water does
KenGen use? How much water is
taken from the upper catchment
area, by prominent people/sources, and yet never reported? Who
pays their water rates? The growers
and who else? How much tax does
the government get every year
from the flower farms in Kenya, not
just Naivasha. Are the stories about
Naivasha farms purely because
they are foreign investors? Sheer
envy, I say.
The Fair, if anyone is interested, is a
platform where people can show
what they do for the community.
Most of these big farms have their
own clinics, AIDS awareness programmes, schools, hospitals etc, at
no cost to the staff. Where else in
Kenya do you get this? Certainly not
from the government. Just a few
years ago, Oserian Fastac and Sher
would have been one of the top
football matches in Kenya, but alleged corruption has put an end to
this. It is not the fair’s “job” to teach
the media about honest reporting.
Who are the faces behind the success of this show?
We have the Chairman Roddy
Benjamin, senior manager at
Oserian Development Company,
and Vice Chair Richard McGonnell,
Flower farmer and agrochemical
supplier, also a keen Rotarian. The
two are ably assisted by Chetna
Sangrajka, a local busineess woman
and Ruth Vaughan, Senior manager at Nini Roses plus the staff in
Richard’s office.
Going forward?
For the fair, we will continue in the
way we are going and try and keep
up / improve standards.
11
Thanks for giving kids a chance
The Naivasha children are very much an integral part of the Hortifair and give back to us all 100
per cent more than we give them!
By Richard Macgonnell
T
The Horticultural Fair was
started in 2002 to bring
together exhibitors and
visitors in a spacious and
pleasant environment at affordable
prices.
Naivasha is not only scenic and
central but it is home to one of the
largest horticultural communities
in East Africa. We have seen the
numbers of exhibitors and visitors rise every year as the Naivasha
Horticultural Fair gets bigger and
better!
Every year we manage to attract
managers and directors of almost all
the flower farms in Kenya, so the exhibitors are able to meet existing and
potential clients of the highest level.
The Naivasha Horticultural Fair is
run by a small group of hardworking volunteers and is 100 per cent
charitable. Big thanks go to our
generous sponsors! All the money
collected goes to local and national
charities with a focus on, but not
limited to, caring for women and
children. Children homes, community clinics, HIV/AIDS projects,
schools and hospitals all benefit, as
well as small desparate case by case
donations that make an enormous
difference to people’s lives.
The Horticultural Fair was able
to make big, essential donations of
food and primary neccessities to
internally displaced persons. The
Horticultural Fair is pleased to give
something back to the community
that supports us.
NHFair Trust is completely charitable with all the money raised going towards local/national causes
many of them children/girl/women
organizations, to raise awareness
about issues and living standards.
sit the government certificate test
and will leave the Shelter skilled in a
trade, a goal which the Fair has enabled us to achieve.
We have also purchased sports
equipment as the boys love football
and now take part in tournaments.
Our computer department is also
doing well - the children are now
The Naivasha Horticultural Fair is
run by a small group of hardworking
volunteers and is 100% charitable.
The Naivasha children are very
much an integral part of the Hortifair
and give back to us all 100 per cent
and more than we give them! For
more information on the Naivasha
Children log onto www.ncshelter.
org.
Naivasha Children Shelter is
grateful to the NHFair Trust for its
amazing support every year and for
inviting the children to be part of
the fair which is the highlight of the
year’s activities.
In the past year we have sent a
large number of children to government schools and have been able to
buy more educational books and
tools for our own school. We now
have a carpentry department and
at the end of the year, the boys will
Carbon footprint standard
Kenya Flower Council participated in a workshop where it was given an
opportunity to prepare the countries in the EAC region to comment and
make a substantial contribution to the development of the international
standard(s) for carbon footprint (ISO)/CD 14067 parts one and 2), currently
developed within ISO (ISO/TC 207/SC 7/WG 2). The standard is based on life
cycle analysis. KFC’s proposal, well-supported by the region, is to include the
per capita emission factor with the formulation. The carbon footprint index
process of the standard developed should take about a year.
have donated about Ksh1 million to
build a maternity wing at Karagita
Dispensary, the Feed the Hungry
Campaign in conjunction with CFC,
numerous HIV AIDS Projects, updating and/or building toilet facilities in
many local schools, and many small
scale water projects. NHFair Trust
buys the balls for the Annual Ladies
Football Tournament organized by
NACOHAG, to name but a few of the
organizations that benefit from the
Naivasha Hortifair.
conversant with the internet.
Our vegetable garden, chickens
and cows yield much of our food,
Without funds the Shelter would
simply not function and we are very
thankful for the support of Naivasha
Horticultural Fair.
The Safe House, a rescue shelter
home for abused children, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Naivasha,
has received over Ksh4 million from
the NHFair Trust. (www.rotarysafehouse.org.) NHFair also donates to
many other joint effort community
projects with the Rotary Club.
NHFair Trust sponsors the
Red Cross office in Naivasha, the
Naivasha Disabled Persons, the
Kijani Clinic (a community clinic at
the Chief’s Compound in Karagita),
Bilashaka silver certification
Bilashaka Flowers Ltd, a KFC member, qualified for the KFC Silver Certificate
for the first time. The farm is located on Moi North Lake road in Naivasha. The
farm started operations in 2001 by growing roses under ultra modern conditions in line with European standards. The farm has a productive team under
Mr Jozef Zuurbier, the managing director, and is credited with the setting up
of one of the world’s largest solar heating projects for greenhouses, a huge
step in using green energy, and further proving that Kenya’ s flowers are
grown under the sun.
12
OSERIAN
For the good of the workers ...
By CATHERINE RIUNGU
A
s part of responsible
growing
practices,
Oserian, as a grower
and exporting business has committed to giving back
to the community and employees
some of its profits to improve their
welfare.
Human resources manager Mr
Ludovick Kezzah said the company’s choice of Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) intervention is
determined and driven by requests
from communities, local authorities, and the government during
public functions. These have mostly
revolved around education, health
and infrastructure.
In the external markets, consumers are increasingly turning to
putting their money in businesses
that embrace community support
and are prepared to pay a little more
if convinced that the products they
put in their shopping baskets have
been produced responsibly.
Around Naivasha and its environs,
Oserian has built classes, sunk boreholes, paid teachers and technical
staff in an attempt to make life more
bearable for the less privileged.
Some of the community projects
undertaken by Oserian include the
Charity begins at home. The Oserian Day Care Centre where workers’ babies get all they need.
Rubiri Water Project for the community around this area near Naivasha
town.
In response to the adage charity
begins at home, the company has
built one high school, three primary schools and three early childhood development classes to cater
for educational needs of company
employees and their dependants.
These educational facilities are also
open to the community but a limited number of classes.
Oserian, through Fairtrade, has
supported selected schools by
building classes, and putting up
permanent houses for teachers. One
such beneficiary was Inkorienito,
a neighbouring community. In
this community, Oserian also
constructed a dispensary that is
managed and drugs provided by
the company.
Within its precincts, the company has established a health
centre for employees. The centre
is also open to communities and
neighbouring farms especially for
emergencies. An ambulance is on
standby. The ambulance is also
used by the communities whenever required. Medical care is free
for employees, while dependants
access at a minimal fee.
On infrastructure, the company has graded roads and will
do more subject to availability of
funds.
Oserian has in conjuction with
other fair-trade certified companies
wthin the Naivasha area supported
the on-going construction of the
Naivasha Women’s Hospital.
It has also established a vocational centre where employees and
their dependants learn courses such
as tailoring, information technology
and business studies. The centre is
open to the communities. “ We are
striving to get our workers and their
dependants to earn and learn to
improve their lives.
One of Oserian’s best examples
of CSR is the crèche or daycare centre where employees’ children are
taken care of - as their parents work
- at a minimal cost. The children are
under the care of trained caretakers
while the centre is strategically positioned adjacent to the health centre – meaning in case of emergency,
care is at hand.
Nursing mothers leave an hour
early to breastfeed their infants.
The company strives to maintain
13
OSERIAN
... and the community too
a close relationship with its employees by holding regular meetings
for workers unions and employee
committees so that any problem is
handled effectively.
Oserian has developed a non-discriminatory policy on gender and
health. HIV/Aids cases are taken care
of by getting special food, counseling, and free ARVs. About 51 peer
educators have been trained while
VCT services are open. The company follows the Federation of Kenya
Employers, government and the
International Labour Organisation
policy of not firing anyone due to
their HIV status.
The company reports that HIV
rate is going down - people are
openly declaring their status and
sharing experiences.
Primary healthcare is emphasized
here, with employees encouraged
to clear grass, collect garbage and
keep toilets and compounds clean.
Drinking water is treated while immunization campaigns are not ignored.
The non-discrimination policy
also applies in other areas. Oserian
is probably the only flower farm employing the deaf and training them
to communicate. Lately, Oserian is
training teachers to handle autism.
“It is demeaning to treat anyone
badly,” Mr. Kezzah said.
For long, sexual harassment has
been an issue and knowing this
too well, Oserian observes zerotolerance, with senior employees
prohibited from having affairs with
their juniors. Balanced gender committees handle arising issues and
stern action is taken against offenders, a practice that has rendered
complaints on sexual harassment a
rare occurrence at the farm.
Employees are encouraged
to join unions and trained on
new labour requirements to reduce friction. During the March
call by the Kenya Plantation
Workers Union secretary general Francis Atwoli for flower
workers to go on strike to force
employers to implement a col-
lective bargaining agreement,
Oserian was singled out as one
of the farms the COTU boss had
no quarrel with.
Not lost on Oserian is the need
for coexistence between different
communities to stymie ethnic animosity. Negative ethnicity is blamed
for the 2007/2008 post election violence. Each community has an elder
who sits in a council that sorts out
local differences while the union
too is called upon to urge peaceful
coexistence.
A good relationship with the local communities is proven by the
fact that at the height of the PEV in
early 2008, they came out in their
numbers to defend the farm, and
this is not taken for granted.
Corner of Likoni & Enterprise Road, Industrial Area.
P.O. Box 38908 - 00623 Parklands Nairobi, Kenya.
Tel: +254-20-551081 / 651676 / 559591 / 550788 / 550789 / 552235.
Sales Dept. Direct Line: 020-2054290, 020-2054291, 3541776, 0771-217485,
Fax; 0773007677 / 650799 / 651006
E-mail: marutios@ africaonline.co.ke
We are suppliers of office stationery, computers and
computer consumable, accessories, office equipment and furniture
Green by name, green by nature
Green IPM: We use systems that nature has perfected
to fight pests! This means reduced pesticides, safeguarding our environment.
Green Recycling: We give our “waste” new life, helping to
keep our workplace clean and reducing the
need to dump!
Green Energy:
We use clean geothermal energy, installed
capacity of 3.21MW electricity ensuring we
steam into the future with environmentally
friendly energy!
Green Heat:
We have invested in technology to use
waste heat from our geothermal station to
help our flowers fight disease and pest attacks!
Green Practice:
Our farming style ensures we safeguard
our environment for future generations.
We opt for the greenest option in all our
growing practices.
Green Forestry:
Our nursery generates over 5,000 seedlings
every year, helping to keep our company
Green Conservation:
Green Partnerships:
Green people:
Green Water:
Green Hobbies:
Green Footprint:
and our country green!
We support wildlife conservation by investing in providing a suitable habitat for them
to thrive.
We join hands with organisations that share
our vision for a clean and healthy environment.
By adopting Fairtrade Principles, we are
making a real difference in the lives of our
employees!
our wetland cleans our effluent and waste
water making it safe and re-usable
Oserian bird club members are building an
inventory of the birds in our area. If we know
them, we can help to conserve them!
All the above activities help us to ensure
that our processes are not destructive to
the environment, but encourage sustainable use and good management of earth’s
resources
14
OSERIAN
Equal opportunity employer
T
he sentimental music playing in the background is
the only audible sound in
the area.
At the entrance, a notice reads:
“Deaf workers in this area, please
take extra care.”
Welcome to Oserian flowers
where deaf workers have been
given an opportunity to earn a living, arguably one of the strongest
pointers to the firm’s commitments
to community support.
More than 40 deaf workers lend
a hand in preparing the beautiful
bouquets that have made Kenya
proud in the eyes of the world.
Ordinarily, they would be in the
streets with begging bowls like
many disabled people in Kenya.
The company decided to give
people with disability an equal opportunity to prove themselves.
“Most of them have not undergone formal training but we always
offer them a chance,” said human resources manager Ludovick Kezzah.
In cognizance of their special
needs, they are housed within the
farm for convenience, ease of movement and safety. They are also direct
nominees to the various decisionmaking committees including shop
stewards.
Jane Nduku works at the farm’s
laboratory. The department is responsible for research on the different varieties of seedlings for export
and those to be planted locally.
Through an interpreter, Barrack
Owaga, she says, “I have worked
here for more than 13 years.” She
was first hired by the company
without formal training but has undergone a series of in-house training and courses.
Armed with new skills, Ms Nduku
has now learned the ropes and is at
home working in the laboratory.
She expresses her joy for having
been given a chance to work in the
farm and earn a decent living.
“I am comfortably able to bring
up my two children with my earnings,” she adds. Jane is a gender
representative in the gender committee, representing deaf employees.
Majority of the deaf workers are
stationed at the pack house which
deals with packaging and grading.
Patrick Obilo, the shop steward
counts himself lucky. “Ours is a success story given our physical disability,” he says with a huge smile.
Charles Opayi has seen his fortune skyrocket and take a turn for
the better after joining the flower
farm in the grading section. Mr.
Opayi who doubles up as a pastor for the deaf says he had almost
given up on life.
“I had no income to support my
four children and no one was willing to offer me a chance,” he recalls
through an interpreter.
A former tailor Loise Wangari
says life behind the sewing machine
proved a boring experience and decided to seek new challenges.
Better opportunity
After quitting her former job, life
became hard as it proved difficult to
secure another one. Fortunately, the
former Kerugoya School for the deaf
alumni joined a Naivasha-based
deaf association which helped her
secure a job at the flower farm.
The workers have also been encouraged to adopt new ways to interact with other employees, most
of whom do not understand sign
language. The company, in an effort to create a conducive environment for all employees sponsored
a group for sign language training.
Those trained are from different
sections across the farm to make
communication easier.
The deaf workers have gone a
notch higher, pooled their resources and started a grocery shop at
the farm. As an employee support
policy, Oserian encourages its staff
to own side businesses to supplement their income.
According to their interpreter
Mr Owaga, the deaf share proceeds
from the shop. “They are focused
and determined to make the best of
their working life,” says Mr Owaga.
He says the group has also bought
a parcel of land which they intend to
develop at a later date.
Deaf workers are proving themselves and competing for excellence. Francis Nzioka, a grading employee has won the best worker’s
position twice for his hard working
and was crowned one of the employees of the Year 2009 and best
worker at the packhouse in June.
15
mar k ets
Want the Yen? Speak Japanese
By ben Omondi
A
fter years of attempting to crack the
Japanese flower market, only one hurdle
remains before Kenya can open its
door to flower-yens.
According to the Japan External
Trade Organisation (Jetro) Nairobi
office executive director Shintaro
Matoba, Kenyans targeting Tokyo
must start packaging in materials
labelled in Japanese to enable consumers there to get a better grasp
of the types of flowers coming
from the country.
This, coupled with understanding the demands of the Asian market would improve prices, he said,
and see Kenya’s flowers penetrate
deeper into the sophisticated
country.
“Flowers destined for the
Japanese market need to be packaged in small and thin plastic film
and printed in Japanese to indicate that they were made for the
country,” he said.
The right packaging at the place
of origin would further increase
the value of the produce as subsequent labour costs incurred while
repackaging the flowers after
landing in Japan are cut, he said
and added that labour costs are
Further, Japan-specific packaging would make it easier for
importers to handle the product
as it arrives ready to sell and all an
importer needs to do is take it
out and put on the shelves for
display.
“Some of the flowers arrive
damaged during shipment
and have to be repackaged in
Japan leading to losses in both
revenues and time,” said the
Jetro boss.
Kenya is already the leading
exporter of flowers to Japan
according to the World Atlas
figures for 2009 which report
a blossoming sale of cut flowers and rose buds. The country’s flower export revenues
to Japan have been increasing
since 2007 when it earned $19 million, rising to $21 million in 2008
and further to $23.2 last year.
The volumes have also recorded
a rise from 363.6 tonnes of flowers
in 2007 to 397 tonnes in 2008 and
then 418 tonnes in 2009.
This year, it is poised to be even
better, according to the Kenya
Flower Council (KFC) chief executive officer Jane Ngige who says
that after the Icelandic volcanic
eruption shut the EU airspace
leading to a frantic search for an
alternative route in March, Kenya
discovered a new market by default.
Flowers destined for the Japanese
market need to be packaged in
small, thin plastic film and labelled in
Japanese
higher in Japan than Kenya.
Jetro facilitates trade and investment between Japan and overseas
countries and currently has offices in various sub-Saharan Africa
countries including Kenya, South
Africa, Nigeria and Ivory Coast.
“After our sales in Japan shot as
it served as an alternative market,
there has been a steady rise in exports there,” she said.
Some exporters who have been
shipping more and more stems to
Asia, while admitting that they are
doing roaring business declined
to divulge further details saying it
was too early to celebrate.
Kenya’s other main flower
exporting destination is the
European
Union
mainly Netherlands,
United
Kingdom,
Germany, France and
Switzerland, where it
is the leading exporter
commanding a clear
40 per cent of all flower sales, followed by
Columbia with 17 per
cent and Israel at 16 per
cent. Kenya is also pursuing the US market.
The need for Kenya
to consolidate its
Japanese market stems
from concerns over its
declining market share
there, despite the high
sales. The country now
ranks 12th overall in
terms of cut flower and
buds exports to Japan.
Its market position compared with competitors
has been reducing since
2007 when it stood at 3.54
per cent, then reduced to
2.21 per cent in 2008 before
further declining to 2.01 per
cent in 2009, thereby recording an overall cumulative decline in market share of 3.17 per
cent.
Unlike the UK consumers who
like many flower stems packaged in one bunch, the Japanese
like fewer stems per package or
bunch.
Mr Matoba urged the industry
to focus on exporting varieties that
are more popular with Japanese
consumers like different colours
of roses, head sizes as well as
length of the stems.
Statistics from the KFC
indicate that the share of
Kenya’s exports to the UK
has been increasing due
to a growing market especially
of mixed bouquets as well as increased direct sales.
16
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17
18
x pressions flora
Starting on the right footing
By Wison Maina
T
he next big thing in
Kenya’s flower industry
could be in the offing in
Nakuru. The town is the
country’s third largest
and if the industry new kid on the
block – Xpressions Flora – is anything to go by, the world’s largest
exporter of cut flowers is making
headway in the big-headed roses
market.
“Nakuru is an ideal place to grow
flowers”, said Inder Nain, the managing director of Xpressions Flora a
farm associated with one of the biggest names in East Africa’s manufacturing sector, Bidco Oil Refineries.
By coincidence, Xpressions Flora
has taken root in the town where its
mother started, which Mr Nain says
is by default. “It took us about six
months of going round the country
looking for a suitable place to set up
and luck brought us here,” he said of
the farm located off Elburgon Road,
in Njoro, Nakuru.
While the location is a good
coincidence, the possibility that
Xpressions is likely to fit into the success associated with Bidco is rather
obvious, barring the occurrence
of developments beyond human
control.
The three-year-old farm, according to the Kenya Flower Council
chairman Erastus Mureithi, is the
only addition to the flower fraternity in the past three years, an indication that all might not be well in
a sector that has previously grown
at 20 per cent per annum over the
past two decades.
The farm has made history by
becoming the first to be certified
within a year after applying for auditing, a feat KFC chief executive officer, Jane Ngige, attributes to getting started on the guidance of the
industry Code of Practice.
“When they decided to go into
The farm has made history by becoming the first to be certified within a year after applying for auditing, a
feat KFC chief executive officer, Jane Ngige, attributes to getting started on the guidance of the industry
Code of Practice.
this business, they visited KFC and
requested to be shown how to do it
right from the onset,” she said.
This way, they have avoided having to dismantle certain systems
so as to comply with the code requirements, she added, and urged
Following in Bidco’s legacy,
Xpressions also deployed the
Kaizen Management System, applied by firms to reduce time wastage and improve efficiency, said Mr
Nain, who exudes confidence saying that Kenya’s supremacy reigns
Following in Bidco’s footspets, Xpressions
deployed the Kaizen Management
System, applied by firms to reduce time
wastage and improve efficiency
investors who
wish to get in the business to follow
Xpressions’ example.
Another farm that that was established with the code of practice as a
guide is Aquila, that is growing flowers on Naivasha ‘s North Lake Road.
and is unlikely to be challenged, at
least not in the next decade. He says
he has travelled all over the world to
borrow best practices, but he finally
settled for what we have in Kenya.
“We have borrowed and con-
tinue to borrow best practices from
the various world-class farms we
have in Kenya and a mix of all that
is producing another winning farm”,
he said.
Mrs Ngige added that the flower
industry has matured and is now
concentrating on improving the
value chain to sustain market dominance and diversify into new ones
such as Japan, a fast growing frontier.
While the story of Xpressions
so far reads rosy, the three years in
which it has bloomed, have been
baptism by fire, being arguably the
most difficult period the horticultural industry in Kenya has faced.
At its weaning stage, violence
broke out in Kenya after the
December 2007 presidential elections that plunged the country into
two months of the chaos. Nakuru
being a cosmopolitan political hotbed had its fair share of the trouble.
“We saw smoke everywhere around
the farm and feared for the worst”,
CONTINUED ON PAGE 21
Floralife_Kenya_2010_PRESS.pdf
1
7/23/10
3:02 PM
19
20
Starting off in the right way
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20
Mr Nain said.
Fortunately, the farm was spared
the wrath, a situation he attributes
to its good relationship with surrounding communities where the
bulk of its labour is sourced making
the neighbours cultivate a sense of
ownership.
“As part of our community service we have employed people within a radius of 10 kilometres , with the
aim of improving livelihoods in the
surrounding areas. People are now
living better since they have jobs
and can afford to feed and educate
their children,” he said.
After the post election violence
fires died out, Kenya entered into a
prolonged drought that persisted
until December last year. The effects of the drought, one of the
worst in the country, was aggravated by the 2009 global financial
crisis and an abnormal winter in
Europe, which saw flower sales dip
by 30 per cent, after enjoying a 20
per cent growth for 20 years.
“Due to the financial crisis and
the extremely cold weather, people
stayed indoors, ground logistics
stalled, less flowers were sold,” said
Mrs Ngige.
Towards the end of 2009, the
global crisis began showing signs
of easing and the rains came in torrents. The sector started preparing
for a bountiful Valentine, the industry’s best sales day that also heralds
the climax of the high season which
prevails until mid-year.
Soon after a successful Valentine,
and predictions from the KFC that
all indications were that 2010 would
be a rosy one, the Icelandic volcanic
eruption shut the European airspace
and for close to three weeks, tonnes
of flowers never reached the market,
with estimates that the sector could
have lost some Ksh10 billion.
Just days after the dust settled,
and farms were busy composting
destroyed flowers, clearing the
stock in cold rooms and replenishing the markets that were starved
of the Kenyan flowers, the Kenya
Plantation Workers Union secretary
general Francis Atwoli called for a
strike accusing flower farms of failing to effect a collective bargaining
agreement salary increment, and
threw the sector into yet another
crisis.
After the industrial court ruling,
the organization and the farms
were instructed to end the crisis,
which was resolved without any
worker downing tools.
In the next edition of
Horticultural News, we look
at how Xpressions Flora
weathered the three-year
storm and why it is headed
to becoming the next big
name in the flower industry.
To participate in the
supplement,contact: Nelson
Maina: 0722 403103,
020 3556911
21
22
S T R AW B E R R I E S
Strolling into the exciting
Though it can be commercially produced on a small farm, strawberry remains largely unexploited as the country spends millions of shillings importing the fruit
By WISON MAINA
D
espite its high potential to alleviate poverty, earn substantial
foreign
exchange
and suitability to grow in nearly
every corner of Kenya on small parcels of land, the strawberry remains
largely unexploited as the country
spends millions of shillings importing the fruit whose flavour resonates with many tongues.
It is a favourite in jams, yoghurts,
juices, cookies and milkshakes
among other products and unconfirmed reports indicate that a
prominent personality is growing
them for export while manufacturers are importing the berries from
Europe.
Other reports indicate that the
government has directed companies which produce/manufacture
straw berry products using flavours
to use natural fruits, that are rich in
calcium, vitamin e; calcium, phosphorous, magnesium and fibre.
The companies have started importing the plants and fruits since
the local growers cannot satisfy the
demand.
This also means there is a ready
market for the fruits, which Mr
Mureithi said can be commercially
produced on a small parcel of land
“Strawberry farming has a high
potential to employ very many
of our jobless youth,” said Joseph
Mureithi, the Principal of Waruhiu
Farmers Training Centre. During
this year’s annual farmer field day
held at the centre in July, a strawberry stand was packed with curious visitors, many as surprised as
the Horticultural News team with
the expert display of the fruits by
Rogita Plants Consultants.
According to Robert Gitau,
Rogita’s managing director, strawberry farming may be easy but it
demands dedication as it requires
Strawberries on show at the Rogita Consultant s stand at the Waruhiu Farmers Training Institute farmer field day i
regular watering, fruits continuously and harvested weekly.
There are 42 varieties of strawberries, three for export and the
rest for the local market. Chandler,
Pajero and Sulphur fall in the hybrid
category and are grown for export.
Local varieties have a red stem
and a thick fur not found with the
export ones.
Strawberries are grown from
splits, and are suitable for temperatures of between 10 degrees C and
30 degrees C therefore they can
grow in every part of the country.
To produce strawberries, one
has to prepare the land well. Make/
uplift the beds to one metre width
making a path of 50cm between
the beds for easier spraying and
watering. One has to prepare the
bed well by leveling it with a rake.
Mix the topsoil with manure at
20kg buckets per square metre
then water the bed well with watering cans/drips. From the edge of
the bed one has to leave a space of
23
S T R AW B E R R I E S
world of strawberry farming
15cm to make a small hole for the
plants, 30cm from plant to plant and
30 cm from line to line in an isolated
in Githunguri
triangle to give the plants enough
space to flower on all sides.
Before planting one has to ap-
ply the planting chemical Molcap,
Nembidicene 2gms per hole and
mix with the soil then plant the split
firmly and level the ground properly. After planting, water every
evening.
In the first month, deflower the
first and second flowers to prevent
premature cropping and top dress
with CAN at one table spoon/10gms
per hole between the plants. This
helps the plants to take only what
it requires.
At the second month the plants produce healthy flowers. Top dress with
NPK 17:17:17 between the plants.
Mulching is done at this stage
whereby dry grass or hay is used,
to help the ground/soil to retain
water and for the fruits to lie on, to
keep them clean and healthy.
After 75 days (two-and-a-half
months) harvesting starts and the
plant fruits for three years continuously. Throughout this production
period, plants should be well fed to
maintain high quality yields. This is
by feeding for example with folier
feeds HB101.
For healthy fruits, keep the bed
clean and free of weeds. Like many
plants, pruning is vital for the strawberry. It is done after every two
months to remove the old and un-
healthy leaves.
During the rainy season, the
strawberry is attacked by fungal
diseases which target the leaves
leaving brown spots. It is advisable
to spray with a fungicide like COTAF,
Master to fight the diseases.
Ants are also a big threat to
strawberries and it is advisable to
spray with a pesticide like ATOM,
Tata Umeme, or Vapcomic
After every seven months, thinning is done to remove three splits
from every plant making them selfreliable.
To grow strawberries for export,
it is advisable to choose high quality hybrids like the chandler. Fruits
for export should be harvested
when they are 1/4 ripe to avoid over
ripening when they are on the market. After harvesting, the fruits stay
fresh for 4-5 days.
Strawberry can be used to make
jam and yoghurt or lotions and can
be taken as a fruit.
Mr Gitau said capital, water and
seeds are the main basics that have
often put off investors. The seed is
especially costly with one split going for Ksh300. A commercial farmer requires at least 1,000 therefore
not many people can afford them.
24
H O R T I C U LT U R A L N E W S I J U N E - J U LY, 2 0 1 0
25
26
counterfeits
Relentless war against fakes
The agrochemical fraternity has enjoined the support of the Kenya Anti-counterfeit Authority,
the Pesticides Control Products Board, Kephis and police
By catherine riungu
C
harles Mulinge (Managing
Director,
Farmchem
Limited) was not working
at Farmchem in the 1980s
but remembers the decade when
the company first came face to face
with counterfeiting of its products.
Then, its popular, fast selling coffee
spray product, Copper Nordox, was
the target.
Almost 30 years later, the problem of fake agrochemicals is still
around, has become more lucrative
and the counterfeiters are smarter.
And more of the firm’s products
have since fallen in the hands of
the fakers. These include Nordox,
Cuprocaffaro, Danadim, Maize and
Glean.
As we went to press, the agrochemical fraternity was keenly
watching the development of a
case involving their latest catch – a
prominent Githunguri stockist who
was caught dealing in an assortment of fake agrochemicals and
seeds.
The events leading to the arrest
and subsequent arraigning of the
suspect in court, while an achievement for the industry as it grapples
with the growing problem has underscored the need for the cooperation of law enforcement officers,
who Mr Mulinge said have not been
proactive in arresting suspects immediately the whistle is blown.
“It took the intervention of a senior administration official to get the
man arrested”, Mr Mulinge said adding that the sector will not relent in
its endeavour to end the malpractice.
According to the chairman of
the AAK-led anti-counterfeits committee, D.K. Kagwe, counterfeiters
target popular products and are becoming smarter especially now that
technology has made it possible to
print packaging materials that resemble the genuine ones. 
“Since the counterfeiters are get-
ting smarter, and target well-known
products, the industry must find a
way round them,” he said.
The agrochemical fraternity has
enjoined the support of the Kenya
Anti-counterfeit Authority, the
Pesticides Control Products Board,
Seed quality regulator – Kenya
Plant Health Inspectorate and the
police as it ups its game in the wake
of what is increasingly becoming a
nightmare.
If found guilty, the Githunguri
businessman faces a fine of Ksh1
million or two years in jail or both.
The punitive measures were introduced last year following an
outcry by the industry over what
they termed as a lenient penalty of
Ksh20,000 that applied before then.
The low fine did not deter offenders
whose illegitimate business rakes in
millions therefore, they would pay
up and continue. 
“The new law will reduce the
counterfeiting incidents”, Mr Kagwe
said. 
 The suspect was caught with
fake products and packaging materials for seeds and pesticides,
showing how entrenched counterfeiting has become. Looking at
Farmchem’s genuine pioneer maize
and a fake, one can only tell the difference after critically examining
Nordox,
Cuprocaffaro,
Danadim, Maize and
Glean
certain features.
Mr Mulinge said that they have
started changing packaging to
make it more difficult to copy, and
embarked on educating farmers on
how to spot the difference.
Among the measures the industry is taking is centralising printing
of labels and packaging materials
to control the amounts being re-
Farmchem managing director Charles Mulinge. The company
products are among the most targeted by counterfeiters
leased, which has been identified as
a major loophole as printers make
excess materials and sell them to
the fakers. “Printing of fake labels
and packaging materials has become a lucrative business”, said Mr
Mulinge. 
Sadly, the farmer never gets to
know until the product doesn’t
work, and then he runs to the maker
of the chemical who has no way of
knowing who sold it he added. 
He reiterated that farmers must
only purchase products from registered and certified sources.
According to Prof Vassey Mwaja,
the general manager of Juanco
SPS,  and former chairman of the
Agrochemical Association of Kenya
(AAK), fakers are giving players
sleepless nights as they have be-
come smarter as counterfeit  products reach alarming levels.
The industry and the government must be on the alert because
“for every new invention, there is
a fake within six months”, added
Agrochemical Association of Kenya
chairman A.K .Otieno. Mr Otieno
is the chief executive officer of
Topserve that represents among
other companies, BASF. He said
that none of his products has been
touched yet, but he knows it it just a
matter of time.
The same case applies to Mr
Kagwe,
whose
two-year-old
Profarm is so aware of the lurking
danger and can hope that by the
time its products catch the attention of the counterfeiters, the industry will have sufficient arsenal.
27
Effective, environmentally safe agricultural products
DK Kagwe, Managing Director/
CEO
PROFARM AFRICA LTD is a
medium sized agribusiness
company situated in Nairobi,
Kenya to serve small, medium
and large scale farmers in Kenya,
Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda.
Our core business is branding,
marketing, sales and distribution
of
agricultural
chemicals,
water soluble fertilizers and
agricultural biotechnology.
Our goal is to provide effective,
environmentally safe agricultural
products that positively impact
African farmers and our focus
crops are Coffee, Grains and
Horticulture.
Our promise is, to deliver high
quality agricultural products
and brands; selected or acquired
from international and national
manufacturers and sold at
reasonable and fair prices. The
company’s social responsibility
programmes and activities
focus on sustainable agriculture,
sports and protection of the
environment.
Our essence statement... “We
are different, focused, unique
and we respect our customers,
suppliers, employees and all
other stakeholders.
Currently, the following are some
of our agricultural products and
brands;
A) Agricultural Chemicals
l AlfaGOLD 100EC (Alphacypermethrin100g/l)
l profarm 2,4-D (720g/l 2,4-D
salt)
l Champflo SC (superior
liquid copper hydroxide
formulation)
l Clinic 480 SL (Glyphosate 480
g/lt salt)
l Farmathoate 40 EC
(Dimethoate 40%w/v –Blue)
12 + 2%MgO + T.E)= premium
formula for vegetative growth
stages of Horticulture, Coffee
and Grain Crops)
l profarm CALMAG (calcium
and magnesium liquid
solution)
l Profolia GOLD ( special blend
for Coffee and Fruit trees)
l Profolia POTA (superior blend
for flowering and fruiting
stages in Horticulture )
l Sangrass (premium zero
phosphorous fertilizer
specially designed for Lawns
and Golf Course Fairways and
Greens )
l Sanorganik (Organic soil
conditioner and plant growth
regulator)
l Mairol (special composition
for early and late stages of
vegetative growth)
l) Hortal (special
composition for early and
late stages of flowers and
fruit development)
Champ Flo is a protective fungicide
For Control
Roses:
Botrytis and Black spots
Tomatoes
Early Blight and Late Blight
French Beans:
Rust, Anthracnose, Angular leaf spot
Champ flo SC, a superior liquid copper hyroxide
formulation that is easy to mix, spray and leaves
NO Spray residues
All these benefits for the same price per unit
area as currently available wettable powder
copper hyroxide formulations, thus increased
economy
B) Water soluble Fertilizers
l PROFARM FOLIA + (NPK 26-6-
..”profarm” Brand stands for “Respect,Integrity and Innovation”..
28
I N F E S TAT I O N
Managing the invader fruit fly
They attack the fruiting living tissue of a plant where the female lay eggs by inserting
them under the skin of fruits and vegetables during growth.
F
The invader fruit fly was first detected in Kenya in 2003 by ICIPE scientists but it is not yet clear
when and how it got to Kenya, but has rapidly spread to most parts of the country.
‘
‘
ruit and vegetable producers and exporters in
Kenya are suffering massive losses due to the
African invader fly (Bactrocera invadens) and other fruit flies.
Fruit damage and trade restrictions on Kenya’s fresh produce
known to be hosts to certain fruit
flies pests’ continue to rise. South
Africa banned imports of Kenyan
avocadoes, mangoes and other
hosts of the invader fruit fly in
April 2008.
According to the Horticultural
Crops Development Authority
(HCDA), Kenya exported 274,908kg
of avocados worth Ksh21.4 million
in 2007 and is currently unable to
export about 300,000kg yearly to
South Africa.
A presentation by Tiffany Wax
(University of Washington) on
“the Environmental and Economic
Impact of the Invasive Fruit fly in
Kenya” indicate that avocadoes
worth $2.1 million (Ksh167.16
million) were exported to South
Africa in 2007 but the export
dropped by 80% in 2008.
ICIPE estimates that 760,000
tonnes (760 million kg) of mangoes are lost yearly due to various
fruit flies. It is estimated that fruit
export restriction to South Africa
alone costs Kenya up to $6 million
(Ksh477.6 million) annually.
In addition to South Africa,
other markets like the Seychelles,
Mauritius, USA, Japan and EU have
imposed restrictions or increased
entry checks, unless an official
treatment is applied before shipment or produce is grown in a
fruit fly pest free area that could
be certified by KEPHIS.
The horticulture sub-sector
generated $1 billion (Ksh79.6 billion) in foreign exchange and over
$650 million (Ksh51.7 billion) in
domestic earnings in 2008 according to HCDA, directly and indirectly employing over four million
In addition to South Africa, other markets
like the Seychelles, Mauritius, USA, Japan
and EU have imposed restrictions or
increased entry checks.
Vision 2030.
Trade bans and barriers from
trading partners where the fruit
flies are absent or their full establishment officially in check
get imposed in accordance with
Fig. 1. Egg-laying punctures the World Trade Organization’s
Sanitary
and
Phytosanitary
on banana fruit
(WTO-SPS) agreements and the
International Plant Protection
Convention (IPPC) principles on
prevention of introduction and
spread of pests. Every country
has the responsibility to protect
its territories from invasion by foreign pests.
people but continued flow of such
earning is being rapidly eroded by
the fruit fly. The industry is at risk
of failing to contribute as expected towards the GDP, Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) and
“About one-fifth of invasive
species may cause extensive
economic and ecological damage with unpredictable negative effects on native populations that are second only
to habitat destruction,” Dr.
Sunday Ekesi, the African Fruitfly Programme (AFFP) leader
at the International Centre of
Insect Physiology and Ecology
(icipe).
The invader fruit fly (B. invadens)
was first detected in Kenya in
2003 by ICIPE scientists but it is
not yet clear when and how it got
to Kenya, but has rapidly spread
to most parts of the country. It is
now reported in at least 28 African
countries—the latest being first
detection in May this year by the
elaborate surveillance in South
Africa by their National Plant
Protection Organization (NPPO).
It is obligatory under the WTO
–SPS and IPPC treaties that such
information is made public internationally by the respective NPPO
29
30
I N F E S TAT I O N
Fruits and vegetables industry is at risk of failing to contribute as expected
towards the GDP, MDGs and Vision 2030
or its equivalent which is mandated to protect the introduction
and spread of pests and noxious
weeds.
Avocado has been recorded as
a host of B. invadens but KEPHIS
(Kenyan NPPO) has not yet intercepted any consignment because of the pest. A recent study
indicates that the Hass avocado
variety is a conditional non-host
Indirect losses are more significantly felt by the farmers because of instant loss of market and
revenue for ready fruits.
1700m above sea level but its
range keeps on spreading.
Females insert eggs under
the skin of fruits and hatch into
whitish-cream larvae (maggots) that feed on the flesh of
the fruit or vegetable causing
direct damage and subsequent
rotting due to secondary infection of the affected parts.
Indirect losses are more significantly felt by the farmers because
of instant loss of market and revenue for ready fruits. The larvae is
the most damaging stage of fruit
flies and one of the stages that
can easily move with fruit or vegetables in trade.
“It is very frustrating to painstakingly produce good fruits then
have them rejected on the basis
that they might have a certain
new worm, yet we regularly spray
with various insecticides”, lamented a farmer who used to sell for
the export market.
The worms might not be evident at harvesting but may develop from previously laid eggs. “We
‘
‘
for Ceratitis capitata and a poor
but potential host for the related
C. rosa and C. Cosyra (Jour. Econ.
Entomology), and so no risk mitigation necessary for C. capitata
on the Hass. C. cosyra had for long
been the most serious fruit fly pest
on mangoes while others in the
genus are C. rosa and C. capitata.
These indigenous species could
cause direct damage of 40%–80%
on mangoes depending on locality, variety and season. However,
since the detection of the invasive
species from Sri-Lanka in 2003, it
has rapidly displaced the native
species in much of the country,
taking over as the foremost threat
to production and trade of various host fruits.
The fly’s economic implications
have a heavy mpact on high value
horticultural crops such as mango, avocado, guava, cucumber,
pumpkin, melon, tomato, ripe bananas, pepper, citrus and cashew
nuts. It seriously threatens the
income, food security and livelihood of millions of families that
produce and trade in fruits and
vegetables.
Studies by KEPHIS, Ministry of
Agriculture, KARI and ICIPE have
shown that it is mainly a low-tomidland pest occurring below
The fly affects high value horticultural
crops such as mango, avocado, guava,
cucumber, pumpkin, melon,
have noticed an increase in ripe
mangoes having worms in our
shelf-life trials but I don’t understand why South Africa banned
our avocadoes”, commented one
quality controller who works in
the pack house of a fruit exporter.
The ban by South Africa is considered unfair by many Kenyans
as the more stringent EU market
is still open, albeit with increased
checks. The insect is of tropical
origin and could possibly establish better in the tropics than the
temperate countries. South Africa
has a vibrant grape, avocado and
citrus industry that could be devastated by the invader fly that has
not yet been established there.
Concerted efforts are being
made to regain the fruit market with the understanding that
eradicating a well-established
pest with high reproduction rate,
readily available hosts and suitable environmental conditions is
not an easy task.
Prof. Christian Borgemeister
(Director General, ICIPE) told a
recent conference that long term
management of the fly requires
an integrated approach that explores and utilises available options including cultural methods,
biological and chemical insecticides to suppress the population,
reduce chances of infestation
by observing orchard sanitation
31
SOIL pH
Balancing nutrients in the soil
It is especially important to determine soil fertility and pH levels before planting a
crop so that the necessary lime and fertilizer can be applied to the soil.
by nelson maina
N
utrient
deficiency
affects crop yields
whether they are trees
grown for timber, fruit
trees, cereals, flowers or vegetables.
A shortage (or excess) of nutrients can cause serious reductions in crop growth, yield and
the quality of the crop produced.
Essential major nutrients such as
nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium,
magnesium, sulphur and calcium
are required in relatively large
quantities, whilst trace elements
such as manganese, copper and
boron are required in very small
quantities.
Many crops show large and
very profitable responses to the
correct use of lime and fertiliser in
terms of both the yield and quality of the crop produced.
An important part of farming
is providing plants with proper
amounts of lime and essential nutrients. Soil testing can be used to
indicate if additional nutrients are
needed to achieve optimal yield.
Soil analysis is the most accurate guide to fertilizer and lime requirements. It is especially important to determine soil fertility and
pH levels before planting a crop,
so that the necessary lime and fertilizer can be applied to the soil.
Managing Soil pH
pH is a measure of the acidity or
alkalinity of the soil and affects the
availability of nutrients to the plant.
Most floriculture crops do not respond to fertilization when the pH
is very low (extremely acid soils, pH
less than 5.0) or very high (extremely alkaline soils, pH above 7.5).
Calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and molybdenum are the
nutrients that are most likely to
be deficient under acid soil conditions. Test the soil to determine
pH before planting and every 2-3
years to monitor changes. Soil pH
can usually be modified to obtain
a suitable pH.
Raising Soil pH
For acidic soils lime application
to raise soil pH is usually required.
When the soil pH is not known, a
soil test should be performed.
On extremely acidic soils,
flowers and most crops will not
respond to fertilization or other
management factors. Agricultural
grade limestone (calcium carbonate) is generally recommended to
correct soil acidity.
Note that lime should not be
applied within one week of applying nitrogen fertilizer or manure. The high soil pH that occurs
shortly after liming will increase
the loss of ammonia.
Lime does not move through
the soil, it must be incorporated.
Some soils limed heavily over
a period of years may not require further applications. Some
light-textured soils that have an
adequate pH occasionally test
very low in calcium, and therefore
require lime. If calcium levels are
low, gypsum or fertilizers such as
calcium nitrate may also be used
to supply calcium, rather than using lime. Gypsum (CaSO4) is not a
liming agent. It will not increase
soil pH, and under certain condi-
tions it is used to lower soil pH.
The use of some dolomitic limestone is recommended since it
contains a significant quantity of
magnesium, an essential and often deficient plant nutrient.
increase the rate of organic matter depletion and encourage the
germination of some weeds. Lime
should always be used in conjunction with a planned soil testing
and fertilizer program.
The positive effects of lime application include:
• Reduce soil acidity,
• Improve the physical condition of the soil,
• Provide calcium and magnesium (if dolomitic limestone is
used),
• Favour bacterial action and,
thereby, hasten the decomposition of organic matter and the release of nitrogen,
• Improve conditions for availability of other nutrients, notably
phosphorus and some minor elements, and
• Reduce the toxicity of some
elements such as manganese and
aluminium.
Growers need to be careful
when applying lime. If applied at
too high a rate (above 5 tonnes
per ha), lime may tie up some micronutrients (e.g. boron) or cause
nutrient imbalances.
Lime application may aggravate magnesium deficiencies, especially in sandy soil. Where this
is a problem, some dolomitic lime
should be used. Liming can also
Lowering soil pH
Sometimes it is advantageous
to lower or acidify the soil pH.
Alkaline mineral soils may need to
be acidified for crop production.
The principal materials used
to lower soil pH are elemental
sulphur, sulphuric acid, aluminum sulphate and iron sulphate
(ferrous sulphate). Ammonium
sulphate, ammonium phosphate
and other ammonium containing
fertilizers are also quite effective
when the soil receives sufficient
water, though they are primarily
sources of plant nutrients.
Soluble salts in soil
Elevated salt levels in soil will
interfere with water uptake
and eventually plant growth.
The effects range from delayed
or non-germination of seed to
death of new transplants and
serious reduction in growth of
new or established plants. The
problem with soluble salts is
most severe when soil moisture
is low and salt concentration is
high.
32
Floriculture industry
executive forum
PKF welcomes you to ICPAK’s 2nd International
Conference on Public Sector Accountability
Tax, banking & finance, trade, insurance, venture capital and climate change
By Ben Omondi
S
everal discussions have
taken place since a major
flowerPKF
industry
meeting
Kenya
is part of one of the leading regional auditing, accounting and business consultancy practices
in April 2009 in the midst
in
Eastern
Africa.
of the global financial crisis sought Locally and internationally, PKF is recognized and respected and is regarded as an opinavenues of sustaining
the industry
ion former
on business issues. For over 45 years we have served a large and varied client base, ranging
through a peculiar and unprecfrom very large public and private organisations to SMEs in virtually all sectors of the economy.
edented situation.
It is with this in mind that PKF
At PKF,
serve a large part of the businesses involved in floriculture and horticulture in Kenya. We are
Kenya and Kenya
Flowerwe
Council
organized a Floriculture
Industry
proud to have
hosted the Floriculture Industry Executive Forum, in association with Kenya Flower Council,
Executive Forum in Nairobi in
as
part
of
our
continuing
contribution to the growth of the industry.
August, with the understanding
that although the industry is still
inundated with major challenges;
opportunities for growth and exWe offer a wide range of services including:pansion are abundant.
The forum highlighted the
emerging issues with focus in tax,
banking & finance, instruments of
trade, export trade
• insurance,
Audit venassurance and advisory
•
Internal audit and risk management
ture capital and the impact of cli•
Forensic
accounting
•
Environmental management consultancy
mate change.
A panel of •experts Tax
gaveconsultancy
pres•
Information technology consultancy
entations at the August meet•
Corporate
finance
•
Corporate recovery and restructuring
ing in Nairobi, where Julius Muia,
at the Floriculture Industry Executive Forum
Secretary National
Economic Participants
• SocialManagement
consulting
•
Financial management services
Council gave the key note address.
•
Human
capital
consulting
•
Training and development
Speakers and the topics presented of products.
needs and is considered a high risk Corporation (IFC)
were as follows:
Kenya’s floriculture industry sector, the forum heard, whose at“Other than diversification, we
wants the government to protect tractiveness has been dented by foresee a future where small playJane Ngige CEO, Kenya Flower
and help promote the industry and the turbulence in the European ers in the industry will be forced to
Headquarters
Council – overview
of the flower
be proactively involved in maintain- markets.
merge and automate their operaindustry.
Kalamu
House,
Waiyaki
Way,
PO.
14077,
00800
ing existing
markets
asBox
well push
for NAIROBI
Financial sector
players say un- tions to keep their costs in check in
Alan Dodd, Executive Director,
diversification
to other
markets
es- certainty in the European market order to remain attractive to exterTel:floriculture
(+254 20) 4446616-9,
Fax:
(+254
20) 4447233
NIC bank – The
pecially those that have significant and overdependence on rainfed nal financiers, “ said Mr Magwenzi.
industry: a lender’s
perspective.
E-mail: [email protected]
growth potential and those whose production have raised the floriculFloriculture business owners
Oswald Magwenzi, Investment economies are not correlated with ture industry’s risk profile, making it need to make use of credit rating
Officer, International Finance
the traditional Kenyan market. The a hard-sell to lenders.
agencies and take risk insurance to
• Mombasa • Nakuru • Kisumu
• Kampala • Dar es salaam
• Kigali.
Corporation – Financing options Nairobi
government also needs to enable
Financiers are also worried by the have more leverage when sourcing
for flower producers.
growers expand their activity away industry’s unstable labour relations, for finances for their business. “The
Sam Omukoko, Group MD,
from specific geographical loca- seasonal demand for its products, slow growth of our capital markets
Metropol E.A – Role of credit
tions due to climatic conditions and tropical pests and diseases that is due to the lack of rating agencies
rating agencies &bureaus in
and logistic considerations through affect production.
in the country leading to distortion
supporting domestic and export
development of infrastructure with
“The industry’s traditional attrac- of the funding structure as well as
trade.
For more details, visit
our
www.pkfea.com
respect
to website:
energy, roads,
ports and tiveness may still be intact, but there high cost of products as consumers
Suresh Patel, CEO Kridha
drainage among many others.
are many risks that have emerged ultimately bear the cost” says Sam
Limited – opportunities in
To deal with this challenge the that make banks very conservative Omukoko, Metropol Insurance.
carbon business and water
government has adopted a Cluster in choosing their lending priorities,
Climate change greatly impacts
resource Management.
Strategy as a framework to drive “ Allan Dodd, executive director at the flower industry increasing the
Salim Alibhai, Audit Manager
competitiveness and following NIC Bank said.
industry’s risk factor. Growers need
PKF – Carbon accounting.
recommendations by NESC, the
Although the sector is the lead- take up adaptation measures and
John Thindi Tax Director, PKF –
Ministry of Trade has commissioned ing foreign exchange earner, insta- implement water management
Tax compliance and planning in
KIPPRA to carry out a study on clus- bility of the EU market is a key factor plans to reduce economic impacts
the floriculture industry.
ters in Kenya with a view to map- in deciding future business relations of climate change but it has a cost.
Mr. Muia highlighted that the ping these and developing a guid- with the industry.
It is also vital for growers to be
specter of globalization and the ing policy framework. Noting that
“By relying heavily on EU mar- more informed on tax planning in
fierce competition that it bequeaths the Flower industry is one of these kets, the industry has also external- order to claim all capital expenses,
to many businesses requires that clusters, Mr. Muia asked KFC to move ised its risk, meaning the ability to monitor their losses, develop transthe whole value chain be examined fast to adopt the cluster strategy by repay must be extended to include fer pricing policy and avoid unnecand optimized by the application employing the triple helix concept assessment of conditions of the EU essary penalties or interests hence
of efficient practices in the financ- which brings together government, market before loan is granted, “ said become tax compliant.
GLOBAL
EXPERTISE
• LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
ing, planting, growing, harvesting, private sector
and researchers.
Oswald Magwenzi, an investment
transporting, marketing and selling
The industry has unique financial officer at the International Finance
33
PKF Kenya is part of one of the leading regional auditing, accounting and business consultancy practices
in Eastern Africa. Locally and internationally, PKF is recognized and respected and is regarded as an opinion former on business issues. For over 45 years we have served a large and varied client base, ranging
from very large public and private organisations to SMEs in virtually all sectors of the economy.
At PKF, we serve a large part of the businesses involved in floriculture and horticulture in Kenya. We are
proud to have hosted the Floriculture Industry Executive Forum, in association with Kenya Flower Council,
as part of our continuing contribution to the growth of the industry.
We offer a wide range of services including:•
•
•
•
•
•
Audit assurance and advisory
Forensic accounting
Tax consultancy
Corporate finance
Management consulting
Human capital consulting
•
•
•
•
•
•
Headquarters
Kalamu House, Waiyaki Way, PO. Box 14077, NAIROBI 00800
Tel: (+254 20) 4446616-9, Fax: (+254 20) 4447233
Nairobi • Mombasa • Nakuru • Kisumu • Kampala • Dar es salaam • Kigali.
For more details, visit our website: www.pkfea.com
GLOBAL EXPERTISE • LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
34
Floriculture industry executive forum
FLORICULTURE INDUSTRY EXECUTIVE FORUM
Accountants &
business advisers
Accountants &
business advisers
Kenya: The country- competitive edge
Industry Performance
World Markets
Market access
Certification
Compliance
Trade protocols
FLOWER INDUSTRY
EXECUTIVE FORUM
Accountants &
business advisers
Accountants &
business advisers
PKF Kenya is part of one of the leading regional auditing, accounting and business consultancy practices
in Eastern Africa. Locally and internationally, PKF is recognized and respected and is regarded as an opinion former on business issues. For over 45 years we have served a large and varied client base, ranging
from very large public and private organisations to SMEs in virtually all sectors of the economy.
At PKF, we serve a large part of the businesses involved in floriculture and horticulture in Kenya. We are
proud to have hosted the Floriculture Industry Executive Forum, in association with Kenya Flower Council,
as part of our continuing contribution to the growth of the industry.
FLOWER INDUSTRY EXECUTIVE
FORUM
Audit assurance and advisory
Forensic accounting
Tax consultancy
Corporate finance
Management consulting
Human capital consulting
•
•
•
•
•
•
Presented By John Thindi
We offer a wide range of services including:-
Challenges facing the industry
FLOWER INDUSTRY EXECUTIVE FORUM
Social, economic and
environmental
dynamics
Jane
Ngige
Jane Ngige
Opportunities
Kenya
Flower
Council
Jane Ngige
Kenya Flower Council
Looking
ahead
Kenya Flower Council
12.08.
2010
•
•
•
•
•
•
Headquarters
Kalamu House, Waiyaki Way, PO. Box 14077, NAIROBI 00800
Tel: (+254 20) 4446616-9, Fax: (+254 20) 4447233
12.08. 2010
12.08. 2010
Nairobi • Mombasa • Nakuru • Kisumu • Kampala • Dar es salaam • Kigali.
For more details, visit our website: www.pkfea.com
GLOBAL EXPERTISE • LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
Managing Trade & Investment Risk
An Insurance Perspective
Julius Karuga, Underwriter
Managing your credit is the first step
you take toward managing your
Managing your
credit is the first step
LIQUIDITY.
you take toward managing your
LIQUIDITY.
Managing your credit is the first step towards
managing liquidity
HOW CAN THE CREDIT BUREAU
HOW CAN THE CREDIT
HELP?BUREAU HELP?
HOW CAN THE CREDIT
ByBUREAU
Sam Omukoko
HELP?
Managing Director
METROPOL CORPORATION LIMITED
CARBON ACCOUNTING
nd International
countability
Accountants &
business advisers
egional auditing, accounting and business consultancy practices
lly, PKF is recognized and respected and is regarded as an opin45 years we have served a large and varied client base, ranging
ations to SMEs in virtually all sectors of the economy.
nesses involved in floriculture and horticulture in Kenya. We are
ustry Executive Forum, in association with Kenya Flower Council,
he growth of the industry.
ng:•
•
•
•
•
•
Opportunities in Carbon Business
Presented By Salim Alibhai
GHG PROTOCOL STANDARDS
Accounting of emissions is done through:
- Product Life Cycle Accounting and Reporting Standard
- Scope 3 (Corporate Value Chain) Accounting and Reporting Standard
- Pilot run of 60 international companies is underway
4077, NAIROBI 00800
4447233
uru • Kisumu • Kampala • Dar es salaam • Kigali.
The final standards shall be published for issue by December 2010.
pkfea.com
FLORICULTURE INDUSTRY
EXECUTIVE FORUM
Suresh Patel
KRIDHA LIMITED
P.O.Box - 17777-00500, Nairobi.
Tel: +254 20 3546665/2072233
Cell: +254 725 249249/0733625863
[email protected]
1
PERTISE • LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
Water Resource Management
- need for optimization for
flower sector
Suresh Patel
Presentation by Executive Director, Alan Dodd
PKF Forum: 12th August 2010
KRIDHA LIMITED
P.O.Box - 17777-00500, Nairobi.
Tel: +254 20 3546665
Cell: +254 725 249249
The full presentations shall be available online at www.pkfea.com / newsroom / publications is included in the PKF presentation summary.
GROWING AREAS ADVERT hi-res.pdf
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
5/24/10
10:53:34 AM
35
36
forum
Floriculture exporters to adopt
eco-labelling
‘Eco-labelling’ ensures that farmers’ activities are consistent with sustainable
development criteria and optimize resource management
By BEN OMONDI
Players in Kenya’s horticultural
and floriculture industry have been
urged to embark on “eco/labelling”
of their export produce to enhance
the value of their exports in the international market.
This is because ‘eco-labelling’
ensures that farmers’ activities are
consistent with sustainable development criteria and optimize
resource management – including
water – without having negative
impacts on the environment.
Mr Suresh Patel, chief executive
of Kridha Ltd, a manufacturer and
provider of water treatment technologies and chemicals said that
“eco-labelling is now a key marketing tool as it helps one to export
produce with ease to the European
Union and other overseas markets.”
In an interview with Horticultural
News, Mr Patel said that one component of eco-labelling is the current
trend of declaring greenhouse gas
Mr Suresh Patel, chief executive
of Kridha Ltd,
number on each exported product.
“If the greenhouse gas number
is higher, one does not get favourable prices in the export market and
the lower the value of the number,
the better prices one’s produce
Flower farmers should also go for flower varieties which consume less water to conserve the scarce
water resources
fetches,” said Patel, adding that the
exports’ greenhouse gas number
is now a legal requirement in the
United Kingdom and is set to be
made mandatory for exporters by
end of this year.
Patel urged the key industry
bodies in the country – including
the Kenya Flower Council (KFC),
Horticultural Crops Development
Authority (HCDA) and Fresh Produce
Exporters Association of Kenya
(FPEAK) – to come out and play the
lead role towards the adoption of
greenhouse gas number.
“Sensitisation should be done
by the key industry bodies. These
bodies and associations should
come out and play a key role in
farmer education as regards adoption of greenhouse gas number,”
he said, adding that adoption
rates of such industry trends and
technologies is low locally due to
lack of education and technology
gap among farmers.
“There is a technology gap
among farmers as they are not
aware of relevant technologies
that can help enhance their productivity. Adoption of new production technologies can also
help the farming community
to reduce production costs,” he
added.
Adoption of new technologies,
he further said, could help end the
conflict between flower in Naivasha
and the local community as the
new water management techniques could ensure optimum use
and recycling of water from the lake
Naivasha and less effluent being released back onto the lake.
“The National Environment
Management Authority (NEMA)
needs to define standards of quality
of effluent that can be released onto
the lake. Flower farmers should also
go for flower varieties which con-
sume less water to conserve the
scarce water resources,” he added.
To further enhance water conservation efforts, he urged the government has been urged to partner
with financial institutions to provide
incentives to those involved in the
provision of water management
technologies to residential and
commercial sectors.
Such incentives, he said, could
include soft loans to the providers of the technologies to enhance
their efforts towards ensuring that
the water resources are effectively
conserved.
Considering the fact that
Kenya has been recognized as
a water-scarce country, he emphasized the need for both residential and commercial users
to ensure they construct water
recycling as well as harvesting
facilities within their compounds
and enterprises.
Chemicals
Chemical Dosing Unit
Rainwater harvesting and Bore-well
recharging
Repair & Maintenance of RO plants
37
P.O. Box 17777-00500, Nairobi Kenya.
Tel +254 20 3546665, 2072233, 3546664
Cel: 0725 249249, 0720 911201, 0733 625963, 0734 756813
Email:[email protected], [email protected],[email protected]
Manufacturers of Raw Water and Wastewater ( Effluent) treatment plants, Water Treatment Chemicals for boilers, cooling
towers and chillers. Consultants for Environment Impact Assessment and Audit, Environmentally Sound Technologies,
Carbon Trading, CDM, Eco-Labeling and Greenhouse Gases Management. Suppliers of Industrial Chemicals.
Environmental solutions
Industrial/Domestic water treatment
Environmental Audits (EA) and
•
Industrial effluent treatment & Recycling plant
¥ Water analysis laboratory
Environment Impact Assessment
For reuse of wastewater -Plant Sizes available –500 to 200,000 liters/day or as per client’s need.
•
Sewage effluent treatment plant
facility
(EIA)
•
DM and water softening plants
¥
Industrial chemicals supply.
•
Reverse
Osmosis(RO)
plants
Energy Audits(Electrical
and
Thermal)
Package Water Treatment PlantNoise mapping and Sound
proofing
For treatment
of water from River, Lake, Borehole, Rain water or any managed water supply.
Plant
Sizes available – 500 to 200,000 liters/day or as per client’s need.
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Other services
Water treatment for Boilers, Chillers, Cooling Towers
Supply of media like Activated Carbon, Anion and Cation resins
Manufacture and supply of Water Treatment Chemicals
Chemical Dosing Unit
Rainwater harvesting and Bore-well recharging
Repair & Maintenance of RO plants
Environmental Audits (EA) and
Environment Impact Assessment
(EIA)
Energy Audits(Electrical and Thermal)
Noise
mapping solutions
and Sound proofing
Environmental
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and Environment
Impact Assessment (EIA)
Air
emission
and (EA)
control
technologies
Supply
of
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Chemicals,
Chemicals and Fertilizers.
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Energy
Audits(Electrical
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Thermal)
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Other services
¥ Water analysis laboratory
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¥ Industrial chemicals supp
Other services
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Water analysis laboratory facility
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Industrial chemicals supply.
Manufacture
Noise mapping and Sound
proofing of Water Treatment Chemicals for Boilers, Cooling Towers and Chillers. Waste Water Treatment Pla
Environment Impact Assessments and Audits Environmentally Sound Technologies, Car
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Projects
The Great Agribusiness Revolution in East Africa
Supply of Industrial Chemicals, Agricultural Chemicals and Fertilizers.
Manufacture of Water Treatment Chemicals for Boilers, Cooling Towers and Chillers. Waste Water Treatmen
Environment Impact Assessments and Audits Environmentally Sound Technologies,
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Read all about it in Horticultural News
November-December issue
To participate in this special focus, call Nelson Maina: 0722 403 108 Email: [email protected]/[email protected]
38
Kilimo faida to the rescue of farmers
K
ilimo Faida is an agribusiness value chain
financing programme
under the flagship of
Orion East Africa Limited.
The programme, the first of its
kind in the country , targets both
micro and larger scale farmers
and seeks to remove hindrances
in agricultural value practice.
This is through the provision
of low-cost credit through which
farmers can access farm inputs
(agro-chemicals and seeds), buy
farm equipment to boost production, access Letters of Credit,
Guarantees, as well as quick cash
on their invoices (factoring). We
also offer Bid Bonds to our established clients.
The programme has in the
past one year financed over 1,200
farmers to the tune of over Ksh50
million from almost every region
in Kenya. We anticipate growing
our portfolio to over Ksh250 mil-
lion in the next two years.
A key objective of Kilimo Faida
is to ensure that farmers maximize
on their farm potential through
the provision of easily accessible
and affordable credit facilities.
their inputs from, where to get
value adding advice and finally,
how to market their farm output.
Orion East Africa is focusiedon addressing farmers’ needs
across the entire value chain and
Kilimo Faida customers are able
to get interest free credit on farm
inputs during planting seasons.
Farmers benefit by focusing on
their core business without having to worry about where to get
Kilimo Faida is just one of the
programmes that complete the
cycle.
Other programmes within
Orion East Africa Limited include
Orion Seed that that imports un-
der license, high quality certified
seeds, Independent Testing and
Advisory Services (ITAS) which
tests soil components and advises
farmers accordingly, Green Earth
which advocates for environmental conservation.
This value chain approach ensures that farmers’ needs are catered for from the input stages to
post harvest period.
In the next one year, Kilimo
Faida is targeting to reach out to
over 5,000 farmers/growers and
advance over Ksh150 million. This
will be done while ensuring lowest
default rate through value added
support which will mainly entail
provision of extension services.
Further, through our portal,
www.kilimofaida.com, we are giving an opportunity to international investors to directly support a
farmer from any country.
40
mar k ets
Glad you asked, we grow onyx but ...
Onyx is an all-season flower which takes six months to mature, after which the stems are
harvested for onward collection by Nature Grown.
To Nature Grown, the benefits
of working directly with farmers
by helping them to market their
produce without going through
middlemen has - apart from ensuring constant and regular supply of produce - led the firm to
increase its horticultural export
volumes and capacity, which currently stands at 9 million stems
per year.
However, even with the successes so far registered since the
inception of the Nature Grown,
KHDP partnership in 2008, the
main challenge of sourcing flowers from outgrower farmers, according to Ms Mburu, has been
how to ensure that quality of exports is uniform and ideal for the
EU export market as the stocks
are normally supplied by different
flower farmers.
“We are always forced to grade
the flowers,
something that
sometimes forces us to throw
away some stems and in the
process having to deal with complaints from the farmers. But this
is the best way by which we can
ensure that we export the quality
required,” she says.
The need to ensure uniform
quality of the flower stocks supplied to Nature Grown by the
smallholder farmers has led the
firm to employee about eight
agronomists who work directly
with the farmers on the ground
to ensure the required quality is
achieved and delivered to the
firm.
Mr Wilfred Kimami, who has
over the past seven years worked
with his team to ensure the success of Nature Grown as well as
the continuity of the firm’s partnership with KHDP since 2008,
says that the he has seen his flower
export capacity increase from just
1.2 million stems five years ago to
17 million stems currently.
“This year, we are aiming at
exporting over 20 million stems
John Kagia, a Nature Grown agronomist, makes a demonstration at an Onyx flower farm in Lari
Division, a few kilometres from Nairobi.
due to the fact that we have introduced new product offerings
which are targeted at the premium segment of the EU market,”
says Kimami, however adding that
the only major challenge of working with the smallholder farmers
is that they have limitations when
it comes to growing prime products.
The EU market’s segmentation
combined with the fact that smallscale framers can not grow prime
products is one of the reasons
that led Mr Kimami to establish
Nature Grown whose products
are used to access relatively more
flower auctions in Germany and
Holland.
The EU is the main export destination for Kenya’s flowers, with
the Netherlands (Holland) importing the bulk of flowers for sale
through the country’s auction
system.
“The main reason behind the
formation of Nature Grown was
the need to put the common man
growing flowers on the international market. We mainly focus
on flower growers who have to
cope with various challenges before they access the international
market with their produce,” says
Mr Kimami.
The flower export sub-sector
is controlled by mainly private
entities, including both large and
small-scale farmers and exporters
operating scattered across the nation.
Among the factors that have
contributed to Kenya’s rise in
flower exports is the country’s
Equatorial climate which allows
for year-round production; fertile
soils; a competitive labour force
with good education and technical background.
Ms Nancy Njeri Chege is a flow-
er grower who through getting involved in the Nature Grown, KHDP
partnership has seen her household incomes improve since she
started growing the ‘Onyx’ flowers while supplying the produce
to Nature Grown in 2007.
Ms Njeri, who previously grew
only carrots, cabbages, potatoes
and maize in her half-acre plot,
was driven to get into flower production due to the instability and
price fluctuations that is known to
affect other crops, leading to unreliable incomes to the farmers.
Onyx is an all-season flower
which takes six months to mature,
after which the stems are harvested then tied in batches of 10
stems each for onward collection
by Nature Grown.
The stems are then graded
according to stem length, with
the longer stems fetching comparatively higher prices than the
41
mar k ets
... No room for middlemen here
The only major challenge of working with the smallholder farmers is that they have
limitations when it comes to growing prime products.
shorter stems.
“Harvesting can be done every
week for older crop and the plants
can stay up to four years before
new planting materials are introduced. This means that production costs during subsequent seasons after the first harvest are significantly reduced as no planting
material is bought and the only
expenses are on fertilizer costs
and labour,” says Ms Njeri, who
doubles up as the treasurer of 10member Kereita farmers group in
Kirenga location, Lari District.
Being a consistent and promising member of the project, Njeri’s
farm has a shade net and is also
used as drip irrigation demonstration plot, the construction of
which has been done by KHDP.
However, the challenge in
growing the ‘Onyx’ variety, says
Njeri, is the fact that the crop is
labour-intensive, especially during post harvest as farmers have
to engage between 5 to 6 people
in the removal of the flower’s tip
buds to ensure the plant matures
to the desired quality while additional labour is required for irrigation during the dry season.
To mitigate against the higher
costs, says John Kagia, a Nature
Grown agronomist, some farmers are now growing other flower
varieties (like Erygnium) though
Onyx still fetches better prices.
“Erygnium is affected by seasons and is therefore not popular
in the EU market during the offpeak season, which is normally
between June and September,”
says Kagia.
One of the farmers growing
the Erygnium variety is Mr Peter
Kimani, a flower farmer from
Gitemenge group in the same
location, who has put his eightacre piece of land on the crop
but complains that growing the
flower is challenging due the high
cost of inputs – like pesticides and
labour.
Intercropping
Paul Wathiru Nyururu, also a
flower farmer from the same area,
has however decided to go a different route and intercrops three
flower varieties on his eight-acre
piece of land, including Onyx,
Erygnium and Lilies (for the local
market).
His farm has also been fitted
with a shade net which induces
stems to grow taller as they search
for the sun’s elusive rays. The shade
net, also used a demonstration for
others in the KHDP project, also
ensures that temperatures inside
are cooler than leading to better
harvests and incomes.
“Previously, people did not see
the potential in growing flowers
but due to the inspiration from
this project and my farm, they
are now keen on getting involved
in the trade,” says Mr Nyururu,
but warns that flower growing
is a labour-intensive endeavour,
requires lots of dedication and
therefore the need to start small.
“We work here three of us every
day, pruning the flowers and also
removing suckers which compete
with good flowers for food and if
left lead to slim stems and short
flower
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Email : [email protected]
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42
Safety on the farm-crop protection chemicals
Staff safety and protection of the environment are pillars of these codes. Safety training
for all staff handling chemicals on the farm is now obligatory
By Dr Jack Aston
[email protected]
A
bout 20 years ago, the
Crop Protection Industry
[formerly GIFAP, now
Crop Life International]
introduced and sponsored a Safe
Use of Chemicals project into
Kenya.
The objective was to educate
smallholder farmers in all aspects of
use of agricultural chemicals. These
products, despite their major benefits, were being used carelessly and
incorrectly by many people. In fact,
cases of poisoning were reported to
say nothing of the huge number of
people who were being exposed to
risk.
Working closely with, and providing essential but vital support to
the project were several key institutions. The Ministry of Agriculture
Crop Protection Department was of
particular importance alongside the
Pest Control Products Board and the
Agrochemical Association of Kenya.
Their scientific staff carried out most
of the training, which reached over
half a million smallholders over the
ten years of the project.
Their work, alongside other factors, has resulted in the appropriate
use of chemicals and reduced poisoning incidents to a very low level
to the extent that almost every poisoning associated with agricultural
chemicals these days is due to some
deliberate act. The importance of
these early years must never be un-
derestimated.
In 1995, Kenyan horticulture and
floriculture enterprises took up the
training initiatives seriously and staff
handling crop protection chemicals
started receiving formal safe use
trainings. After some reluctance
the proper use of protective gear
began to be seen as the norm and
more care was being taken when
products were in use. Later in the
1990s Kenya, via FPEAK and Kenya
Flower Council pioneered the development of codes of conduct for
the industry. Over the years, these
code have been refined, improved
and now are internationalized with
world codes of conduct in place.
Staff safety and protection of the
environment are pillars of these
codes. Safety training for all staff
handling chemicals on the farm is
now obligatory. As a result, occupational poisoning is now unheard
of, accidents are rare and suicide attempts much accepted.
The training programmes themselves, still extensively used have
been a success despite [like seatbelt
wearing programme in cars] taking a few years to receive wide acceptance. Alongside these training
programmes, the Crop Protection
Industry has done much to revolutionize the safety side of products
use. The AAK [Crop Life Kenya] has
strongly supported the development of small packs of product for
smallholder farmers to cut out the
dangerous practice of repacking.
The PCAK has increased its presence in the market and has been for
some years a potent force in implementing Kenya’s excellent products
regulatory scheme.
International
Chemical
Companies have also played a part
in improving user safety. New less
toxic products have entered the
market in the past years phasing
out, particularly in the large scale
user markets, the older organophosphates which caused problems
historically with regular careless use.
Newer products such as pyrethroid
insecticides are also used at very
low rates [a few cc’s or gms per acre].
Further, in this area, safety intervals
between product use and harvest
of crops are now widely respected.
Another area where Kenya has
been active is ridding the country
of stocks of obsolete products. In
the late 1990s and early 2000 the
safe use project, working with AAK
and the Ministry of Agriculture de-
stroyed some 750 tonnes of obsolete pesticides, mostly in dangerous
condition. The material was incinerated at very high temperatures
without incidents in a cement kiln,
which in those days was the disposal method of choice in many
countries. Times have changed now
and obsolete and expired product
is now incinerated in purpose-built
facilities in [for us] Europe.
After early major clean-up operations were completed, a further 160
tonnes of products have been located mostly on farms in the country and a joint effort between FAO
and the AAK is in hand to remove
and destroy it in Europe. This is the
new clean farms project and should
see Kenya almost entirely free of expired products.
The attention paid to safety in
agriculture in Kenya has been a significant factor in building the country’s fine reputation as an exporter
of high quality produce to the rest
of the world.
[codes of conduct, training, product registration, market control,
industry product stewardship and
strong government support.
43
44
I N N O VAT I O N
Fighting mildew with fewer chemicals
Today, you can use UV on greenhouse crops, without hurting the workforce, and
without hurting the plants.
A
rne Aiking,
inventor of the Clean Light
Technology, that has
now been adopted by
some innovative rose growers in
East Africa, writes about what this
technology can do for horticultural
farms.
 When I had my own farm in
the southern USA, I developed a
technology, allowing my workers
to control mildew, Botrytis, and
other diseases on the crop, by
using specially designed lamps.
In this article, I will explain how
it works. 
Germicidal UV
The use of germicidal UV to sterilize water, air, or swimming pools is
nothing new. UV has been replacing
many chemicals in many industrial
processes. For example: In many
cities, the drinking water does
not smell like chlorine anymore.
Chlorine has been replaced with
germicidal UV. Safer and cheaper.
In many hospitals, the smell of formaldehyde is gone. Formaldehyde
has been replaced with UV. Safer
and cheaper.
However, germicidal UV can hurt
the crop. Furthermore, germicidal
UV lamps, such as used in water disinfection, generate ozone and other
dangerous byproducts. That can
be damaging for crops as well. And,
most importantly, germicidal UV can
hurt the eyes of workers. So, we in the
farming world concluded, correctly:
“In farming we cannot use UV to replace those expensive chemicals”  
Because of reduced spraying the crop will be stronger, more productive and will produce higher quality
My invention, the UV Crop
Protector Technology, eliminates
those barriers. Today, you can use
UV on greenhouse crops, without
hurting the workforce, and without
hurting the plants.
 Fungus life cycle
Mildew, Botrytis etc. are fungus
species. Fungus has two life stages:
1) “Spores” (sort of like the seed
CHARLES GERARD LTD
Box 64107-00620, Nairobi.Tel 020-3544685, 0722-207211, 0737-939393.
E-mail. [email protected]
7bieikffb_[hie\
✦ Greenhouses, Tunnels & plastic
films.
✦ Testing & measuring instruments.
✦ Flower seeds & rooting hormones.
✦ Personal safety, horticultural tools
& equipment.
✦ Shade & insect nets, drip pipes &
irrigation.
✦ Shading paints & disinfectants.
✦ Cable transport systems.
✦ Cold rooms & prefabricated
buildings.
✦ Water silos & dam liners.
✦ Farm machinery.
klYb[Wdb_]^jjhebb[o
stage of a plant); and 2) “Mycelium”
(sort of like the vegetative stage of
a plant). 
If we want to kill the spores, we
have to apply a high dosage of UV
light. That requires very strong
bulbs, and many seconds of exposure time. Not practical in the
greenhouse. Furthermore, it creates problems for the crop, for
the workers, and for the beneficials.
If we want to kill the mycelium,
just a tiny little bit of UV light suffices (a low dosage). One second
of exposure time is more than
enough. That is safe for the crop,
safe for the workers, and safe for
the beneficials.
 So, by applying this low dosage, on a daily basis, we kill the
mycelium every day, before it can
make spores, and before it can
penetrate the plant.
On the farm
So, how does this work in the
field ?
Water disinfection lamps are
dangerous. They create all the
problems we spoke about ear-
lier for people, for crops and for
beneficials. We have developed
UV Crop Protectors, which give a
well balanced low dosage of UV
light. Safe for workers. Safe for
the crop. Safe for beneficials. But
literally killing for mycelium.
Hardi Kenya Ltd and Charles
Gerard Ltd are our local partners
making this technology available
for East African growers of any
kind.
The basic model is the UV Crop
Protectors mounted onto a simple rugged, man-operated cart.
Think of a wheelbarrow with
UV Crop Protectors. Together
we carefully selected the right
model Crop Protector, applying the optimal dosage. So, now
your workers can walk through
the greenhouse, normal walking
speed, to control mildew, just like
they normally do with chemicals.
The experience from the field
is that workers in Kenya and
Ethiopia treat approximately 3
hectares in a normal working
day. (Rose growers in Ecuador
and Colombia treat about 2 hec-
tares per worker per day).
Some farms prefer to have a
cart with an extension cord. So,
one worker walks with the cart,
the other guides the electrical cable (just like he would previously
guide the hose). Other farms
prefer to have a small generator
mounted on the cart freeing the
worker from the electricity grid.
  
All fungus gone ?
 Of course, the light does not
reach all fungus spots, and does
therefore not eliminate all mycelium.
 And, please do not forget that
this low dosage does not kill the
spores. We prevent the formation of new spores.
 The experience teaches us
that daily treatment reduces the
need for chemicals dramatically.
This technology lowers the use
of fungicides and the chemical
bill. Because of reduced spraying
the crop will be stronger, more
productive and will produce
higher quality. The working environment of the work force will
45
improve and a big plus is the absence of re-entry time after treatment.
Post harvest
A handful of rose and gerbera
growers use this technology in post
harvest setting. They treat the flowers in the shipping shed just before
loading.
Because they do not kill the
spores, they do not improve the
“vase life” by any measurable degree. However, because they kill
mycelium that may be present but
not visible on the flower, they manage to postpone the first signs of
Botrytis on the flowers  by 24 or 48
hours. 
Naivasha Fair
Both Charles Gerard Ltd And Hardi
Kenya Ltd will have a demo cart on
their stand at Naivasha Hortifair. 
They are more than happy to answer your questions, not only with
regards to roses, but other crops
as well that suffer from powdery
mildew, downy mildew, Botrytis or
Fusarium: Sunflowers, Vegetables,
and various fruit species. 
where infested fruits should be
disposed in a manner that prevents the worms from developing
into adults, keeping the fly away
from the fruits (eg, covers over
mature/ripening fruits) or applying a phytosanitary treatment to
the produce after harvest.
The biology and behaviour of
the invader fly makes it hard to
control using conventional insecticidal sprays. Strong insecticides
with long residual effect or persistent systemic action could kill
adults landing on treated plants,
the eggs and young worms developing in the fruit. Unfortunately,
the chemicals might make fruits
unsuitable for human consumption or have residues exceeding
the maximum acceptable levels.
This becomes a food safety issue
that many countries are unlikely
to compromise.
Processing and packing of fruit
juices should be encouraged to
utilise the good fruits under restriction or ban, and then marketed because the juice is not under
quarantine.
Various local firms dealing in
crop protection services and pest
control products are actively involved in the search of appropriate products that will assist the
horticulture industry deal with
the fruit-fly problem.
ICIPE’s AFFP programme and
KARI have identified various male
attractants and food baits that
could be utilized for suppres-
sion in the field, and Farmtrack
Consulting is exploring the possibility of developing a package
to target adult fruit flies in bait
sprays. Such sprays have attractants mixed with pesticides and
are applied in selected spots.
Farmtrack Consulting is at an
advanced stage of product registration of Methyl Eugenol (ME)
with Pest Control Products Board
(PCPB) to be used in a lure-and-kill
strategy.
46
Genes from sweet pepper to fortify
African banana against wilt
I
In a major breakthrough, crop
scientists have announced the
successful transfer of green
pepper genes to bananas,
conferring on the popular fruit the
means to resist one of the most
devastating diseases of bananas in
the Great Lakes region.
The Banana Xanthomonas Wilt
(BXW) costs banana farmers about
half a billion dollars worth of damage every year across East and
Central Africa.
The leaves of affected crops turn
yellow and then wilt, and the fruit
ripens unevenly and before its time.
Eventually the entire plant withers
and rots.
Dr Leena Tripathi, a biotechnologist with International Institute of
Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and lead
author of the paper, said there is still
a long way to go before the transgenic bananas find their way onto
farmers’ fields, but she called the
breakthrough “a significant step in
the fight against the deadly banana
disease.”
The transformed bananas, newly-infused with one of two proteins
from the green pepper, have shown
strong resistance to xanthomonas
wilt in the laboratory and in screen
houses. The researchers are poised
to begin confined field trials in
Uganda soon.
Some of the findings on the protective impact of the two proteins
— plant ferredoxin-like amphipathic protein (Pflp) and hypersensitive
response-assisting protein (Hrap)
— were published recently in the
journal Molecular Plant Pathology.
“The Hrap and Pflp genes work
by rapidly killing the cells that
come into contact with the diseasespreading bacteria, essentially
blocking it from spreading any further,” Tripathi said.
“Hopefully, this will boost the
arsenal available to fight BXW and
help save millions of farmers’ livelihoods in the Great Lakes region.”
The novel green pepper proteins
that give crops enhanced resistance
against deadly pathogens can also
provide effective control against
other BXW-like bacterial diseases
in other parts of the world. Tripathi
adds that the mechanism known
as Hypersensitivity Response also
activates the defenses of surrounding and even distant uninfected
banana plants leading to a systemic
acquired resistance.
Scientists from the IITA and the
National Agricultural Research
Organisation (NARO) of Uganda, in
partnershipwithAfricanAgricultural
Technology Foundation (AATF),
will soon begin evaluating these
promising new banana lines under
confined field trials. The Ugandan
National Biosafety Committee recently approved the tests.
The genes used in this research
were acquired under an agreement from the Academia Sinica in
Taiwan.
The highly destructive BXW affects all varieties, including the East
African Highland bananas and exotic dessert, roasting, and beer bananas. The crop is also under threat
from another deadly disease, the
banana bunchy top.
Dr Tripathi says that there are
presently no commercial chemicals, biocontrol agents or resistant
varieties that can control the spread
of BXW.
“Even if a source of resistance is
identified today,” Tripathi said, “developing a truly resistant banana
through conventional breeding
would be extremely difficult and
would take years, even decades,
given the crop’s sterility and its long
gestation period.”
BXW was first reported in
Ethiopia 40 years ago on Ensete,
a crop relative of banana, before
it moved to bananas. Outside
of Ethiopia, it was first reported
in Uganda in 2001, then rapidly
spread to the Democratic Republic
of Congo, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania,
and Burundi, leaving behind a trail
Green pepper proteins can also provide effective control against
other BXW-like bacterial diseases
of destruction in Africa’s largest
banana producing and consuming
region.
BXW can be managed by debudding the banana plant (removing the male bud as soon as the
last hand of the female bunch is revealed) and sterilizing farm implements used. However, the adoption
For more information,
Dr. Leena Tripathi,
[email protected],
Biotechnologist, IITAUganda
Catherine Njuguna,
[email protected],
Corporate Communications
Officer (East & Southern
Africa), IITA-Tanzania
Jeffrey T. Oliver,
[email protected]
Corporate Communications
Manager, Communication
Office, IITA Headquarters,
Ibadan, Nigeria
of these practices has been inconsistent at best as farmers believe
that de-budding affects the quality
of the fruit and sterilizing farm tools
is a tedious task.
The research to fortify bananas
against BXW using genes from
sweet pepper was initiated in
2007.
About IITA (www.iita.org)
Africa has complex problems
that plague agriculture and people’s lives. We develop agricultural
solutions with our partners to tackle hunger and poverty. Our awardwinning research for development
is based on focused, authoritative
thinking anchored on the development needs of sub-Saharan Africa.
We work with partners in Africa and
beyond to reduce producer and
consumer risks, enhance crop quality and productivity, and generate
wealth from agriculture. IITA is an
international nonprofit R4D organization established in 1967, governed by a Board of Trustees, and
supported primarily by the CGIAR
Hati ya Utoaji Huduma kwa Wananchi
Hati ya Utoaji Huduma kwa Wananchi
47
HALMASHAURI YA USTAWISHAJI MBOGA,
HALMASHAURI
MATUNDAYA
NAUSTAWISHAJI
MAUA (HCDA)MBOGA,
MATUNDA NA MAUA (HCDA)
HATI YA UTOAJI HUDUMA
HATI
YA UTOAJI
HUDUMA
KWA
WANANCHI
KWA
WANANCHI
Nairobi Horticultural Centre, Airport Road, Opp. J.K.I.A P.o. Box 42601 - 00100 Nairobi, Kenya,
Tel: +254 (020) 2088469, 3597356, 3597362, 2131560, Fax:+254 (20) 827264/9
SUPPORTING THE FLORICULTURE AND
HORTICULTURE SECTORS FROM
THE BEGINNING
Tel: 020-6907000
Fax: 020-824856/7
www.amirankenya.com
49

Managing fruit flies Focus: Oserian, Xpressions Flora Strawberry

Transcription

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