Comments on: Kenya: Seed trial packs help adopting new crops

By: Dave Hughey

Dave Hughey — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 17:41:35 +0000

Thanks, Kay

By: Kay Chapman

Kay Chapman — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 09:44:08 +0000

Dear Dave, thanks for your comment. I am following up and someone will contact you directly by email.
Kay

By: Dave Hughey

Dave Hughey — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:40:52 +0000

Please notify me by email about my wanting vining-type cow pea seed.

Thanks,

Dave

By: Dave Hughey

Dave Hughey — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:37:14 +0000

Hi, I have a small 1/4 acre plot in Nyeri that I want to plant a cover crop of cow peas on to improve the soil, which is depleted of nutrients. I would like to get a vining-type of seed to plant it on. Does anyone know where I could buy a vining-type of cow pea seeds suitable as a cover crop?

Thanks, Dave

By: Kay Chapman

Kay Chapman — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 08:29:46 +0000

Dear Abraham,

Thanks for your comment. I will follow up and try to get an answer for you as soon as possible.

Kay

By: Abraham Indieka

Abraham Indieka — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 12:01:19 +0000

I have been looking for sorghum seeds developed by KARI and others but cannot find them in any outlet in vihiga county. I am interested in sorghum variety that is tolerant to striga, stem borers, shoot fly and folier. It should also be resistant to birds. Where can I obtain the seeds? Please advise. I am a small scale farmer in Vihiga County with dairy cows, poultry.

By: Alina

Alina — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 09:08:35 +0000

Thanks for raising this Vince. Here is an example of how small farmers can improve their incomes and food security when they are linked to markets for their crops. Such as breweries which are increasingly using sorghum instead of malt. http://www.icrisat.org/impacts/impact-slideshows/2010/sorghum-slideshow.htm

The above photo album illustrates the example of Anchilla, a Tanzanian subsistence farmer who was involved in ICRISAT’s research project to find valuable market chains for drought resistance subsistence crops like sorghum.

Alina

By: pcasier

pcasier — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 09:24:01 +0000

Vince:

You hit the nail on the head with this example… Actually, introducing drought tolerant crops, is not just a question of “giving farmers the seeds”… There is a whole supply chain that needs to be set up: Seeds, training, market demand, transport, processing..

Our Hope project is an excellent example of a supply-chain integrated approach. This way, we work much more “wholesome” on a problem, rather than tackling just a small part (e.g. the seed part).

Peter

By: Vince Canger

Vince Canger — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 14:41:32 +0000

interesting! When I was at KARI this spring they were explaining how they were trying to convince large beer brewers to experiment with sorghum as an ingredient in order to encourage the planting of more drought tolerant crops such as sorghum instead of maize. I believe this is a good approach… shifting market preferences to encourage societal change