Regional agro-input dealer Elgon Kenya has partnered with Dudutech, a pesticide manufacturer, to distribute its products across the country.
The deal makes Elgon Kenya the distributor of Dudutech’s globally recognised IPM category products, which mainly target horticulture industry.
The partnership is part of Elgon Kenya’s business model that is anchored on collaboration to offer customers respected and trusted brands.
“This is a landmark partnership and we are proud to be collaborating with Dudutech on this initiative. It ties with our mantra of finding innovative solutions for our farmers and walking with them in their food production process,” said Vikash Jain, the Head of Crop Nutrition at Elgon Kenya.
The agro-distributor enjoys a countrywide network of stockists and agrovets making it easier for the products to reach farmers.
“We have positioned ourselves as a company to provide products that tackle farmers’ greatest threats while protecting our environment. We are proud to partner with Elgon Kenya which shares in our philosophy and we are looking forward to transforming the agricultural sector with this partnership,” said Barnaba Rotich, from Dudutech.
Notable products from Dudutech to be distributed by Elgon Kenya include BeauvitetmWP known for its potency against whiteflies, thrips and aphids and hypotech that tackles leafminer and shore flies.
“This partnership will go a great mile in ensuring that the main focus of our farmers; food production isn’t interrupted at any one particular point due to pests and diseases that are everyday becoming a painful reality,” added Rotich.
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UN gives cattle food rations as drought bites
The United Nations has called on the international community to support drought response in Kenya to a tune of Sh2.7 billion ($27 million) as mitigation efforts shift to animals.
Humanitarian organisations, mainly the Kenya Red Cross, are now giving emergency feeds to vulnerable livestock as they also feed human beings.
“It is not business as usual as we must do things different,” said Wilfred Kinyua, the Samburu County Commissioner.
The Red Cross in collaboration with UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) are offering the rations to animals in Samburu, Marsabit, Mandera, Garissa, Tana River and Turkana counties.
The Red Cross in collaboration with UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) are offering the rations to animals in Samburu, Marsabit, Mandera, Garissa, Tana River and Turkana counties.
The organisations have been providing routine livestock feed inputs and veterinary drugs to a total of 1,210 vulnerable households in all the six counties, with a total of 10,800 animals receiving animal health services.
“This is a new approach, where we decided to include vulnerable livestock in our emergency aid programme so that they can continue providing livelihoods to hard hit communities in the drought stricken counties,” said Dr Joseph Mathooko, the Field Coordinator/Technical Officer (livestock) at the UN FAO.
Most urgently, there is need for Sh1.27 billion ($12.7 million) for purchase and distribution of hay and concentrates (range cubes) to rescue vulnerable animals owned by the most poor, and also for fodder production,” said Piers Simpkin the Head, Livestock/animal health and production sector at FAO.
Each farmer receives 30 bales of hay and seven bags of range cubes to be offered to three cows that can produce milk for consumption.
– Isaiah Esipisu
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Quick blood cow pregnancy test now in town
Dairy farmers can now diagnose the pregnancy of their cows using a simple blood test.
Using the test known as rapid visual pregnancy, farmers can establish whether an animal has successfully conceived or not just 28 days after insemination.
Initially, most farmers had to wait for up to two months leading to losses accruing from lost time and money if the animal had not conceived.
“The simple test takes only 21 minutes, and can be run in the main laboratory, veterinary clinic side laboratory or on busy dairy farms as a point-of-care test to determine the pregnancy status from a small amount of blood obtained from the tail of the animal,” said Pathologists Lancet Kenya Ltd Head of Veterinary Services, Dr Dhaval Shah.
Lancet is offering these services.
With manual palpation, pregnancy can only be detected 40 to 45 days after insemination.
The secretary of the Kenya Veterinary Association Dr Kenneth Wameyo noted early pregnancy diagnosis will boost productivity since farmers will have their cows calve at intervals of between 380 and 420 days instead of the current average of about 560 days or even more due to failed pregnancy on herds.
– Brian Okinda
