Animal Minerals & Allied LimitedP.O Box 43031 -00200 Nairobi – Kenya Telephone: + 254 722 956 647 or Email: [email protected] Website: www.formulationgoods.kbo.co.ke Hydroponics narrative Animal minerals and allied, based in Kenya specializes in marketing commercial hydroponics products for feeding all livestock and growing food crops. MISSION “It is our mission to take hydroponics, as a technology, to every Kenyan household by reducing the barriers to entry for all. It is our dream to see every home and land owner adopt this technique in Kenya in the next fifteen years”. Introduce simple and affordable hydroponic farming solutions to every Kenyan household to help them increase food production and incomes. VISION Our vision is to see Kenya as a power in the field of horticulture. To wipe the woes of every farmer in Kenya in the next twenty years by providing cutting edge technology. We want every Kenyan farmer to say it with pride, “I am proud to be a farmer.” PRODUCTS AND SERVICES OFFERED 1) Training in simplified and commercial hydroponics. 2) Consultancy services and installation of hydroponics fodder and food crop systems. 3) Supply of our patented hydroponics nutrients, 4) Supply of patented photo chemically treated trays for growing fodder. 5) Supply of both variety barley seed for hydroponics fodder. We have a fully operational hydroponics demonstration/training farm facility situated at Zambezi, Kiambu County Kenya producing nutritious hydroponics fodder for cattle, pigs, fish and poultry at the farm and in the locality. We also produce hydroponics vegetables including tomatoes for the local market. Though having been in global existence for over 50 years. shoot and root combination that is very high in nutrition. 2 Page . grown for just seven days and producing up to 30 kilograms of fodder. “The country is just warming up to the technology with majority of over 2 million livestock farmers yet to try it. the technology started to gather pace in Kenya over the last two years. thanks to population pressure and real estate pressure. Hydroponic fodder at 7 days stage. “says Peter Chege the CEO Minerals and Allied. coming at a time when land parcels are progressively becoming smaller. the project has been hailed as a revolutionary way of farming. This quantity is adequate to feed 1 mature dairy cow producing over 25 liters of milk per day. Very few smallholder farmers have little or any useful knowledge or practiced hydroponics. Dubbed hydroponics technology for its ability to grow fodder and other crops without the soil. There is also the ever rising cost of commercial feeds driven by pressure from global commodity prices of the primary feed stocks which is preventing many farmers from engaging in profitable and large scale animal production ventures. This technology entails the germination of seeds in nutrient rich solutions instead of soil to produce a grass. offering farmers a year round supply of nutritious green fodder.Fodder production A recently introduced fodder growing technology is fast rising in Kenya. ” the CEO adds. “Barley is the grain of choice due 3 to its superior performance and high nutritional value. Figure 1: Cows being fed on Hydroponics barley fodder Barley fodder has over 24 percent protein content. A variety of other seeds can be used but barley is most nutritious and economical. a farmer needs hydroponics system which is temperature and humidity controlled and chemically treated trays to prevent fungus growth and infestation. Germinating barleys seed using hydroponic nutrients to increases the available protein in the fodder from 11% to 25% protein at 7th day germination stage. To produce this fodder. If one does not use correct nutrients. this method of barley fodder production requires a far less space and the pasture produced has superior nutritive value compared to conventional grown fodder or even pasture in the Kenyan highlands. the nutritional value of barley fodder is higher than that of ordinary grass or Lucerne. The germinated barley seeds have all the nutrients required for farm animals and birds and it’s free from diseases and other antigens which may induce diseases in the animals. there will be no difference in terms of nutritional value of barley grain and fodder. Barley seed is the best for use as a fodder due to its very high fermentable sugar and protein content. The grains develop roots. vitamins and it is very rich in beta carotene and micronutrients mineral elements and there are no restriction towards the amount you can feed your animal on.According to Chege. a high level of fermentable sugars. “In fact. green shoots and forms Page . 00/. If one goes further and injects carbon dioxide into the growing system. to supplement 17 dairy cows per day to supplement 152 heads of goats or sheep per day to feed fully 172 pigs per day To feed over 5000 birds per day. “This hydroponic fodder is more economical compared to the commercial feeds and its nutritional value is higher. A shed with the following dimensions (7 Meters by 5 Meters squared ) can hold over 270 trays and produce an average of over 600 kg of fodder every day using only 20 to 30 liters of water per day. I require about five liters of water daily to produce enough fodder for my ten pigs and over 400 . For 4 Page instance. For instance.00/.a dense mat. The cost of dairy meal is Kshs 35.while it costs Kshs 7.” Chege says. 1 kilogram of dairy meal is equivalent to 2 kilograms of the barley fodder. Figure 2:Hydroponics fodder production system “Its ability to save water even though the crops or fodder is grown in water is its biggest advantage. This amount of fodder can be used. one can cut the fodder growing time to four days and increase production by up to 25 percent.to produce 1 kilogram of barley fodder using the hydroponic technology.” adds Chege. The hydroponic technology saves farmers the agony of expensive fodder storage facilities and guarantees a constant supply of high quality fodder. a farmer at Muigai estate in Kitengela. Also. “Lack of information at the grass root level about the said technology is the only missing link. educate my children and start a development project on my plot as you can see.birds.” says Mrs. due to low cost of production. I am able to save. due to the high level of unemployment. Figure 3: A newly completed hydroponics fodder production unit A just completed hydroponics unit in a dry area in eastern Kenya According to Chege. Unlike hay and silage which loses their nutritive 5 value over time.” Chege adds. Jane Mwangi. our youth can engage in this practice as a source of income by producing the fodder and selling it to livestock farmers. I spend much less on such feeds and I have been able to increase the number of my pigs and birds. this technology offers a lasting solution to the frequent droughts experienced in the country and obviates the need for expensive irrigation systems. Also.” says Mrs. Mwangi. “I used to have difficulties buying commercial feeds to feed my animals and birds but since I adapted the hydroponic technology. the quality of hydroponic fodder is always guaranteed since its fed to farm animals or Page . fertilizers and paying laborers to cultivate and harvest the grass. In conventional pasture or fodder growing. One can also cut the shoots after the eighth day and blend them to make barley juice drink for human consumption.birds while still fresh. Therefore. The ideal temperature for growing the fodder is 21 °C but if one uses our trays. One can grow barley at up to 28°C therefore making the use of electricity to cool the facility unnecessary and therefore reducing the operational costs. the commonly used grass among Kenyan farmers. Tanzania and Rwanda.000. The organization helps in building simple. The importance of good quality feed is reinforced by the fact that between 60 percent and 75 percent livestock ailments result from their feed. hydroponic fodder can be fed to all farm animals and birds. A kilo of green feed under hydroponics is nutritionally equivalent to 3kgs of Lucerne. 6 Page . Uganda. a farmer incurs costs towards buying insecticides. According to Chege. However. farmers know exactly the amount to feed their stock and the yield to expect. According to Chege. affordable and sustainable hydroponic systems in all areas irrespective of the local climate conditions. The company has achieved this because it has come up with innovative way of treating trays (patented) so that fodder can be grown in high temperature areas without incidents of fungus. what perhaps may be interesting to the farmers is its cheap capital investment and the impressive investment returns. “It can feed both indigenous and exotic birds after only four days after germination. artificial hormones.oo/.” Chege adds. “According to estimates. an investment worth of Kshs 7. Minerals and Allied is working with movements both in the rural and urban Kenya. It can be fed to pigs 6 days after germination and to all herbivores 7 days after germination.can produce a tonne of fodder which is four to six times cheaper compared to using grains to feed animals over a 3-month period. pesticides or herbicides in the hydroponics fodder feed. there are no antibiotics. Super efficient hydroponics units like those we install. the roots absorb a balanced nutrient solution dissolved in water that meets all the plants developmental requirements. Plants grown hydroponically are generally healthier than their soil grown counterparts. and does not come into contact with soil borne pests and diseases. conserve water and nutrients by preventing evaporation and runoff. In arid regions where water is scarce. crops can be grown together closer without starving each other. under ideal conditions. Since hydroponics systems deliver water and nutrients directly to the plants. Kikuyu District Minerals & Allied Limited is company that provides vegetable crops production solution called hydroponics. They receive nearly balanced diet. .Vegetables production This is a Small Scale Tomato Production Unit Figure 4: 3-weeks old hydroponics tomatoes in our farm at Sigona. Hydroponics is the growing of plants. By growing crops in clean environment. can grow vegetable using hydroponics. insecticides. in water without soil. hydroponics saves the cost of soil preparation. Utilizing this technology. They are more vigorous Page because little energy is diverted into searching for the water and nutrients. and healthier plants contribute to higher yields. fungicides and losses due to drought and ground flooding 7 Plants grown hydroponically are healthier they receive a well-balanced diet. A Greenhouse Tomato Hydroponics Productions System Figure 5: A Similar (but slightly modified for passion fruit) hydroponics system will be deployed for Passion fruit farming 8 Page . Stable and significantly increased yields and shorter crop maturation cycle Can be utilized by families with small or no yard space 9 Comparison between hydroponics and conventional vegetable farming methods Page . As one has control over the growing conditions. 2. There are no troublesome weeds and stray seedlings create the need to use herbicides. production can be timed more effectively to satisfy market demand 4. One is able to produce 3 – 4 times more vegetables in a shorter period than in conventional farming. 5. There is reduced turnaround time between planting as no soil preparation is required 7. 3.Figure 6: Close up of a healthy tomato plant at fruiting stage (6 weeks only) as opposed to conventional farming systems (8weeks) Some advantages of Growing Vegetables hydroponically: 1. The plants are more robust and therefore resistant to pests and diseases. 6. Plants have a balanced supply of air water and nutrients ensuring that they reach full genetic potential in terms of productivity. Crop Yield using soil Yield using hydroponics (No. of harvests a year using (tons per hectare at harvest time) (tons per hectare at harvest time) hydroponics) Lettuce (10) 52 300-330 Tomato (2) 80-100 350-400 Cucumber (3) 10-30 700-800 Carrot 15-20 55-75 Potato 20-40 120 Peppers(3) 20-30 85-105 Cabbage(3) 20-40 180-190 10 Page . or o Closed system Open system. Keep the garden protected from domestic animals and pets. instead of being re-cycled. and plastic sacks Closed system. Examples of some open system are: o growing beds o columns made out of tubular plastics or vertical and horizontal PVC pipes o individual containers e. In the open system of hydroponics. Examples of closed systems include: o Floating roots o Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) o PVC o Plastic or polystyrene pots set up in columns Locating a Hydroponics garden Avoid heavily shaded. The planting space must receive a minimum of six hours sunlight. In this system the nutrient solution is circulated continuously. the nutrient solution is mixed and applied to the plant as required. windy and extremely sunny places.Production System Hydroponics can be classified as: o Open system. providing the nutrients that the plant requires.g. The location must be close to a source of potable water and where the nutrients are kept It must be kept far from contaminated water It must be kept far from trees and other plants that are affected by similar pests and diseases 11 Page . pots. We provide the Shade netting for the structure. but one can establish a bigger garden for commercial operations. 12 2. their financial ability and their farm location. UV- resistant plastic and polystyrene can even be placed on a balcony without any other additional requirements. Most family hydroponic gardens are any size between 10 to 20m². Locally available materials can be used in the place of timber to reduce costs. Important Requirements for establishing a Hydroponics Vegetable production unit 1. It is built according to the needs of the farmer. Small and simple production units that can be built using timber. Hydroponics Housing Unit We provide the service of designing and building the Hydroponics vegetable production unit. A garden can be set up in spaces as small as 1m².Figure 7: A Simple Lettuce Production Unit that Produces a Hundred heads of Lettuce in 30 days The size a Hydroponics garden The area required to place a hydroponics garden is very small and therefore space requirement is not an important factor in hydroponic gardening. Hydroponics containers Page . 3. For more information about hydroponic vegetable production. The containers hold the plant in place and contain/circulate the hydroponic nutrients. We also supply the Hydroponics nutrients required for growing every type of vegetable. We charge a minimal fee of Kshs 1000/. We provide a complete solution to meet your specific growing needs. Physical Location: Gwa Clement. 4. Water One needs to have a reliable source of clean (potable) water for growing vegetables hydroponically. Introduction to Hydroponics production We provide introductory training and a live demonstration at our farm in Kikuyu where you can see various vegetables growing.co.com Website http://www. Seed The farmer makes the choice about which vegetable seed variety to produce.formulationgoods.Nderi Road along the Nairobi – Nakuru Highway Or get in touch with us through the following contacts: Animal Minerals & Allied Limited P. 6.kbo. Off Zambezi.O Box 43031 – 00200 Nairobi Kenya Telephone: +254 722 956 647 Email: peterformulation@gmail. Hydroponics nutrients These are specially formulated liquid mineral nutrients required for the growth of the vegetable plant. you can visit Us: Location of Demonstration Farm.for every participant in the training. Each vegetable requires a specific hydroponics nutrient formulation. Depending on the type of vegetables and the hydroponics vegetable growing method chosen.ke/ 13 Page . one will need to buy the necessary containers. 5. drips and trays as appropriate.