Chicken farming is the process of domesticating chicken and providing them with the basics and later using them as a source of meat and eggs. To raise chicken for the purpose of meat you require broiler breed and for eggs you need layers breed. The project starts as a vision and you should have the desire to do it. If you have no doubts that you really want to start a chicken farming project then formulate a plan, write down your goals and missions of starting the project, come up with ways on how you want to operate your business, this should answer the questions of how, where and when.

You should have the land the capital and all the equipments needed for this project; it will be difficult for you to start if you don’t have the necessities of beginning it. The land will be used for putting the structures on and also for planting the food the chicken; the equipments facilitate the feeding and cleaning the structures. Decide on how best you will raise your chicken, there are two methods of raising them, you can choose conventional where the chicken is confined in a building and the appropriate care given, the other one is free range where the chicken is left to search food in the garden for themselves.

Decide on the sector you want to work on, there are two sectors in chicken farming; rearing chicken for meat, eggs or even both. You can decide that the eggs will be the final product for the market or you can decide to incubate them and sell the chicks. You can also choose to slaughter the chicken and sell ready meat or sale the live chicken for meat. It is good to be unique after identifying the market niche, for example if many farmers in your area are doing conventional do free ranging for local breed.

Tell the people about your project, get a market for your eggs or meat through a word of mouth, marketing by mouth is cheap otherwise you can choose to market using internet or newspaper. Always keep records of your project. The amount you used in starting the project, all the purchases and costs and all the income. This will help you know what you need and for checking progress. Follow the law in raising your project, both local and state law.

One of the benefits of this project is that the chicken poop is rich in nitrogen, the poop can be compost with organic matter like leaves, for free ranging sector the chicken will clean up all the edible insects in your garden, chicken is a lovely pet which has more benefits than other pets. The space required is small and maintenance costs are low. It is a wonderful project which does not require a lot of expertise so very minimal academic requirement and any one with the desire and ability to do it can do it. The project will give you a lot of money, the project is sustaining many families worldwide and others even becoming millionaires out of it.

 

Kenya is the largest agricultural country in the East African market. It is further the leading in exporting various manufactured goods to various countries that carry trade with it. However, despite the huge growth of agriculture in the country, the Kenyan market is experiencing a lot of hardships in creating more room for high production. The following are some of the major problems affecting the agricultural sector in the country.

Lack of Labor

Many Kenyans find it hard to venture into the agricultural sector by taking their time to supply the needed labor required for high production. Many are going for the jobs that require one to be in the office for most hours of the day. The above factor is making a lot of farm go to waste and the agricultural sector is declining each and every day. The government is trying to seek measures of getting cheap labor that can be used to enhance the production of more quality produce.

Poor Transport and Communication

The sector is facing a lot of hardships in trying to reach out the wide and diverse market which is flooded. The problem is that there are no good roads in the country that can make it easy for farm produce to be transported in a more faster and easy way to the required industries. The above factor is making it necessary for the government to employ the skills of experts that can be of mutual help in enhancing the transfer of farm produce to the needed industrial places. Furthermore, communication is also an important factor to be improved.

Attack by Diseases and Pests

The agricultural sector experiences a lot of loses when it comes to crops being attacked by pest and the various crop diseases at a more faster and uncontrollable rate. The fact is that most produce will eventually go to waste making it hard for people to earn from the efforts of their labor.

Poor Farming Methods

Agriculture as a subject has continually been ignored by majority of Kenyan students that see no need in pursuing the course at high levels of education. The factor is as well affecting the sector and the outcome is that most farmers will come out as people who lack skills on how to deal with various farm machines and intervals of planting crops.

Kenya coconut development authority is based in the coastal region of Kenya. Their main mission is to provide a framework for enhanced services and earnings to customers through the development ,promotion and regulation of coconut industry in Kenya.

Extension services offered by KCDA

Training of nursery operators

in a bid to attain its core strategic objectives of enhancing coconut production the authority has over the last three years trained a total of 475 nursery operators across the major coconut cluster area in the coast. This activity is essential in addressing the constraint of lack of high quality. Nursery operators have been trained on key areas such as mother plant identification and seed selection,nursery establishment ,coconut agronomy and water management .

coconut demonstrations

over the last 3years knowledge and technology transfer in various intervention has been achieved through on farm demonstrations organized by the extension services section.the demonstrations are aimed at imparting knowledge and practical skills in aspects that will contribute to enhancing production and productivity in coconut farms.
On farm trainings

In an effort to enhance learning and training through discovery based principle,kcda has been conducting numerous on farm practical trainings on coconut agronomy and pest and disease control. This has been a very good cost effective way of reaching out to many farmers.
KCDA driven field days

The extension services section takes advantage of this fora to create linkages and strengthen existing ones. Field days are critical in the dissemination of knowledge, information and practical skills to other stakeholders in the industry.
Coconut expansion program

The current population of coconut trees will be augmented by growing coconut in completely new areas,expanding acreage in traditional coconut growing areas and replacement of senile trees.the authority has initiated an ambitious but vigorous campaign to achieving its strategic objective of increasing coconut production. The programs has sourced for quality planting materials and facilitated nursery operators to raise good seedlings for the needy farmers.

Procurement is the acquisition of goods, services or works from an external source. Based on our basic philosophy that good electronics begin with good components and good components begin with good materials, we at Murata will strengthen collaboration with our partners from the view point of ethical, legal compliance, prioritizing quality and delivery due date, environmental conservation.

Guidelines

ü  Provide general and specific guidelines for managing the buying of items and services.

ü  Establishing a purchasing criteria and decision making process, ensure implementing staff are well trained.

ü  Provide specific guidelines for establishing and managing relationships with external entities in relation to procurement.

ü  Encourage and enhance internal control measures act as a management tool for better decision making and better stewardship of the resources entrusted to organizations by its donors.

Procurement manual

Provision in procurement manuals should be read as a subordinate to the provision in the United Nations Finance Regulations and Rules.It is intended to provide guidance on procurement policies and procures to all staff members involved in the various stages of procurement actions conducted by UN in all offices and all locations and is not intended to be exhaustive.In view of constant changing procurement practices and technology is subject to periodic updating and refinement by the organization as when necessary.

Procurement policy

Its aim is to achieve greater transparency and optimization of services resulting in lower costs, improved quality of services and longer term partnership.

Purpose

To promote the prudent use of funds with selected suppliers through efficient, transparent and sound business practices which include standardized procedures, quality control, contract and performance management, and reporting.

Benefits

• Secured supply through longer term partnership and contingency plans.

• Optimized sourcing which result in lower costs and improved service and quality of goods.

• Enhanced purchasing power and vendor management, which result in cost optimization.

• Improved control and monitoring through superior transparency and policy compliance.

• Timely insight into commitments which lead to improved cash flow management.

• Enhance accuracy and integrity of financial reporting.

• Strengthen risk control through automation and segregation of duties.

 

Fishing in Kenyan lakes has been a contributor towards creating employment and as a source of income to the fishermen. Lake Victoria and Lake Turkana are examples of major lakes in Kenya where fishing activities is commonly practiced. The fishing industry is faced by the following challenges which need to be dealt with urgently.

High demand for fish has led to overfishing mostly in Lake Victoria where fishermen have been using mosquito nets to fish hence catching very small fish leading to decline of fish population as an end result. This should be dealt with by teaching the public on importance of ensuring sustainable fishing practices.

Lack of modern facilities by fishermen such as refrigerators to preserve their fish. Lack of these refrigerators has led to increased losses due to fish getting spoilt. Initiative should be taken by the county governments to suppot fishermen so that they can improve on fishing technology such as preservation of their fish to increse the profit margins and improve on the fishing economy.

Water weeds like the hyacinth common on Lake Victoria have led to increased interference to fishing activities. Their decay also increases the concentration of different poisonous gases to water hence the aquatic organisms cannot survive well. Fishing nets get traped in the hyacinth which are also a home of forreign microorganisms that interfere with the existing ecosystem balance in the lakes.

Some fishing methods where some harmful chemicals are used in fishing also lead to death of fish and other aquatic animals . This method is also dangerous to people incase they consume the water for domestic purposes too.

Local fishermen do not have modern machinery for fishing such as motorized boats and proper nets. They therefore use traditional methods of fishing which are not economical because they use a lot of time but the catch is little.

Mismanagement and misunderstandings among leaders of cooperative societies has led to lack of proper coordination in fishing activities. Fishermen do not have a common bargaining group and they end up getting poor prices for the fish.

The botanical name for onions is Allium cepa, they are an indispensable spice in a variety of meals. Onions are categorized according to the color, size and shape. Onions can be harvested while still young; there is a perennial type of onion which is rarely attacked by insects or diseases. The onions can be planted by direct seed or by transplanting. The seedling stage requires planting of seedling in a seedling bed, the soil of the bed should be loose which takes 6 weeks for them to be ready for transplant.

Transplanting method has a higher rate of succeeding than direct seeds; onions grow well in raised beds or rows at least 4 inches high, the onion should go 4 inches deep only a third of the bulb should be underground, if the onion is deeply planted the growth of the bulb will be restricted. The width between each onion should be 5 inches; the rows should be 12 to 17 inches apart. Select an open garden when planting to avoid being shaded by other plants. The soil should be loose and rich in nitrogen, compact and hard soil will interfere with bulb development, mix the soil with some nitrogen fertilizer at the time of planting, side dress the onion after every two weeks, make sure you repeat the dressing after every two weeks until the onion starts to bulb.

Just like any other plant, onions will need constant care, onions don’t require a lot of water but 1 inch per week will be sufficient, fertilize your onions after every few weeks with nitrogen for bulb growth, stop fertilizing immediately after the onion has started bulging, this will be noticed when the onion pushes the soil due to growth. Practice mulching for it helps in retaining moisture.

The insects which attack the onions are thrips, they are tiny insects which are tan colored, the insect can be eliminated by use of insecticide, follow the instructions given in the insecticide package, spray the onions after every three days and thrips will definitely disappear. Onion maggot is another dangerous insect which attacks the onion mostly during rainy season; the maggot lays their eggs at the base of the onion, you should keep mulch away during rainy season because it is a decaying matter and it attracts insects. You can prevent maggots by putting a fine mesh and mounding it around the onion.

Pull the onions that send up stalks of flowering that means that the onion is mature and is done bolting. The top of the onion becomes yellow and begin to fall at this stage, you can speed the ripening process by bending the top make the soil loose to start the drying process of the bulb, turn them up after a few days this allows them to cure on dry ground. Handle the onions with care because a small bruise will make them rot, pull the onions when the tops turn brown.

Harvesting of onions is successfully done on dry season; the onions should be dried for several weeks before they are packed. The storage condition of onions is cool and dry so avoid storing them together with potatoes or tomatoes. One benefit of this project is that the market is big so making a sale will be very easy. Remember to practice crop rotation for your next planting season.

The Police

The field is considered to be the most corrupt as seen by the rising number of bribe cases that exploit innocent people. The Kenya police is more corrupt especially in the traffic department. Many buses end up giving huge amounts of money to the police so that they can operate and most of them carry out illegal activities. It is therefore important that ways be invented on how the practice can be stopped for the sake of avoiding the exploitation of innocent Kenyans.

The Education Department

It is one of the departments that have increasing cases of corruption. Many institutions receive money from parents with the intention of favoring their children either by securing chances to study there or by ensuring that they perform well in the exams offered by the institutions. Corrupt cases come in the open in which scenarios of guys having been claimed to have first class honors’ end up being very incompetent in the workforce and job market places.

Medicine

The sector is also considered to be corrupt by the activities conducted by various medical tacticians. It has come to the realization that most doctors will prefer to benefit themselves by using funds meant for the general well being of the public for their own personal interests. It is therefore important that one takes close attention to such issues before making adequate conclusions about a certain move that may negatively affect the public.

Recruitment

The area is diverse and has several branches that come with it. Firstly the armed forces is believed to be the most corrupt recruitment department that needs one to pay huge amounts of money before being considered to be suitable for a certain type of job. Many companies recruiting new member will often receive bribes from their friends or people that they closely associate themselves with. The practice is therefore important when equality and justice is applied.

The adoption process begins with the prospective adoptive parents filling out an application which involves getting an adoption order from the High court of Kenya. Next follows completion of a dossier which is a collection of other documents that form a framework for the adoption process. The dossiers must receive different levels of certification before they are completely filled.

Among the dossier documents is a home report. It is completed by a social worker who evaluates the family of the prospective adoptive parents to ascertain that they are eligible for the adoption. When completely filled, the dossier is then mailed to the Kenya Children’s Home for further processing. If it gets approved, it is then taken to the National Adoption Committee who presides over the adoption process. The above process may take six to eight months

Once the National Adoption Committee approves the dossier, the prospective adoptive parents are then issued with a referral document. The document contains information on the adoptable child. This includes the photograph, medical information and the social history of the child. At this stage, the prospective adoptive parents review the information on the referral with an international doctor to ascertain whether they are willing to adopt that child or not.

If the prospective adoptive parents accept to adopt the given child, they are then expected to remain in Kenya for at least six months for bonding purposes especially in the first three months. A social worker will visit the family who now live with the child temporarily to assess the bonding process. The social worker then forwards a report to the Court.

During this time, the prospective adoptive parents will wait for various approvals from the United States immigration and the Kenyan government authorities. This is because they are expected to leave the country after the bonding period is over. The family is also expected to work with their lawyer to finalize on the adoption process during the bonding period.

Western Kenya is famously recognized for its production of Kenya’s staple food crop, maize. Areas in the Western region that practice small scale maize farming mainly come fromkakamega, Bungoma, Busia and Trans Nzoia counties, and some other parts of Nyanza and Rift Valley. However, all is not rosy for these hard working men and women because of the numerous troubles they have to go through.

Firstly, the lack of awareness of modern, improved technical knowhow and agrcultural practices. This can be attributed largely to a lack of sufficient interaction between farmers and extension officers and research experts in the area. Farmers still rely on traditional farming methods which lead to reduced production.

In addition, the use of unsuitable seeds is common in the region. The seeds come from outside and is usually untested on its suitability in the area. Besides, most farmers end up with uncertified seeds which may be prone to diseases and intolerant to the region’s climatic condition.

Furthermore, a lack of the necessary farm inputs is a problem that most farmers grapple with in this region. Most people are poor and unable to afford basic farm inputs. Accessing financial aid and credit is also a thorn in the flesh for most of the small scale maize farmers in the region.

Moreover, there has been evident trend of changing climate making it difficult for farmers to accurately predict when to plant. In most cases, farmers either plant too early before the onset of sufficient rains, or too late into the rainy season. This negatively affects maize production in the area.

Other problems that small scale maize farmers face in Western Kenya include insufficient labor, lack of farm machinery, poor  storage facilities and low rate of adoption of modern technological techniques in maize production. In general, small scale farmers in Western Kenya are going through tough times in their quest to feed the nation. It is evident that a problem of agriculture in the region results in a serious food crisis in the entire country because maize is the staple food of almost all Kenya’s communities.

 

Kenya Cereals and Produce Board (KCPB) is a government body in Kenya whose main function is buying and storage of cereals from farmers. The board has its branches in many towns such as Webuye, Kisumu, Nakuru, and Moisbridge.

At Moisbridge, Kenya Cereals and Produce Board is located within the Township along Moisbridge-Cherangani road. This is one of the largest branches in Kenya consisting of eight large silos with a capacity of approximately 5 million bags of cereals. This board is easily accessible through tarmac roads that feed it. The Main cereals that are stored is this KCPB branch include: maize, wheat, sorghum and millet. However, out of all the four, maize is the main cereal being stored at Mois’bridge silos. This is because farmers in the region grow maize on large scale.

KCPB gets funds from the government which it uses to buy cereals from farmers. Each year, around three million bags of maize are bought from farmers after harvesting period. The Moisbridge KCPB serves farmers in Transzoia, Uasin Gishu, Bungoma and Kakamega Counties. The Board either buys cereals directly from the farmers or from middlemen who buy from both small scale and large scale farmers.

In addition to buying cereals from farmers, the board also enables them to easily access farming inputs including fertilizers and cereal seeds through government programs. The stored cereals act as food security in Kenya. The board also sells these cereals especially maize to other stakeholders in these sectors especially maize and wheat millers. Information for farmers on when to sell their produce to the board is usually passed to them through Farmers Cooperatives, Farmers programs on radio and TV stations, leaders and farmers representatives.