Improving Productivity of Cropping Systems and Livelihoods with Amaranth in Eastern Africa: Insights from Kenya

Khaemba Egerton University Kenya

Quinoa and Amaranth workshop held at Spekes Commonwealth Hotel, Munyonyo, Uganda

Julius

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Introduction

Major problems in the developing world

Chronic poverty Food crisis Climate change

Estimate
25-42% of species habitats could be lost due to climate change, affecting both food and nonfood crops (FAO, 2007).

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Quinoa and Amaranth workshop held at Spekes Commonwealth Hotel, Munyonyo, Uganda

Responses to climate change

GHG CO2, CH4 & NO2

Mitigation, that reduces emissions or increases capture of greenhouse gases Adaptation, that aids in adjustments in structures, practices, or processes responding to CC
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GHG emissions Affect Hydrological cycle

Livestock manure, nitrogenous fertilizers and irrigated paddy changing precipitation patterns, intensity and extremes; widespread melting of snow and ice; increasing atmospheric water vapour; increasing evaporation; and changes in soil moisture and runoff
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Global warming

Rainfed agriculture affected

Small-scale oriented High potential areas Average area 0.23 ha

Accounts for 75% of the total agric o/put 70 % of marketed agricultural produce. > 70% of maize 65% of coffee 50% of tea 80% of milk 85% of fish 70% of beef and related products

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Quinoa and Amaranth workshop held at Spekes Commonwealth Hotel, Munyonyo, Uganda

State of Agriculture in Kenya

Agriculture
Contributes directly 26% of GDP Contributes indirectly 25% of GDP Accounts for 65% of Kenyas total exports provides > 18% of formal employment

>70% of informal employment being found in the rural areas 80% Kenyas population is rural based

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Quinoa and Amaranth workshop held at Spekes Commonwealth Hotel, Munyonyo, Uganda

State of Agriculture in Kenya (Contd)

80% of the country is ASAL with annual rainfall averaging 400mm Droughts are frequent and crop failures are quite common occurring one out of three seasons. Farmers grow crops that are not suitable for this rainfall regime and soils Sessional Paper No.10 of 1965: African Socialism and its application to Planning in Kenya Vision 2030 of June 2010: make the country a globally competitive and prosperous with a high quality life: 3 pillars: economic, social and political
1/10/2013 Quinoa and Amaranth workshop held at Spekes Commonwealth Hotel, Munyonyo, Uganda

Adaptation to Climate Change

Evidence of CC:
frequent occurrence of droughts, Unpredictable & torrential rains, increases in infectious and vector borne diseases

Development of mechanisms that enable them cope with the changes (Khanal, 2009) Grain amaranth (A. hypochondriacus, A. cruentus, A . caudatus and A. edulis) High protein, carbohydrates, lipids, fibre, vitamins and minerals (Gupta and Gudu, 1991; Wekesa, 2010).
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Adaptation to Climate Change

Vegetable species :
A. tricolor, A. dubius, A. lividus, A. palmeri A. hybrids A. hypochondriacus A. cruentus A. edulis A. caudatus (OBrien and Price, 1983; Gupta and Dudu, 1991, Railey, 1993). Quinoa and Amaranth workshop
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Grain species:

Adaptation to Climate Change

Grain Amaranth:
Drought tolerance Has C4 photosynthetic pathway which is efficient in utilization of sunlight and nutrients under dry, high temperature conditions Has deep and extensive root system Has ability to go dormant under extreme drought conditions (OBrien and Price, 1983) Capable of shutting down transpiration thro wilting, then recovering easily when moisture is available (Myers, 1996).
Quinoa and Amaranth workshop held at Spekes Commonwealth Hotel, Munyonyo, Uganda

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Developing and Implementing Land-Use Masterplan

31% of land in high- and medium-rainfall areas under crop productionrepresenting only 5 % of the total land in the country. Smallholder farmers use an average of 60 % of their cropland for agricultural production General incongruent land use patterns with the specific ecological zones Poor land-use practices that have led to accelerated land degradation Land masterplan in line with Vision 2030
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Grain Amaranth Research in Kenya

Introduced in Kenya in 1983 by Gupta of University of Nairobi Proved ideal crop for marginal areas Performed well even in saline soils and yielded about 2 tons/ ha (Gupta and Gudu, 1991) Some interspecific crosses and their offspring were sterile-A. hypochondriacus X A . Cruentus A. hypochondriacus X A. caudatus performed well
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Grain Amaranth Research in Kenya

Average acreage under the crop in Kisumu- 0.59 & some parts 0.91 and 0.38 acres grain yield- 1 t/ha cf to 2.5 t/ha under ferts why farmers grow the crop

Food or income It is easy to grow Matures fast Source of employment Medicinal values
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Grain Amaranth Research in Kenya

Constraints to crops production

Unreliable rainfall Lack of awareness on crop husbandry and utilization Lack of seed Lack of market Competition with other cereals Inadequate capital Pests and diseases

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Quinoa and Amaranth workshop held at Spekes Commonwealth Hotel, Munyonyo, Uganda

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Grain Amaranth Research in Kenya

Grain

yields of 2.1 and 1.94 t/ha in 2008 and 2009 at N rates of 100kgN/ha (Wekesa 2010) Intercropping with beans yields 64% more compared to maize/grain intercrop

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Quinoa and Amaranth workshop held at Spekes Commonwealth Hotel, Munyonyo, Uganda

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Amaranth Growing Under Farmers Conditions

Crop gazetted by gov via legal notice No. 287 of 19/7/91 in 1991 Poverty eradication Commission set aside Ksh 87 million(about US$ 1 million at todays exchange rate) Crop promotion : MoA, NGOs & churches Ability to boost the CD4 cells in HIV/AIDS patients and also help them cope with the side effects of ARVs

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Amaranth Growing Under Farmers Conditions

Western Kenya: grown in Lugari, Teso, Kisumu, Bondo and Rongo districts Coast Kenya Central Kenya NALEP assisted Lugari farmers to form CIG, later to Lugari Amaranth Grain Association (302 members) Association purchased a Ksh.4.3million (about US$ 50,000) equipment Via Western Kenya Community Driven Development and Flood Mitigation Project but has not installed it.
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Gross Margin Analysis of Amaranth in Kenya

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Quinoa and Amaranth workshop held at Spekes Commonwealth Hotel, Munyonyo, Uganda

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Companies Involved in Amaranth Industry

Amaranth

International Ltd-local and export market Incas Health International Ltd African Amarantha Ltd Amaranth Grain Ltd All Grain Company Kenya Ltd MAP International
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Other Industrial Uses Amaranth has lipid compounds with a high degree of unsaturation Cosmetic and personal care products Collaborative research of Kenyan university students and other from Australia and USA
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Amaranth Stakeholders

Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) Export Promotion Council (EPC) Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) Pest Control Products Board (PCPB) Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) Kenya Industry Research and Development Institute (KIRDI)
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Amaranth Stakeholders

Universities and Colleges of Agriculture Ministry of Health (MoH) Ministry Environment and Natural Resources Ministry of Water and Irrigation Ministry of Roads and Public Works (MoR&PW) Local Authorities (City, Municipal, Town, Urban and County Councils)
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Regional Cooperation
Dr David Mwangi of Kenya introduced the crop to Uganda through Pastor Samwel Waiswa with support from American fiend Richard Dugger Feed broilers to market weight in 7 weeks where they attained 2.5 kg with no fat. Used to feed dairy cows, layer chicken, goat and rabbits based

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Quinoa and Amaranth workshop held at Spekes Commonwealth Hotel, Munyonyo, Uganda

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Acknowledgements

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The End Thank you Ahsante Sana Webale