Lake Naivasha is a freshwater lake in the Kenyan Rift Valley. It is unique in that it is home to both an internationally renowned environmental treasure as well as a blossoming agriculture industry that exports high value fresh vegetables and cut flowers to European and English markets.

The Lake is currently under intensive scrutiny over concerns about how its environmental integrity can be maintained whilst still supporting a valuable and growing economy and society. Agricultural activity in the basin has expanded dramatically in terms of both the rural smallholder farmers in the upper catchment and the high value exported commercial horticulture around the Lake and this sector anchors a local economy that supports almost 650 000 people.

The two most valuable crops in the Naivasha basin are cut flowers and vegetables. The vegetables grown in Lake Naivasha contribute approximately KSh6.65 billion ($95 million) to the Kenyan economy. Whilst predominantly focused on producing for the local market, smallholders are increasingly able to access high value export markets through their association as “out growers” with the commercial vegetable farms.

Read more: Flower Growing in Naivasha A Boom or Doom

In Africa, and especially in Kenya, sodium is one of the major causes of yield losses, quality reduction and crop failure in irrigated agriculture. Writes Ruth Vaughan.

Soils with a high percentage of sodium in the soil are called sodic soils. Sodic soils negatively impact plant growth for several reasons:

1. Specific ion toxicity to sodium sensitive plants.
2. Nutrient deficiencies or imbalances in the plants.
3. High soil pH – resulting in lock up of phosphates, iron and other micronutrients.
4. Dispersion of clay and silt particles in the soil – collapsing the soil structure and blocking soil pores.
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   Read more: Sodium Strategies

Ornamentals are high value and delicate crops which growth requires a technical approach to ensure its optimal development. They need very specific and controlled conditions to guarantee shooting, blossom, and all the metabolic processes involved in the plant’s life cycle. Writes Chris Kolenberg.

Kenya Biologics counts with innovative and technical products designed and developed by Futureco Bioscience, international leader company in research and development of clean solutions for plant protection and plant nutrition. Its products are based on the observation and knowledge of nature, and are formulated with natural source ingredients that take care of soils, the environment and ensure optimal crop productivity.

The problems that affect most the optimal growth of flower crops use to be low availability of nutrients and water. This low availability can be undertaken in three ways: prevention of scarcity of nutrients and water, enhancement of the capacity of the plant to overcome the stress produced by that scarcity, and improvement of the capacity of absorption of nutrients and water present in soils.

For each problem, Futureco Bioscience has developed a technical solution. The three of them, combined together in different moments of crops life cycle, guarantee an optimal productivity and yield.

To overcome abiotic stress situations: FitoMaat®.
FitoMaat® is a biostimulant to help the plant overcome stress situations such as cold, heat, drought or salinity. Formulated with osmoprotectant compounds (glycine betaine and proline) and antioxidants, FitoMaat® prevents and protects plants against the adverse effects of environmental stress. Its mode of action increases photosynthetic rate during stress, improves the general nutritional state of the plant, and enhances protein synthesis and turnover to sustain metabolic rate.

Some trials arranged by Kenya Biologics demonstrate that Fitomat® is efficient when applied twice per month through drenching during the severe cases of plant abiotic stress. Trials ran in Mt. Kenya region, showed that treated plants with FitoMaat®, compared with a control of not treated plants in drought conditions, had good chlorophyll levels, emerging shoots looked stronger and with deep red colour, stem length had increased and the yellowing of leaves was reduced by 80%. FitoMaat® helps to increase the crop vigour growth hence the production is increased.

To enhance the plants capability of absorption of nutrients and water: Bioradicante®
Bioradicante® is a biostimulant designed to improve and boost the growth of the root systems. Its formulation contains a combination of L-free amino acids of vegetal source, which are easily assimilated by the plant and accelerate the biosynthesis of natural phytohormones, helping the plant to achieve a complete development of the root system and promoting growth of both primary and lateral roots for better absorption of water and nutrients.

Trials on roses in the regions of Thika, Mt. Kenya and Navaisha all showed that application of Bioradicante® increases root mass and the number of hair roots, and as a consequence of a better absorption of nutrients, plants had more shoots and the colour was more intense, furthermore stem length increased and benches were more uniform, as also bending moment was accelerated since plants treated had more vegetation and vigour compared to the control.

To prevent and solve specific nutrient scarcity: Deficiency correctors line.
When soils are scarce in specific minerals, we can apply the product line of Deficiency correctors for specific micronutrient deficiencies, offered by Kenya Biologics and designed by Futureco Bioscience. Combination of some of the products of this line ensures crop yield. In particular, a combination of Golden Iron, Defender B, Defender Mg and Defender Cu show excellent results, and actually they are considered the most important and influent products in the Kenyan agricultural market.

Golden Iron® is an EDDHAquelated iron, suitable for soil applications. Golden Iron® offers a guaranteed 4.8% ortho-ortho iron quelate, a high available iron that can deliver a higher concentration of iron to the crop and plant than other similar products in the market. Its mode of action consists in mobilizing inorganic iron present in soils. One application is worth several iron applications with other less advanced formulations.

Among the Defender® range of products, Defender B® offers a high boron content in liquid

Horticulture is a significant ‘manufacturing’ industry. But where would horticulture be without knowledge exchange? This rhetorical question is the starting point for the Naivasha Horticultural Fair, which was initiated fifteen years ago. The knowledge from these exchanges has been of help to many businesses.

Horti Fair is one of the biggest regional trade fairs for Technology, Innovation and Inspiration in Horticulture. Horti Fair starts where the chain starts: plant breeding, greenhouse technology and cultivation technique. In addition, the Horti Fair showcases the solutions that horticulture offers for global challenges relating to water, food, clean energy and well-being.

Read more: Horti Fair Promotes Knowledge Exchange in Horticultural Industry

“Naivasha Horticultural Fair is an ideal platform for us to directly reach the regions farming industry with all its top growers and decision makers in attendance. Flower growers are some of the most important visitors for NH Fair. We has developed suitable products to help them. Our cooperation with NH Fair is a further important measure to attract more growers. The exhibitors and visitors constitute a who’s who list of the region’s horticultural stakeholders.

“Earlier this year, we had the honour and privilege to also exhibit at the IFTEX where we were awarded as one of the best stands. “Our two organizations have similar roots and philosophies. Both Agrichem Africa Ltd and Naivasha Horticultural Fair had humble beginnings and have grown organically to become leading organisations in the Flower sector. We look forward to many more years of collaboration, said Mr. Shiraz Karmali.”

“Agrichem Africa Ltd has proved to be a great partner in ensuring the success of the trade fair,” said Mr. Richard McGonnell, the trade fair’s main organiser. Adding, “They have become great charity donors, and we appreciate their dedication and their contributions. We wish them well as an organization and thank them again for their sponsorship.” As in the past, proceeds from the sponsorship goes toward funding for those less fortunate.

Naivasha Horticultural Fair is the region’s leading horticultural trade fair, and is the largest industry platform for professionals from breeding, propagation, production, post harvest, trade and their product or service providers. At the trade fair professionals from around the globe meet to conduct business, discuss industry trends, and recognize excellence in the world of horticulture.

About Agrichem Africa Ltd
Agrichem Africa Ltd is one of the country’s companies linked with leading innovative crop science companies with an outstanding range of products and extensive service back up for sustainable agriculture. The company operates and serves the region from Nairobi, Kenya. The company holds a leading position in crop protection and offers farmers the most comprehensive range of crop protection products solutions in the region.

Products
Agrichem Africa Ltd products are developed and produced inline with the international standards. Whether insecticide, fungicides, herbicides, seeds, seed treatment, fertilizers or post harvest treatments, they are precisely tested and undergo extensive research to ensure they fit in the local environment and cropping conditions before commercialization. They are registered for use in horticulture, cereals, cotton, coffee, sugarcane and all other agricultural sectors. In horticulture, Agrichem Africa Ltd offers a wide range of crop protection products and extensive technical information and backup to ensure successful crop management. Agrichem Africa Ltd is committed to a long term strategy of ensuring the farming community is well informed on proper use of crop protection products.

Kenya Fights to Wrestle Back EU Market
Horticultural exports are set for an additional standard from next month in a new development by the country to reverse the dwindling share of her produce in the 28-member European Union. Fresh Produce Exporters Association of Kenya chairman Apollo Owuor said the new standard – KS 1758 (Part Two) – applies on fruits, vegetables and herbs.

The standard, Owuor said, will bring all exporters and handlers under a uniform, standard practice and will be the basis on which export permits will be issued. “This will essentially eliminate the possibility of any rogue practice and lack of proper documentation that has in the past led to expensive interceptions at the market entry in the European Union,” he told said.

FPEAK and Kenya Flower Council, which represents large-scale flower producers, have also partnered to launch the Kenya Horticulture Council in a bid to help the horticulture industry jointly articulate sector concerns. KFC and FPEAK have previously dealt with sub-sector matters separately, leading to delays in responding to arising issues as well as increased costs, the interim chair of the Kenya Horticulture Council Richard Fox said. Owuor emphasised that the council is not a merger between the two organisations, but a joint entity which will address issues of mutual interest. The new body has been set up with technical and financial support from USAid through the Kenya Agriculture Value Chain Enterprises. Kenyan exporters have since 2012 faced challenges in the EU over excess pesticides and quarantine pests which has cost the country billions of shillings in export losses.

“We have spent the last five years developing systems to ensure that the challenges of excess pesticides and presence of quarantine pests does not haunt the industry again,” Owuor said. Latest data indicates that the sector earned Sh102.5 billion in foreign exchange earnings in 2016, the second largest after tea, with a steady growth of 10 per cent despite the challenges. The sector’s contribution to the country’s gross domestic product – national wealth – is estimated at Sh200 billion.

Uganda: Flower Farms Licensed as Free Zones
uganda Free Zones Authority (UFZA) has issued two developer’s Licences to M/s Fiduga Limited and M/s Royal Van Zanten Limited. The companies are meant to develop Free Zones in Mukono and Mpigi Districts in Uganda.

A Free Zone is a special designated area where goods introduced into the area are generally regarded, so far as import duties are concerned, as being outside the Customs territory. These include Export Processing Zones or Free Port Zones.

Ms Evelyn Anite, the minister of State for Privatisation and Investment, speaking during a field tour at Nsimbe estates recently, said the two companies that are already in the business of exporting, will further contribute to towards addressing the export gap by investing up to a tune of US$ 365 million (about Shs1.3 trillion) by 2021. “This feeds into the Government’s Vision as enshrined in the National Development Plan II and Vision 2040 which are Frameworks aimed at ensuring that Uganda attains Middle Income Status,” she said.

Uganda Flower Exporters Association (UFEA)’s executive director, Ms Juliet Musoke, said: “This year we exported more flowers compared to the previous year 2015.” In 2015 the country through UFEA members exported 6,300 tonnes of flowers worth $27.5 million (Shs99 billion). Ms Musoke also said in the year ending 2016, UFEA exported more than 6,500 tonnes of flowers, 200 tonnes more than what was exported the previous year.

The chairman board of directors of UFZA, Eng Frederick Kiwanuka said: “Licensing these two companies today brings the number of licensed Free Zones in Uganda to five including M/s Arua SEZ Limited which is setting up a Special Economic Zone in Arua District., M/s Uganda Wood Impex Limited in Kalungu District and M/s Nilus Limited in Jinja Municipality.”

THE BENEFITS
M/s Fiduga Limited and Royal Van Zanten Ltd Fiduga Ltd projects are likely to hire 927 workers while Royal van Zanten Ltd anticipates to create 1,625 jobs by 2021, majority Ugandans. This will mean enhancement of the skills of the local community and improving their social economic standards