Climate Forecast Information: The Status, Needs and Expectations Among Smallholder Agro-Pastoralists in Machakos District, Kenya

The potential use of seasonal climate forecasts in farm and resource management has been studied in a number of cultural contexts around the world. Many of these studies reveal difficulties that smallholders encounter in accessing, interpreting and applying forecasts for their own benefit. This study looks at the awareness of and usage of climate forecast information in central Kenya in the aftermath of the 1997/98 El Niño event. Household surveys were conducted in Machakos District, Kenya, in January 2001. Retrospective and concurrent awareness and application of seasonal forecast information was assessed for 240 households across a range of agroecological zones. The results reveal a surprisingly high degree of awareness and use of forecasts. Farmers discussed both actual and potential application of forecasts for both above-normal and below-normal rainfall. The influence of the El Niño event of 1997/98 was clear in their emphasis on strategies to mitigate the impacts of above-normal rainfall. Applications of information in both crop and livestock management are documented. Constraints still exist, such as interpretation of information, relevance of the variables forecast to the management decisions of concern, confidence in the forecasts, and access to resources such as seeds. It is suggested here that collaborative efforts between the forecast providers and the users of information may be directed towards addressing these constraints

Laubheuschrecken und Grillen (Orthoptera: Ensifera) im Kakamega Forest Reserve, Kenia

Das primäre Ziel des BIOTA Ost Teilprojektes E06 (HÄUSER et al. 2003) ist die Erforschung der Tag- und Nachtfalterfauna im Kakamega Forest Reserve, einem Schutzgebiet in Westkenia, ca. 50 km nördlich der am Viktoriasee gelegenen Provinzhauptstadt Kisumu (siehe auch KOKWARO 1988). Während der Feldarbeit wurden außer Lepidopteren auch zahlreiche Orthopteren erfasst, in erster Linie Ensifera und Caelifera. In den National Museums of Kenya (NMK) in Nairobi befindet sich zudem eine umfangreiche Sammlung kenianischer Orthopteren, die während der Aufenthalte in Kenia eingesehen werden konnte. Die vorliegende Arbeit bietet einen vorläufigen Überblick über die Orthopterenfauna des Kakamega Forest Reserve und basiert im Wesentlichen auf diesen genannten Quellen. Es ist uns ein Anliegen, mit diesem knappen Überblick weitere Arbeiten und Studien über diese interessante und ökologisch wichtige Insektengruppe im Untersuchungsgebiet anzuregen.In the BIOTA East Project E06 (BMBF project ID 01LC0025), 3 field trips to the Kakamega Forest Reserve were undertaken between September 2002 and January 2004. Among other Orthoptera representatives 122 specimens of Ensifera were recorded. Most of the specimens were collected manually, using a net, or recorded at light traps. The number of species occurring in Kenya is about 200 according to the National Museums of Kenya (NMK) collection, literature data (KEVAN 1950, KEVAN & KNIPPER 1961, OTTE et al. 1988), and OSF (OTTE & NASKRECKI 1997). According to the Orthoptera Species File, OSF (http://osf2x.orthoptera.org/osf2.2/OSF2X2Frameset.htm) the type locality of 94 species is located in Kenya. Both figures will most probably increase significantly in the future. From the Kakamega Forest region, 33 species in 7 families are reported to date, based on our own field collecting (122 specimens) and NMK data (about 60 specimens). The estimated minimal number of occurring species is 60

Livestock feed production and marketing in Central and North Rift Valley Regions of Kenya

Availability and access to feed resources are important constraints to livestock productivity in East Africa. This study examined the production and marketing of livestock feeds in Central and North Rift regions in Kenya. Looking at existing fodder value chains to assess constraints and opportunities using the value chain approach, a rapid reconnaissance survey was conducted in which 93 actors were interviewed along the value chain in November 2010. Fodder marketing takes place at two levels: location (a cluster of 2-3 villages) and district. Trading at location level involved input sellers, producers selling directly to rural retailers, rural consumers, or if they were near major district towns, to wholesalers. District level trading involved traders who sourced for fodder outside the district and retailed to wholesalers in major consumer markets within districts and to a lesser extend retailed in local areas. Service providers such as transporters and feed processors operated at all levels. Input providers comprised of agrovet and general retail shops. Traders comprised of individual traders and cooperative societies. Feed trading is seasonal commonly occurring during the dry season with seasonal price variations at all levels. Feed price have increased by about 15% within the past year. In all the sites, local feed markets are dominated by livestock keepers selling excess fodder. There are few “specialized” fodder sellers, i.e. non livestock keepers who grew fodder as a source of income. Commonly traded feeds in the dry season were Rhodes grass, maize stovers, oat straws and Lucerne hay that were preferred due to longer storage period. Others forages were Napier grass and roadside harvested grass. Most traded fodder had low gross margins (GM) although foodfeed crops such as oats, sweet potato, etc tended to have higher GM. Actors reported an increasing demand for purchased fodder although they all operated in uncoordinated manner. Cooperative societies played a key role in linking buyers and sellers, stimulating demand and providing credit. Lack of input capital is perceived as a major constraint more than lack of market because demand for feed is strong during the dry season. This study concludes that there is need to promote feed marketing as a package alongside feed conservation, feed processing as well creating platform for that provide linkages for all actors to operate in coordinated way. Processing of feed is important to reducing bulkiness and handling costs hence easy storage and transportation. Provision of market information to producers and buyers is important to enhance and improve feed marketing systems

Dairy value chains in East Africa: Why so few women?

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