MITI 4

Uganda’s shrinking wetlands Jatropha under attack Successful tree growing in Makueni Interview with KFS Director Making drylands productive

I s s u e N o.4 O c t o b e r - De c e mb er 2009

The eucalyptus debate No cause for alarm, say experts

Mau: A hand that feeds us How did we end up destroying it?

Free water is everywhere You just need to collect and store it

Paid to grow trees

Are subsidies for afforestation the way forward?

11

17

24

28

34

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Editorial

22

Blazing the trail

Life revolves around water

Dorian Rocco pioneered the manufacture of biological pesticides in Kenya

4

Paid to grow trees

24

Reaping the fruit of his labour

Cutting off the hand that feeds us

Jonathan Kituku shows the way to successful tree growing

How did we end up destroying so much of the Mau Complex forest?

26

Shrinking wetlands

Uganda is also facing a deepening water crisis

28

Jatropha under attack

A host of insect pests and diseases have been reported in Kenya

32

Every drop counts

Proper water management and soil improvement can make drylands productive

34

Free water is everywhere

You just need to collect and store it

Are subsidies the way forward?

6

8

One on one

KFS Director, David Mbugua talks on the organisation’s achievements and challenges

11 A green partnership

Better Globe Forestry’s tree donation programme

12

Working with others

KEFRI and KFS co-operate with Better Globe Forestry for mutual gain

14

A treasure ignored

The desert date, Balanites aegyptiaca, can contribute to economic development if tended

16

Let’s drink to your health

36 Know your suppliers

Mukau: A Ken with a brig yan drylands tree ht future Yatta farm er makes farming big busines tree s Interview with George May Ugandan farm er, anja

Focus on providers of goods and services to the forestry sector Uganda’s shrinking wetlands Jatropha under attac k Successfu l tree grow ing in Mak Interview ueni with KFS Director Making drylands productiv e

The marula fruit offers great opportunities for Africa

17

Plant more trees

BGF supports the UN Climate Change Conference

18

The eucalyptus debate

No cause for alarm, say experts

20

Joining hands for trees

KFS is working with forest adjacent communities to manage woodlands

Issu e No.4 Octo ber

On the cover Jonathan Kituku in his three-and-a-half-yearold Melia volkensii plantation in Kibwezi

A treasur e ignore ove

Uganda No cause

sert date’

lyptus de

for alarm

Free wat er

You just

d

rlooked ‘de

The euca need to

, say exp

has great

bate

potential

erts

is everyw

collect and

store

here

it Paid to g row tree ies for affo s restat

Are subsid

ion the wa y forward?

- Dec emb

er 2009

Editorial

Life revolves around water

I

t is largely agreed that poor rainfall, declining soil fertility and deforestation in East Africa have influenced our daily lives negatively. As a result, animals are dying, people are suffering from hunger and malnutrition, and children have abandoned school.

Kenya is expected to experience El Niño related short rains from September to December. The same El Niño rains that caused heavy flooding and landslides that displaced thousands in 1997/98 are now the only hope for many farmers to recover part of their crop as they have had painfully low harvests for the last two years. As a result, more than ten million Kenyans are facing food shortages with 1.5 million being children under the school feeding programme.

The importance of trees for the survival of the present and future generations cannot be emphasised enough. However, tree planting is expensive and in this issue of Miti, we look at how other countries encourage farmers to grow trees by giving them subsidies, asking whether this can also be done in Kenya.

We cannot of course ignore the controversy around the Mau forest and we look at how greed and short-sightedness have led this country into the mess that is Mau forest today.

The Director of the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), David Mbugua, granted us an interview in which he talks openly about the achievements and challenges facing the organisation. In addition, John Macharia of the same organisation argues that sustainability of forests is”a state or process that can be maintained indefinitely”.

We could of course not ignore the activities of Better Globe Forestry and this time we report on the donation programme and the MOUs signed with KFS and the Kenya Forest Research Institute (KEFRI).

You will be pleasantly surprised in your quest for knowledge to learn of the nutritional and medicinal properties of the balanites and marula trees.

From December 7 to 18 this year, Copenhagen in Denmark will be the theatre of the Climate Change Conference (COP 15) and the link with afforestation is evident. But apart from trees, there is one natural resource that is critical; it is life itself. That is, water!

You will be sad to read how Uganda might be on the brink of a water crisis, but then again, you will be happy to read from an expert that proper water management and soil improvement can make drylands productive. The good news is that free water is everywhere; you just need to collect and store it.

Enjoy the reading and do not hesitate to give us your feedback

Jean-Paul Deprins

Published by:

Chairman of the Editorial Board:

Editorial Coordinator – Uganda

TQML LTD P.O. Box 823 – 00606 Nairobi, Kenya Tel: + 254 20 434 3435 Mobile: + 254 722 262 061 Email: kenya@mitiafrica.com

Rino Solberg

Joshua Ondyer

Uganda office: MITI MAGAZINE ® P.O. Box 22232 Kampala, Uganda Mobile: + 256 752 896 205 Email: uganda@mitiafrica.org

2

Editor-in-chief Jean-Paul Deprins

Managing Editor – Kenya Wanjiru Ciira

Technical Editor Jan Vandenabeele

Managing Editor – Uganda Julie Solberg

Contributing Editor Mundia Muchiri

Designer Daniel Ngugi

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Miti October - December 2009

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A typical ASAL landscape in Mwingi, Kenya. Population density is low (10-30 people/km2) and income from traditional subsistence agriculture is minimal.

Paid to grow trees Are subsidies for afforestation the way forward?

T

By Jan Vandenabeele

ree planting is quite expensive, with plantation establishment costs in the first year easily reaching Ksh 30,000-50,000 per hectare (~ €300500). Subsequent maintenance involves activities like weeding and eventually pruning and thinning, that also cost money. Weeding has to continue until canopy closure. After canopy closure, increased shade depresses the growth of grass and weeds that compete with the tree seedlings for moisture and nutrients and hinder fast tree growth.

The sprouting of grass and weeds depends on factors like spacing but generally will interfere with tree growth during the first two to three years. So weeding has to be done at a cost of some additional Ksh 5,000 -10,000 per hectare per year though in certain cases agroforestry

4

practices might mitigate the expense. Such amounts of money are not easily available to small-holders, especially in semi-arid areas where sufficient land is available but where poverty is more prevalent than in high-potential areas. This is where more government assistance, in the form of subsidies, would be welcome.

But what do we mean by “subsidies”?

Subsidies are government actions that encourage certain specific activities or improve the profitability of specific sectors in an economy. Subsidies can be direct transfers of funds, fiscal incentives and provisions of goods and services, like research and extension services.

It is common practice in numerous countries, both rich and poor, for governments to subsidise agricultural activities. For example, the USA and the

European Union (EU) combined spend more than US$ 150 billion annually on farm support payments. On the other hand, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), an organisation of mostly high-income countries, estimates that subsidies in the forest sectors of its member states annually are about US$ 6 billion.

In Kenya, one can consider the activities of the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) and the extension work of the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) as indirect subsidies to tree growing.

The EU has a well established system of afforestation subsidies, which is in direct competition with its (expensive) agricultural subsidies. The afforestation subsidy system is mostly directed at taking marginal agricultural land out of production, or to encourage afforestation of abandoned

Miti October - December 2009

agricultural land. It is estimated that since 1999, 1 million hectares of marginal agricultural land in Europe have been planted with trees.

The subsidy comes in several parts.

These are: Covering parts of the afforestation costs Payment of an annual premium per hectare for maintenance in the first five years, and An annual premium per hectare to cover loss of income because of no agriculture.

A typical example is the subsidy scheme applied by the region of Flanders in Belgium as per the table on the right.

As can be seen, the guidelines are quite specific, and distinguish between different activities and species. Poplar (Populus spp.) is a fast growing species, of less ecological value than indigenous species. In the Kenyan context, we would be talking about eucalypts.

Coniferous trees rank lower than deciduous trees on the ecological ladder, because plantations of the former contain less biodiversity than forests of the latter.

Hence the higher subsidy for planting deciduous trees. And even this category is divided into native and exotic species, with an additional incentive for native species.

Subsidies in Germany make additional distinctions depending on the quality of the soil, its former use (pasture land, agricultural use) and whether or not the land was selfused.

Denmark adds another category to all this, which is location. Areas close to urban areas or areas with low forest cover get preferential treatment.

China too had its subsidy programme, operational from 1999 to 2002, called “Grain for green programme”. It aimed at afforestation of less productive farmland on slopes. It included subsidies for seeds and seedlings as well as afforestation costs, paid by the government at RMB 750 per hectare (~ €85).

There was also a grain and cash subsidy policy, with subsidies equivalent to 15002250kg of grain per hectare per year. This extended up to five years for economic forest and up to eight years for ecological protection forest. The rural households that converted their farmlands could be directly subsidised with grain and cash, with poor households benefiting more than rich ones. In fact, this was considered a poverty alleviation programme.

Chile, with huge forested areas of Pinus radiata plantations, paid subsidies to private companies and individuals to establish new plantations. The government considered

Miti October - December 2009

Afforestation subsidy of farmland per ha (in €) Activity

Poplar

Deciduous trees

Coniferous trees

Planting (basic subsidy)

850

1500 – 3700

1000

Planting (under growth)

500

500

500

100/100m

100/100m

Planting border (bushes/ deciduous trees) Maintenance (per year)

1100

1750

875

Income compensation

375 for 5 yrs

500 for 20 yrs for native species, otherwise 375

375 for 5 yrs

this a good investment, taking into account the returns through general taxation of the industry, especially the value-adding plants (pulp and paper) that have been developed on the basic plantation resource. And this is besides the positive impact of reduced unemployment and the additional revenue from taxes on wages.

Today, Chile can look back on a successful afforestation programme and a flourishing wood processing industry, and now only offers an afforestation subsidy to small-scale growers.

As can be seen, subsidy regulations can exist for a limited period, and the requirements to qualify for subsidies can be very specific, for instance focusing on promoting tree planting in arid and semi arid lands (ASAL).

So, the scope of using afforestation subsidies to different ends is big, and a new powerful reason has come up: trapping greenhouse gases (mostly CO2) to reduce global warming. Indeed, roughly half of the wood of a tree is made up of carbon, and a hectare of plantation forest can trap 5-10 tonnes of carbon per year. Massive tree planting is seen as the cheapest and most efficient means to bring down the high amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere. And it is also profit generating, compared to the majority of schemes to reduce greenhouse gases that cost money.

It is true that the trees will be felled one day, but this does not necessarily mean that the carbon fixed in its timber goes back to the atmosphere. It will, if the wood is burned as firewood, but not if it is transformed into paper, or even better, furniture and construction material. Even then it will finally return, but with a delay of several decades, buying time. In any case, the area that was felled can be replanted and the process of sequestering carbon restarts immediately.

Where does this leave Kenya, or say East Africa? One can look over the Weastern boundary towards Uganda, where an

effective tree planting subsidy scheme is already working (see the article in the last issue of Miti, “Supporting tree growers in Uganda”). The European Union-funded Sawlog Production Grant Scheme (SPGS) has directly supported the afforestation of 10,000 hectares in the last few years. It is scheduled to continue for another four years (20092013), with donor support (EU and Norway).

Kenya has to tailor its own tool for helping tree planters, and the KFS has several ideas and a plan (see the interview with the Director of KFS, Mr Mbugua, on pg 8). It is not yet an operational scheme, but the good thing is that it will target drylands where it can be used as a tool for poverty alleviation if the right terms and conditions are identified.

One way of doing this is the preferential use of indigenous species. For instance, planting acacias for charcoal and mukau for timber production; planting of exotic and indigenous fruit trees and planting Acacia senegal for gum production; stimulation of agro forestry practices, notably in the establishment phase (like planting of green grams, cowpeas or pigeon peas between the rows of seedlings), and sensitisation towards soil and moisture conservation practices (ploughing along contour lines, mulching, etc). A strong enforcement, auditing and monitoring unit would be required to check on field realisations, and clear rules on granting the subsidies would have to be established.

The practical realisation of a subsidy scheme is faced with great challenges, but it would doubtlessly help to increase tree cover in the country. There is no better option than massive afforestation for poverty alleviation in the semi-arid countryside, at the same time mitigating the negative effects of climate change that are affecting us all.

The writer is the Executive Director, Better Globe Forestry Ltd. Email: jan@betterglobeforestry.com

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Apart from these Government excisions (in red), other illegal encroachment, settlement and grabbing took place as described below in the case of the Maasai Mau Forest.

The forest areas under encroachment, meaning occupation by people that have no document to support their ownership of the land they occupy, are at least 29,000 hectares.

Cutting off the hand that feeds us How did we end up destroying so much of the Mau Complex forest?

C

By Jan Vandenabeele

onsidering the magnitude of services the Mau Forest Complex provides to Kenya, and even to Tanzania, it looks like an amazing example of human folly and shortsightedness to have landed into the mess of frenzied forest destruction witnessed in the Mau Complex today.

To briefly summarise the value of these services, have a look at the table below: So that is what we are prepared to put into danger, a substantial slice of the country’s Gross Domestic Product, translating into human misery on a scale of

Monetary value of services provided by the Mau Complex Type of service

Value (Ksh/year)

Hydropower

5.3 billion (for planned and developed)

Tourism

1.16 billion (direct) 5 billion (indirect)

Tea

8 billion

Water

Not monetarised but crucial

Total

Over 19.46 billion

*Source: CIA, The World Fact Book (US$ 30.24 m)

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to conserve the water catchment areas and recover lost forest areas. As a result, some sections of the forest were reclaimed.

In 2001, the government excised 35,301 hectares from the Eastern Mau Forest Reserve, 22,797 hectares from the SouthWest Mau Forest Reserve and some minor blocks in adjacent areas, totalling 61,586.50 hectares. The areas are indicated in red on the map below. These excisions are the cause of the actual drying of Lake Nakuru, the irregular and seasonal flow of the rivers Njoro and Molo, and the drying of boreholes (Egerton University).

Apart from these government excisions, other illegal encroachment, settlement and grabbing took place as described below in the Remarks case of the Maasai Mau Forest. The 64MW developed forest areas under encroachment 30.6MW planned – meaning occupation by people 508MW potential that have no document to support Maasai Mara Reserve and Nakuru National their ownership of the land they Park - 2007 occupy – cover at least 29,000 Kericho and Nandi Highlands - 2007 hectares.

Millions of Kenyans benefiting Large-scale encroachment, Compare this with GDP at official exchange rate -2,170 shambas, complete private tea billion (2008)*. estates, charcoal production,

millions of people.

The area of the whole Mau complex is about 400,000 hectares. Several phenomena are taking their toll on it. These include disputed government excisions, illegal encroachment on a massive scale, and diverse acts of destruction like logging.

A major threat is encroachment, which dates back to the early 1980s when part of the Maasai Mau Forest (MMF) was settled and destruction began.

Following environment concerns, e.g. water conservation and deforestation, the Presidential (Ntutu) Commission was formed in 1986 to review the boundaries in order

Miti October - December 2009

Picture taken in Ol Pusimoru Forest Reserve

Pictures taken in the Maasai Mau Forest Reserve

livestock grazing, land slides, forest tracts and logging of indigenous trees, destroyed and continues to destroy huge tracts of land. Today, in Gikomba market in Nairobi, the last remnants of big-sized timber of Kenyan cedar (Juniperus procera) are for sale for 124Ksh per foot, for timber of up to 12”x2”. Where does it come from? How did it end up in Nairobi, hundreds of kilometres from the Mau Complex? Aren’t there police roadblocks to check on this kind of transport and to stop it?

In the northern blocks of the Mau Forests Complex, extensive industrial forest plantations have replaced indigenous forests.

Many of these forest plantation blocks are devoid of trees or are poorly managed.

In some of the blocks, the surrounding indigenous forests are heavily degraded, a situation that indicates forestry management failures.

Reasons for expansion into the forest, especially in the case of the Maasai Mau, are as follows: Past political weakening of government institutions and systems; Corruption and abuse of office by, among others, surveyors, Land Control Board officers, forest officers, land officers, council officers and individual buyers of land; Alleged settlement of the

landless and the poor, including the Ogiek; Acquisition of land for speculative purposes; Illegal sale of forest resources, notably timber; Political reward, abuse of land to secure political support, and Illegal immigrant settlement for political purposes.

Starting in 1999, some group ranches within adjudication sections were illegally expanded into the Maasai Mau Forest, amounting to roughly 17,000 hectares of forest land. The mechanism to acquire illegal title deeds was as follows: 1) Powerful and influential people, including some government officials and group ranch officials, connived to extend the boundaries of already registered group

ranches within finalised adjudication sections; 2) Then they applied for, and obtained, consent of the Land Control Board to subdivide the ranches; 3) Surveyors, including government ones, conspired to illegally extend the boundaries of the group ranches beyond the adjudication sections into the forest; 4) Then the surveyors submitted the subdivision maps (mutations) for registration and issuance of title deeds.

Ultimately, greed, self-interest, shortsightedness, the rising Kenyan population and the failure of development policy to settle people and provide jobs through industrial growth are some of the factors responsible for the destruction of the nation’s natural resources.

It is a sad state of affairs. But failure to act decisively will result in an even worse picture in the years to come.

(In Miti issue 5, we shall look at what needs to be done to reclaim the Mau).

The sources for this article are: Nkako FM, Lambrechts C, Gachanja M, Woodley B. (2006).

Maasai Mau Forest Status Report 2005. Ewaso Ngiro South Development Authority.

Mau Complex under siege. Values and threats. (May 2008). A presentation by United Nations Environment Programme, Kenya Wildlife Service, Kenya Forests Working Group, Ewaso Ngiro South Development Authority.

Picture taken in the South-West Mau Forest Reserve

Miti October - December 2009

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Interview with the KFS Director David Mbugua talks about the achievements and challenges facing the organisation

D

avid Mbugua, 53, is a hands-on forester who has risen through the ranks to his current position of Director, Kenya Forest Service.

He graduated from the University of Nairobi in 1980 with a Bachelor of Science in Forestry degree – among the first foresters to be trained in Kenya.

Mr Mbugua then joined the Forest Department in the Ministry of Natural Resources, and was posted to Muguga for research. When research was separated from forest management and extension with the creation of the Kenya Forest Research Institute (KEFRI), he opted for forest management and was deployed in a World Bank funded programme on industrial plantations. In late 1981, Mr Mbugua was posted to Elburgon as assistant District Forest Officer with emphasis on field work in industrial plantations.

While working on this (World Bank project), Mr Mbugua was offered a scholarship to study in the USA, and went to Texas A&M University in 1985 for a master’s programme. On his return, he was promoted to District Forest Officer (DFO) Kitui District.

He moved to Nandi the following year in the same capacity. Nandi at the time had significant remnants of its tropical forest; in fact it was an extension of Kakamega forest.

In 1988, Mr Mbugua was promoted to Provincial Forest Officer (PFO) and was posted to North Eastern Province, in Garissa.

Some of the challenges he faced at the time were firewood consumption in refugee camps and the grazing of riverine forests.

He was then posted to Western Province as PFO in 1989. By late the same year, Mr Mbugua was back at headquarters in Karura, as head of the inventory section. The Forest Department managed 165,000 hectares of industrial plantations at the time, while the prospects were seen as 170,000 hectares.

Between 1993 and 2000, Mr Mbugua worked on several assignments, including extension forestry and projects and finances, becoming Deputy Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) in 2003.

In the same year, the whole Forest Department was sent on compulsory leave, in a screening process to weed out

8

David Mbugua, Director of Kenya Forest Service.

KFS will label sustainably produced charcoal and certify it and also push for more research, both on its own and in cooperation with KEFRI.

unwanted elements. After six months, Mr Mbugua was recalled and appointed Acting CCF. He occupied this position until 2005, while the new Forest Act was being enacted and the Forest Department was transformed to the Kenya Forest Service (KFS). He applied for the job of Director, went through the regular recruitment process and became KFS’s first Director in 2007, on a three-year contract.

Mr Mbugua is married with two children.

Mr Mbugua spoke to Jan Vandenabeele and Wanjiru Ciira, Executive Director, Better Globe Forestry Ltd and Managing Editor, Miti magazine, respectively. Below are excerpts from the interview: Mr Mbugua, what importance does KFS attach to dryland afforestation, the

Miti October - December 2009

technical problems it faces and what is KFS doing in this respect?

KFS is a young organisation, with new systems and structures being put in place. Four major programmes have been developed within KFS. These are: - Forest conservation and management (natural forests) - Plantation and enterprise - Farm forestry and extension - Enforcement and compliance Gazetted closed canopy forests occupy about 3 per cent of Kenya (not the infamous 1.7 per cent), and this is found mostly within the major water towers1. This needs to increase to 10 per cent by 2030. On the other hand, 80 per cent of Kenya is ASAL. Hence, meeting this target is only possible through dryland afforestation and KFS intends to develop a rigorous programme of plantation in drylands. It will be driven by farmers on an entrepreneurial basis.

The main challenges are (i) land tenure, especially in the more arid parts where pastoralists live and where land is owned by communities and local authorities, and (ii) technical: screening for more suitable species, and recognising that our problem is more one of soil (nutrients and moisture conservation) than of water. An example are the Kapiti plains, where I see potential for growing of indigenous acacias for charcoal production, since “bush charcoal� will soon be depleted. A similar movement is taking place in South Nyanza.

How will KFS promote dryland afforestation?

The dryland division of KFS is very strong. Already, there is a partnership with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). An important initiative will be a pilot activity by the Japanese Social Development Fund (JSDF) to start in Kitui, Mbeere and Tharaka districts, offering incentive packages to smallholders to plant trees. It will be a revolving fund, starting with US$ 2 million as seed money from the World Bank (granted by Japan).

We are waiting for approval by the World Bank to start, with probably consultancy services required to decide exactly under which terms and conditions this fund can be rolled out.

Again, KFS has come up with new regulations for charcoal production, making it a legal business.

The regulations are currently in the office of the Attorney General. When in place, the regulations will empower KFS to control and regulate the charcoal business. KFS will label sustainably produced charcoal and certify it and also push for more research, both on its own and in cooperation with KEFRI.

indigenous and exotic species?

KFS attaches importance to both categories, understanding well that species like eucalypts should be planted in zones with more than 1,000mm annual rainfall, with other species like mukau and indigenous acacias being planted in zones with less rainfall. Research and development on indigenous species is important.

Does KFS see a benefit in the introduction of a subsidy scheme for tree planting, the way it exists in Europe and other countries? Can there be a relation with carbon sequestration projects?

Tree planting is expensive. Borrowing on commercial terms for tree planting is impossible, so incentive schemes have to be developed. The Forest Act has a provision for the creation of a Conservation and Management Fund to subsidise tree growing. Biocarbon financing is possible, but we have to see how to disburse it, not only for massive afforestation schemes, but also for small entities like women groups, etc.

The Conservation Fund will be managed by a committee where membership is determined by contributions. The Fund will function independently within KFS, with proposals by applicants being vetted technically and receiving appropriate recommendations by the Fund Committee.

The partial ban on logging is not yet lifted despite much talk. What is the problem?

It is partial indeed, with the four companies that are exempted from the ban taking 75 per cent of the available raw material. Initially the ban had merit, but it is now 10 years since it was imposed and dramatic changes have taken place and it should be lifted. It has created a black market for timber, with prices soaring, for example, to Ksh 50,000 for a tonne of cypress. It also obliges us at KFS to dedicate 70 per cent of our time to patrolling and policing our plantations against night poaching.

Structures are now in place to ensure effective logging, with 270 saw-millers already pre-qualified. To qualify, they had to have a sawmill, be tax compliant, and have adequate workers’ compensation schemes, etc. Systems have been put in place in line with Public Procurement Procedures to ensure disposal through a competitive bidding process to weed out malpractice.

In the gazetted forests there is about 25,000 hectares of mature trees older than 30 years, while there is also about 8,000 hectares needing urgent thinnings2. For the next 10 years, this should

The cost of establishing and managing a tree plantation in its first years is very high, like Ksh 30,000 - 40,000 per hectare. This is reduced to Ksh 5,000 per hectare with the shamba system, reformed as PELIS (Plantation Enterprise and Livelihood Improvement Scheme).

2 A thinning is a silvicultural process of selecting inferior trees (smaller, crooked, etc) and cutting

Does KFS make a distinction between

them to ensure less competition for the superior, remaining trees so that these grow faster to

1 Mt Kenya, Mt Elgon, Mau, Cherangani, the Aberdares.

produce more timber.

Miti October - December 2009

9

David Mbugua, Director, Kenya Forest Service, in his office, making a point.

ensure an income of over Ksh 20 billion from mature material (pine, cypress, eucalypt) that otherwise will fall and rot. The Government is still looking at things, but in view of the current controversy over the Mau Forest, it is a sensitive topic. More public awareness about this issue is needed.

Where do we stand now regarding the famous backlog the Forest Department had in restocking its plantations?

The total area under KFS management currently is 125,000 hectares of gazetted plantations. The actual backlog is 15,000 20,000 hectares, a long way from the 46,000 hectares it used to be in 2002. The cost of establishing and managing a tree plantation in its first years is very high, like Ksh 30,000 - 40,000 per hectare. This is reduced to Ksh 5,000 per hectare with the shamba system, reformed as PELIS (Plantation Enterprise and Livelihood Improvement Scheme).

What checks and balances have been put in place to make sure PELIS will not be abused like the shamba system?

PELIS, now implemented on a pilot basis in 14 districts, was planned to cover 8,000 hectares this year, but in view of the lack of rains, it will most likely cover 5,000 hectares.

The new Forest Act recognises the role of communities, and allows for the creation of

10

Community Forest Associations (CFAs) which are registered under the Societies Act. These are organised groups with leadership and rules and regulations. KFS is now dealing with the leadership of such groups when negotiating PELIS, not with individuals as we did under the shamba system.

The guidelines on PELIS will be gazetted shortly. Where implemented, a notice board at the Forest Station informs clearly which areas of the plantations are under PELIS, including digital information (GPS coordinates), names and areas (a map). So control is easy. This is all done through our own funding. Punitive measures will be effected in case of abuse of the system.

PELIS is benefiting the people as can be seen in Bahati and Dundori in Nakuru district, where the farmers have crops including potatoes and tomatoes amid the food scarcity now prevailing in the country. PELIS effectively contributes to improvement of livelihoods and food security.

What is the position of KFS regarding NEMA 3 rules such as Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) of afforestation schemes and the obligatory levy to be paid to NEMA (0.05% of total investment)?

It adds cost to business. From an industrial

point of view, EIA is useful. My personal point of view is that in an afforestation scheme with indigenous trees (not eucalypts) an EIA should not be obligatory, and as part of an incentive scheme to afforestation, the levy should be cancelled.

Will proposals backed by the Japanese Social Development Scheme also have to go through NEMA? Funding under the Japanese scheme will go to support viable farm forestry enterprise investment among individual farmers and farmer field schools and thus will not have go through NEMA. What is KFS’s position regarding support to large-scale afforestation schemes of the private sector, including approval of management plans and licences to process and transport forest products?

Management plans are important and will have to be approved. A unit within KFS will be created that deals with these management plans. A template dealing more with strategic issues than with narrow technical points exists. Companies need both an investment plan and a technical management plan. KFS shall offer help, at no cost or at minimal cost.

3 NEMA: National Environmental Management Authority

Miti October - December 2009

A green partnership Better Globe Forestry runs a tree seedlings donation programme

By Jan Vandenabeele BGF representatives visit less known initiative the different showground of Better Globe Forvenues and, together with estry Ltd (BGF) is its the local branch manager, tree seedling donaassess the scope of possible tion programme. It has several tree planting, regarding laybeneficiaries, but is primarily out (rows alongside roads, intended for institutions in woodlots, light tree cover for the buffer zones around BGF’s parking lots, etc), numbers plantations. and species (both indigenous Since 2005, BGF has and exotic; ornamental and had an agreement with the for profit). BGF then contacts Agricultural Society of Kenya the local Kenya Forest Service (ASK) to donate tree seedlings (KFS) station to source the to embellish the showgrounds seedlings and to supply where ASK holds its annual them to the showground exhibitions. in question. Seedlings are The President is the produced either by KFS or patron of the ASK, while the are bought – through KFS Ministers for Agriculture and from private nurseries, mostly for Livestock Development supported by KFS. Better Globe Forestry team with the Nyeri ASK show management committee are the organisation’s deputy Another partner in the after the ceremonial tree planting during the 2007 Nyeri ASK show. patrons. The society was tree donation programme founded in December 1901 has been the Kenyan Originally the agreement was for BGF to as the East African Agricultural branch of SKAL International donate 10,000 seedlings per showground, but (International Association of Tourism and and Horticultural Society. Its mandate is to disseminate techniques and trade information in view of available space, this has not always Travel Professionals), resulting so far in a been possible. Nevertheless, the programme for the agricultural sector and related donation of 2,000 seedlings to Nyumbani has taken off; with 34,629 seedlings donated industries.

Village in Kitui (see article in Miti issue 3 so far to 12 out of the 15 ASK branches, Every year, ASK organises agricultural “An oasis of hope”), where HIV orphans are including a small number of ceremonial shows in its different branches nationwide. offered a home. This donation was done in seedlings that were planted by the guests of These are the Eldoret National Show in cooperation with a local NGO, the Woodlands honour. BGF’s representatives then also plant Eldoret, the Western Kenya Branch Show 2000 Trust, where another donation a ceremonial seedling, and it is an occasion to held in Kakamega, the Meru National Show programme is in the pipeline. present the company to the principal guests in Meru, the Mount Kenya Branch Show in Kiambere School Complex, in the buffer of honour.

Nanyuki, the Eastern Kenya Branch Show in zone of the plantations at Lake Kiambere, last Apart from providing shade and a green Embu, the South Eastern Kenya Branch Show year received 250 seedlings to complement environment in the showgrounds, the in Machakos, the Nakuru National Agricultural the refurbishment of several of its buildings by trees, like all activities at the ASK fairs, fulfil Show, the Southern Kenya Branch Show Child Africa. an educational function for visitors. ASK held in Kisii, the Kisumu Regional Show, Currently, BGF is assisting Kenya Wildlife guarantees maintenance of the seedlings.

Mombasa International Show, North Eastern Service (KWS) with managerial and technical Kenya Branch Show held in Garissa, the advice for establishing a boundary Central Kenya National Show in Nyeri, plantation for Nairobi National Park, the Nairobi International Trade Fair, the where it borders the Industrial Area.

Kabarnet Branch Show in Kabarnet and This is meant as a buffer zone between the Kitale National Show. There is also the park’s ecosystems and the negative a Young Farmers Clubs of Kenya tree influences from industries located close planting day. by. These influences range from noise, Each show attracts exhibitors air and plastic pollution to the presence related to the agricultural/livestock and of poachers and squatters who destroy forestry sectors, the academic world the park’s fence for fuel. This partnership and the private sector. The shows are might develop to include tree donations inaugurated by prominent personalities in future. (guests of honour) such as the President or a government minister and typically The writer is the Executive Director, Better Jean-Paul Deprins, (left) Managing Director of Better take three to four days, during which Globe Forestry witnesses the planting of a ceremonial Globe Forestry Ltd tree during ASK’s Embu show in July 2008. time the shows receive a lot of attention.

Email: jan@betterglobeforestry.com

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Miti October - December 2009

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Working with others KEFRI and KFS co-operate with Better Globe Forestry for mutual gain

Rino Solberg, Chairman, Better Globe and Dr Paul Konuche (then Director of KEFRI) signing the MOU between Better Globe Forestry Ltd and KEFRI, on November 7, 2008

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By Jan Vandenabeele

o underpin our field activities with a solid basis, Better Globe Forestry Ltd (BGF) has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with the two most important government technical agencies in the forest sector in Kenya.

These are the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) for the management of the national forest estate, and the Kenya Forest Research Institute (KEFRI) that is engaged in research related to trees and forests.

The first MOU was signed with KEFRI on the November 7, 2008. It mentions specifically cooperation as follows: KEFRI’s obligations a) To collaborate with BGF jointly in carrying out research on particular tree species of economic and social importance for ASAL; b) To undertake the necessary and agreed upon research activities in liaison with BGF and share the results through reporting; c) To exchange information of mutual benefit; d) To avail all information, documentation, data, maps, etc, that can be helpful in the success of agree upon research and development areas; e) To invite BGF’s technical representative to its CRAC 1 meetings and other happenings of importance; f ). To provide commercial data related to trees, wood products and intellectual input to the newly created Miti magazine.

BGF’s obligations a) Carry out jointly with KEFRI research on particular tree species of economic and social importance for ASAL;

b) To undertake the necessary and agreed upon research activities and reporting in liaison with KEFRI and share the results through reporting; c) To exchange information of mutual benefits; d) To avail all information, documentation, data, maps, etc, that can be helpful in the success of certain agreed upon research and development areas; e) Provide logistical support and funding to BGF staff to achieve the above; f ) To invite KEFRI technical representatives to events or meetings of importance for the object of collaboration; g) Sourcing for funds to undertake joint research with KEFRI and possible other research centres in Kenya or abroad; h) To assure sustainability and continuation of the Miti magazine.

As one can see, this agreement is very broad, and has to be filled in with specifics. This is already happening in the case of sharing research results on species like Melia volkensii and Jatropha curcas.

The research topics are propagation (in-vitro) and pest management, and preparation for a genetic improvement programme, including a nation-wide selection of Melia volkensii plus-trees.

BGF is currently hosting a student from the University College of Ghent, Belgium, to study pests and diseases as well as soil and fertiliser influences on both species at BGF’s pilot plantations in Kiambere. This is another area of cooperation with KEFRI researchers.

A new field of cooperation recently opened up on Acacia senegal, where BGF is fortunate to count on KEFRI’s expertise on an African and Kenyan level.

As regarding Miti magazine, contributions from KEFRI researchers are a regular feature in every issue. Hence, this MOU is very much alive and is no waste of paper. It is valid for four years.

1 CRAC: Centre Research Advisory Committee

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Miti October - December 2009

More recently, on July 29, 2009, BGF signed an MOU with KFS, with the following content: KFS’s obligations a) To collaborate with BGF jointly in promoting commercial tree planting and management in the ASAL; b) To undertake the necessary and agreed upon activities in liaison with BGF and share the results through reporting; c) To exchange information of mutual benefit; d) To provide technical support as may be appropriate to projects/programmes/activities developed and implemented under this MOU; e) To support BGF in fulfilling its mandate of making Kenya greener through massive tree planting and sustainable agriculture; f ) Assign an officer to participate in the implementation of joint activities under this MOU Rino Solberg, Chairman, Better Globe Forestry and David Mbugua, Director, KFS after where appropriate; signing the MOU between Better Globe Forestry Ltd and Kenya Forest Service, on July 29, g) Cooperate regarding Miti magazine (commercial 2009. data, technical input, tree planting data, calendar of events, etc) The importance of these MOUs should not be underestimated. They h) Advise on issues related to EIAs2; place BGF on a firm footing in its dealings with local authorities, and make i) Advise on legal, technical and other procedures related to these two important government institutions familiar with our activities. After afforestation projects. all, we share the same goal – massive afforestation for poverty alleviation.

BGF’s obligations a) To jointly promote and support commercial tree planting activities identified under this MOU; b).To support KFS in fulfilling her mandate of sustainable forest management and conservation through resources mobilisation in support of activities identified under this MOU; c) Support KFS in information dissemination; d) To undertake the necessary and agreed upon activities and reporting in liaison with KFS and share the results; e) To exchange information of mutual benefit; f) Provide logistical support and funding to BGF staff to achieve the above; g) To invite KFS technical representative to events or meetings of importance for the object of the collaboration; h) Sourcing for funds to undertake joint activities with KFS and other stakeholders in Kenya or abroad; i). To assure sustainability and continuation of the Miti magazine.

Cooperation between BGF and KFS exists in several domains. There is regular contact with KFS field staff (the District Forest Officers) in the areas where BGF is developing or planning its plantations. This is done either in formal technical meetings or during informal field visits. In a few years when BGF will start out-grower movements in the buffer zones around its plantations, cooperation with KFS’s extension services will be felt fully.

KFS assists in BGF’s dealings with NEMA 3 regarding EIAs, and gives general advice on forestry issues. In addition, KFS staff regularly contribute articles to Miti. This MOU is also valid for four years.

The writer is the Executive Director, Better Globe Forestry Ltd Email: jan@betterglobeforestry.com

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2 EIA: Environmental Impact Assessment 3 NEMA: National Environment Management Authority

Miti October - December 2009

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A treasure ignored

The desert date, Uganda’s wonder dryland tree, can enhance economic development if well tended

By Clement A. Okia

he desert date, scientifically known as Balanites aegyptiaca, is a highly valuable tree mainly found in the savannahs of tropical Africa. Its deep tap roots make it drought-resistant, thus enabling it to thrive in deserts. Its thick bark protects it from bush fires and it can withstand seasonal flooding, strong winds and shallow and compacted soils.

In Uganda, the desert date is common in West Nile, Teso and Karamoja sub-regions, where it is known by various local names such as; logba or lugba (Lugbara and Madi), thoo (Alur), ecomai (Ateso), and ekorete (N’gakarimojong).

Along the River Nile in Adjumani and Moyo and in most swamps in Katakwi, Amuria and Karamoja, balanites trees make up more than a third of the total tree population. This high concentration is economically viable for setting up small or medium scale enterprises based on balanites products and there is a large untapped market in West Nile and neighbouring Sudan.

For many of the people of Karamoja, Teso and West Nile, balanites trees are essential because they provide important nutrients and vitamins to diets dominated by cereals.

Balanites fruits ripen during the late dry season and early wet season (December– March), when stocks of cereal crops are usually low.

The tree provides the people with a source of income through the sale of fruits, leaves and oil extracted from the seed kernels. Balanites trees also facilitate crop and pasture growth beneath their crowns.

The date-like fruits of the balanites tree have a bitter-sweet, yellowish-red pulp. The ripe fruits are eaten raw or sun-dried and can be safely stored and sold as desert dates. The pulp is rich in sugars, vitamins and a range of essential minerals. It can be soaked in water to create a tonic, which can be fermented to make alcohol.

The tree’s wood is hard and heavy. It produces firewood which burns with almost no smoke, and yields good quality and highly priced charcoal.

For the Karimojong, balanites seeds are important because the kernel extracted from within the seed is rich in oil (60 per cent) and protein (30 per cent). The oil, comparable to olive oil, is highly priced and highly valued

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Lopping of Balanites aegyptiaca (the desert date) for fodder for livestock in Katakwi, Uganda.

Woodland with Balanites aegyptiaca in Adjumani, Uganda.

among the Madi and Karimojong. The oil consists largely of linoleic and oleic acids, and is classified as unsaturated, the type most desirable in foods. People in Adjumani say balanites oil does not solidify when stored and can be added to cooked food.

Communities which eat the kernel are reported to have a low incidence of vitamin A deficiency.

A litre of balanites oil in rural Adjumani costs between Ush 3,000 (Ksh 115) and Ush 4,000 (Ksh 153). A kilo of leaves in Katakwi costs between Ush 400 (Ksh 15) and Ush 800 (Ksh 30). However, the supply is limited due to difficulty in cracking the hard seed to extract the seed kernel. The oil extraction process has been relegated to elderly women as the men and young people regard it as time consuming with limited returns. As a result, less than 5 per cent of the seeds are collected for oil extraction.

The kernel also produces tasty, high quality butter and is a raw material for pharmaceuticals. The solid remaining after the oil is removed contains diosgenin and

Miti October - December 2009

yamogenin, essential for the production of steroids, which are in high demand throughout the world. Some of these steroids include cortisone, birth control pills, oestrogen and anti-inflammatory agents.

In the early 1980s, the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) made a plea for balanites development in the Blue Nile province of Sudan to produce 1,200 tonnes of diosgenin, to meet less than half the world’s demand.

Bio-diesel can be produced from balanites seed kernels. The bio-diesel obtained is reported to have a composition of triglycerides of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, with a very high content of linoleic and oleic acids, and it further contains saponins, acting as surfactants, which reduce the rate of corrosion and improve the performance of an engine.

The protein-rich young leaves and shoots are an excellent vegetable. Balanites leaves are widely used in Teso, where they are considered a dependable dry season and famine food.

The leaves are commonly sold in local markets, especially in Katakwi and Amuria districts. They are one of the major sources of income for collectors and traders, who are mainly women and children. The leaves are also valued for livestock feed, especially because they are in bloom even in the dry season, when grass has withered. The leaves also make very good mulch and the flowers provide important forage for honeybees.

This reliable, resilient tree could be the solution to famine in areas prone to drought and famine. In addition, extracts from the fruit and bark have been found to contain saponins, which are deadly to the snail that causes bilharzia. They also kill the water flea that harbours the guinea worm. Because the saponins are non-toxic to humans, balanites have been recommended in irrigation and as

Desert date fruits on sale in Adjumani, Uganda.

an additive to drinking water.

The balanites tree is also of medicinal value. The fruits have been used in the treatment of liver and spleen diseases.

Gum from the wood is used to treat chest problems, while the bark and roots are used as laxatives and for colic. The bark is also used to treat malaria, sore throat, sterility, mental disease, epilepsy, yellow fever, syphilis and toothache.

Despite the role of the balanites tree in diversifying income generation and sustaining rural livelihood, it has received little recognition from the development and research community. This is because of lack of information and reliable methods for measuring the tree’s contribution to farm households and the rural economy; limited markets and lack of production incentives related to markets and technology.

A report by a panel of experts from various African countries released in January 2008 included balanites among the 24 indigenous fruit trees chosen for their potential to boost nutrition, environmental stability and economic development if given the right scientific and agricultural support.

In 2007, researchers from Bangor University, North Wales, UK, in collaboration with those from Makerere University and the National Forestry Resources Research Institute developed a research project on

the balanites tree. The research focuses on understanding local use, management and conservation of balanites trees; quantities available in Uganda, its processing and marketing and the nutritional value of the fruit and leaves. The local communities are also helping in selecting good quality balanites trees from the wild and growing them on farms to increase fruit and leaf production.

This study is intended to provide results which can be used to enhance the livelihood of rural communities in the drylands of Uganda.

The writer is a lecturer, Makerere University and PhD student, Bangor University, UK (This article was first published in the New Vision newspaper, Kampala, Uganda. Reprinted by kind permission, New Vision)

Also a Kenyan tree ‌

Balanites aegyptiaca is also widespread in Kenya, as it is indeed a droughtresistant tree, and most of Kenya is semi-arid and arid. It can grow on a wide variety of soils, including black cotton.

It is a familiar sight in the plains of the world famous Masai Mara Game Reserve, where most people mistake it for an acacia and where it is browsed by giraffe.

It is also very common along Mombasa road, just south of Nairobi, growing on the inhospitable clay soils of the Kapithi plains and around Konza.

Just like in Uganda, the species has a huge variety of uses, from human consumption (leaves and shoots for vegetables), to oil, medicine and fodder.

Balanites aegyptiaca in Konza, along the Mombasa Road.

Desert date seedlings in a nursery in Katakwi, Uganda.

Miti October - December 2009

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Let’s drink to your health

The marula fruit, with nutritional and medicinal properties, offers great potential for Africa

Marula fruits The leaves of the marula tree.

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By Jan Vandenabeele

he marula tree, Sclerocary birrea subsp. Caffra, belongs to the family of mangoes and cashew nuts, whose botanical name is Anacardiaceae. It is a medium-sized tree (up to 15m) with grey, cracked bark and leaves with numerous little leaflets. The species is dioecious, meaning the trees have a specific sex - female and male.

The tree is indigenous to the miombo woodlands of southern Africa, as well as the Sudano-Sahelian range of West Africa.

In Kenya, it grows in wooded grassland, bush land and riverine woodland, often accompanied by acacias and baobabs, always a hallmark of hot and dry areas.

The fruits are like little plums, yellow when ripe and about 2.5- 7.5cm long. They are juicy and aromatic and can be eaten fresh. The flesh is very rich in vitamin C, about four times the amount found in an average South African orange. Marula fruit juice contains 2mg of vitamin C per millilitre of juice.

The fruit can also be cooked to produce jam, jellies, juices and alcoholic beverages.

Inside the flesh are one or two very small tasty nuts that are rich in protein. They have been compared in taste to macadamia nuts

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and can be pressed to obtain oil.

Marula fruit production can be quite high, as documented by Botswana trees at 550kg of fruit per tree per year, with even higher production recorded in Namibia.

The Pokot in the west of Kenya prepare a decoction from the back of the tree, which they use to treat dysentery, bad liver and rheumatism. They crush a piece of bark into pulp, mix it with cold water and swallow. The bark contains antihistamines and is also used to prevent malaria.

The fruits have the potential to improve nutrition. Marula oil, for example, extracted from the fruit kernels (nuts), is used in cosmetics, as cooking oil and as a meat preservative. It contains a large proportion of natural antioxidants and monounsaturated fatty acids.

The marula is an interesting bee plant, with abundant nectar but only flowering for some eight to 10 days. Marula fruits fermented for 24 hours in a mixture of 50 per cent fruit pulp, with the nuts removed, and 50 per cent water, produce a pleasant, slightly alcoholic beverage. However, the beverage goes off after a few days.

Animals eat the fruits that fall off the trees and become intoxicated. African folklore claims that elephants go on the rampage

because of continuous fermentation of the fruits in their stomach, but this seems unlikely. In some areas of southern Africa, a spirit is distilled from the “beer”. From there, it is but a small step that a commercial company in South Africa has taken to produce Amarula, a cream liqueur like Bailey’s Irish Cream.

In recent years in South Africa, up to 500 tonnes of marula fruits have been commercially processed into juice and 2,000 tonnes into liqueur. The South African National Food Research Institute has developed a process for making marula juice on a large scale.

The marula is an African fruit species that is worth more silvicultural research, for largescale planting. It is currently undergoing trials for commercial planting in Israel’s Negev desert, but organised planting in Africa is almost non-existent. Propagation via root cuttings or large stem cuttings has been successful, meaning that cloning of good specimen and early production of fruits is possible.

The writer is the Executive Director, Better Globe Forestry Ltd Email: jan@betterglobeforestry.com

Miti October - December 2009

Deforestation leading to climate change. Is this what we want?

Plant more trees

Better Globe Forestry supports this message from ICFPA and IFFA to the UN - Climate Change Conference (COP 15) in Copenhagen, to be held from December 7 to 18, 2009 This is the message of ICFPA and IFFA to the parties leading up to COP 15 in Copenhagen: The International Council of Forest and Paper Associations (ICFPA), representing the global forest based industries, and The International Family Forestry Alliance, IFFA, representing forest owners all over the world, urge that the negotiating parties at COP 15 take action to implement the recommendations of the Fourth Assessment Report of the scientists of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on forestry which states that: “a sustainable forest management strategy aimed at maintaining or increasing forest carbon stocks, while producing an annual sustained yield of timber, fibre or energy from the forest, will generate the largest sustained mitigation benefit�

Decisions made at COP-15 need to lay the foundation for including forests and forest products in a future international climate change agreement.

ICFPA and IFFA, therefore, urge the parties to include provisions that incorporate the benefits of forests and forest-based products. Such provisions not only should incentivize the effectiveness of climate change mitigation efforts, but also help reduce deforestation and encourage

Miti October - December 2009

sustainable forest management. Any future international climate change agreement should ensure the recognition that forests and related industries contribute to curbing deforestation and forest degradation, hence being part of the solution to climate change mitigation by: 1. Acknowledging that sustainable forest management of all types of forests, including planted forests, - either existing ones or new ones resulting from afforestation and reforestation measures - sequester carbon and provide climate-friendly building materials, cellulose fibre, and renewable fuel, as well as delivering many other economic, environmental and social benefits (e.g. biodiversity, soil conservation, poverty alleviation, etc.).

In that context, parties need to embed Sustainable Forest Management at the very core of REDD1 and to simplify the recognition of CDM2 and JI3 projects covering sustainably managed forests, 1 REDD: Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and (forest) Degradation. A UN programme.

2 CDM: Clean Development Mechanism 3 JI: Joint Implementation (defined in art 6 of the Kyoto Protocol) allows a country with an emission reduction or limitation commitment, to earn emission reduction units (ERUs) from an emission reduction or emission removal project in another country, each equivalent to one tonne of CO2, which can be counted towards meeting its Kyoto target.

allowing for some flexibility for planted forests to be relocated on non-forest land (including forest offsetting), while ensuring environmental integrity.

2.

Recognizing the potential of wood biomass as a substitute material for non-renewable and fossil fuels and of harvested wood as a substitute material for carbon intensive building materials.

3.

Recognising the full carbon life cycle of forests and forest products by acknowledging that harvested wood products (HWP), represent long lasting carbon pools and that these carbon pools have the potential to grow further.

The global forest sector, including the whole production chain from forest owners and managers to forest products industry, is an important part of the solution for climate change, managing forests sustainably, producing products that store carbon and being the world’s largest industrial producer and consumer of renewable biomass energy.

The inclusion of the three issues above in any new global agreement will be essential to the success of the agreement and will be used by ICFPA and IFFA to evaluate the agreement.

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Experts say there is no cause for alarm. Farmers only need adequate information on the management of the tree

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By Leakey Sonkoyo

Five-year-old Eucalyptus regnans on a trial plantation of KEFRI in a high-altitude area (2300masl), in Kamara, Rift Valley Province

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t is difficult to fathom why some issues generate such animated debate even when their scientific nature should explain everything about them. This is the case with the now famous eucalyptus tree. While some value it as a money maker that has brought them out of grinding poverty, others have labelled it an invasive species that is responsible for the water scarcity experienced in areas that were formally water sufficient.

However, most people, in whichever camp, have chosen to ignore the fact of one of the most studied tree species in the world. Those who have benefited

from it love it while the others who have experienced its alleged adverse effects loathe it. Surprisingly, this is the case not only at the local village level where misinformation could be expected, but also at the most senior government levels where reason and scientific facts at least ought to inform decisions and declarations.

It is for this reason that foresters affiliated to the Forestry Society of Kenya (FSK) in conjunction with the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) organised the first ever forum that was aptly titled “The Eucalyptus Debate� to discuss all that pertains to eucalyptus growing in Kenya. The debate was moderated by Dr Jeff Odera, a former

Miti October - December 2009

Director of the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) and led by Dr Phanuel Oballa, an accomplished and renowned plant researcher/geneticist at the same institution.

Others on the panel to help in the discussions were accomplished forestry scientists including Prof Kingiri Senelwa of Moi University, Mr Ben Wamugunda, a forestry consultant and former Deputy Director, Forest Department; Dr Margaret Karembu, Director ISAAA Afri-Centre; Mr Benson Kanyi, Manager, Tree Biotechnology Programme; Mr E A Ochieng, a forester and KFS board member and Ms Nafasi Mfahaya, also a forester working at KFS. After a warning by Dr Odera for participants to provide “evidence, empirical data, and/or clear and precise anecdotal information on Eucalyptus’ role, benign or malignant, on soil and water management, ecosystems functions, cultural, socioeconomic values, and aesthetic benefits”, the ball was set rolling.

According to Dr Oballa, with all the outcry about eucalyptus, the country has a paltry 10,000 hectares of the species as compared to some major eucalyptus growers including neighbouring Ethiopia with over 250,000 hectares under the tree.

He however acknowledged that like all fast-growing trees, eucalypts take up more water as compared to indigenous slowgrowing trees. It is thus possible for eucalypts to clear water, especially in areas of water scarcity, said Dr Oballa.

However, according to Dr Oballa, with proper advice on matching sites with planting objectives, eucalypts remain on top of biomass producers among the world trees. Their contribution to wood needs of many is a blessing rather than a curse. “The curse of our water losses lies in misuse and mismanagement of agricultural land,” he said.

He added that of major consequence to water sources, other than eucalyptus, were unsustainable human practices which mainly include agriculture near water sources.

Generally, clearing tree cover for cultivation and cultivating too close to water sources and riverine areas was blamed as the major cause of water scarcity.

Farmers in the audience expressed confusion with the way the eucalyptus issue was being handled saying that at one time they were being advised to plant the species only to be asked to uproot them later. Others said that they had observed a significant loss of water in areas planted with eucalyptus, where previously there had been plenty of

Miti October - December 2009

A plantation of clonal eucalypts, three to four years old, in Kajiado District. This is a dry area (average annual rainfall about 700mm) and the success or failure of a eucalypt plantation depends on soil preparation and suppression of grass, which would compete for moisture.

water.

The panellists acknowledged all this, saying that communication to farmers by relevant authorities had been wanting, due to inconsistencies and contradictions by different agencies. They also at the same time advised the farmers to bear in mind that, being a fast-growing tree, the species consumed more water than slow-growing indigenous species, sometimes over 20 litres a day, and thus proper technical assistance is required before embarking on eucalyptus

farming, especially in areas of water scarcity.

They were however in agreement that there was no justifiable cause for the alarmist warnings being issued about the species, adding that farmers only needed adequate information on its management.

The writer is Corporate Communications Officer, Kenya Forest Service Email: lsonkoyo@kenyaforestservice.org

A small-holder’s plantation of Eucalyptus camaldulensis in Yatta, Eastern Province, in a semi-arid zone, but on good soils

Joining hands for trees

KFS is working with forest adjacent communities in the management of this national resource

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By John Macharia

ustainability of forests is a state or process that can be maintained indefinitely. The principles of sustainability integrate three closely interlinked elements - the environment, the economy and the social system - into a system that can be maintained in a healthy state indefinitely.

Sustainable forest management (SFM) maintains the long-term viability of commercial forests, protects biodiversity and provides a continuous stream of social and economic benefits.

Measuring forest sustainability is achieved through the use of criteria and indicators that provide a clear and common definition of sustainable forest management. The criterion consists of a series of factors characterising the forest environment while an indicator is a measurable (quantitative) or descriptive (qualitative) variable that can be used to observe trends as the criterion changes over time.

As forests are long-term investments, their management should take into consideration both the current needs as well as future expectations. It is therefore crucial that decisions made today are well thought out, scientifically informed and are geared to meet current objectives based on long-term visions.

Participatory Forest Management (PFM) is a forest management approach that deliberately involves forest adjacent communities and other stakeholders in the management of forests. Its operation is well articulated under Section 4 of the Forest Act and is meant to ensure sustainable management of forests while contributing to the improvement of the livelihoods of the communities.

Forest Management Plans normally consider an existing scenario and use it as the base for planning the future in order to move towards a certain vision. These plans therefore become a vital tool in ensuring forest sustainability as the approach takes into account the wellbeing of the resource and the socio-economics of the adjacent communities while meeting the country’s demand for the supply of goods and services. By definition, these are systematic programmes showing all activities to be undertaken in a forest or part of a forest during a period of at least five years, and include conservation, utilisation, silvicultural operations and infrastructural developments.

Realising the important role that the management plans play in ensuring forest sustainability and in order to conform to the requirements of Section 35 of the Forest Act,

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Final crop of beans in year three before the tree canopy closes.

Kenya Forest Service (KFS), in collaboration with its stakeholders and the communities, has embarked on an aggressive campaign to ensure that all the forests have sound management plans in the shortest time possible. However, the realisation of this requirement continues being a major challenge as the preparation of such plans is not only time consuming but also requires adequate financial outlay.

The achievement to date is presented in the table on the facing page.

Plantation Establishment and Livelihood Improvement Scheme (PELIS - see also interview with Director, KFS, on page 8) is another scheme to ensure that Kenya’s forests are restored and protected. Under the scheme, KFS, in collaboration with the community, intends to clear the entire planting backlog, amounting to 16,000 hectares, within two years. Through this

scheme, the community is to benefit through growing of food crops for one year before the trees are planted.

This will continue for not more than three years after planting or as the tree canopy closes. In addition to the crop, another benefit to the community under this scheme will involve ploughing back 50 per cent of monies collected as annual shamba rent to community projects of their choice provided they are able to attain a seedling survival rate of at least 75 per cent one year after planting.

The main benefit to KFS will be saving money that would otherwise be used for land preparation and subsequent maintenance of such land if the scheme was not operational.

In addition, the communities have, in partnership with KFS, identified degraded sites within the natural forests and incorporated their restoration as

Joint training of forest rangers and community scouts from Dundori, Menengai and Bahati forest stations held in Nakuru in April this year. It involved 30 participants and was conducted over two and-a-half days. This training was meant to promote cohesiveness between the two groups.

Miti October - December 2009

Name of forest

Conservancy

Area (ha)

Remarks

Kereita

Central

4,722

Complete

Kasigau

Coast

202.3

Complete

Kitobo

Coast

160

Complete

Rumuruti

Central

6,217.8

Complete

Ngare Ndare

Eastern

5,554.3

Complete

Mukogodo

Central

30,189

Complete

Eburu

Mau

8,760

Complete

Mwambirwa

Coast

375.5

Complete

Mbololo

Coast

220

Complete

Ngangao

Coast

139.93

Complete

Saboti/Sosio

N. Rift

13,764.25

Complete

Mt Kenya

Central/Eastern

289,005.2

Complete

Makuli

Eastern

1,653.1

Complete

Kabaru

Central

13,394.62

Complete

Namanga Hill

Mau

11,784

Complete

Arabuko Sokoke

Coast

41,600

Complete

Mt Elgon

Western/N Rift

107,821

Under revision

Museve Hill/Kabonge

Eastern

79

On going

Maasai Mau

Mau

46,278

On going

Bahati

Mau

6,956.5

Complete

Dundori

Mau

3,609.2

Complete

Shamanek

Central

1,840.5

Complete

Ndaragwa

Central

34,701

Complete

Ol Bollossat

Central

3,326.9

Complete

Lariak

Central

4,988

Complete

Gathiuru

Central

14,908

Complete

Upper Imenti

Eastern

13,904.27

Complete

Mathews Range

Ewaso

97,632

Complete

Hombe

Central

3,618

Ongoing

Londiani Forest Station

Mau

9,015.5

Ongoing

Aberdare Ranges

Central

103,165.02

Ongoing

Kakamega

Western

25,801.7

Ongoing

Sururu Forest

Mau

18,241

Ongoing

Maragoli Hill

Western

469.5

Ongoing

South Nandi

North Rift

24,683

Ongoing

Dzombo

Coast

906

Ongoing

Geta

Central

18,884.3

Ongoing

North Kinangop

Central

6811.5

Ongoing

Elgeyo

North Rift

6401.8

Ongoing

Itare

Mau

8000

Ongoing

Ruthumbi

Eastern

10,000

Ongoing

Kieni

Central

13,723.71

Ongoing

Kimakia

Central

7,511.1

Ongoing

North Nandi

North Rift

1,1345

Ongoing

Status of gazetted forests regarding management plans major activities within the natural forest programmes in the participatory forest management plans. By implementing the management plans, the communities will actively engage in rehabilitation of those areas by either protecting them to promote

Miti October - December 2009

regeneration or undertaking enrichment planting. According to the current strategic plan, 100,000 hectares of such areas is earmarked for rehabilitation within the next five years.

Protection of forests is paramount if they

Fire in Ontulili Forest in March/April this year. To put off the fire the KFS and KWS rangers were assisted by members of the Community Forest Association (CFA), the general community and the Provincial Administration. It took nine days and destroyed about 300 ha, causing a loss estimated at Ksh 1.2million.

are to thrive and provide goods and services sustainably. Currently the ratio of forest rangers to the area they supervise (the beat) stands at 1:700 (hectares) which is way off from the recommended ratio of 1:400. To overcome this disparity, the Community Forest Associations (CFAs) are teaming up with KFS to patrol the forests for protection and for suppressing forest fires. This approach is cost effective and sustainable because the members of the community, unlike KFS employees, reside permanently next to the forest resources and are never transferred.

For this venture to succeed, forest rangers and community scouts are trained jointly. This training brings harmony to forest patrols and promotes joint planning of operations. A wider audience appreciates the challenges forest rangers face and this leads to more effective protection of the forests. However, to enhance the capacity of the community scouts, there is need to supply them with equipment such as radios and bicycles as has been done in one of the project areas.

The challenge of making our forests sustainable remains. We all have a responsibility to turn the dream into reality.

The writer is a Forest Management Plans Officer at the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) headquarters, Karura, Nairobi Email: macariajk@yahoo.com

Â

21

Dorian Mario Rocco, founder of several companies, among them Saroneem Biopesticides Ltd.

Mr Rocco’s step-son, Joshua Murimi, designated successor.

Blazing the trail Dorian Rocco pioneered the manufacture of biological pesticides in Kenya

D

By Jan Vandenabeele

orian Mario Rocco, born in Naivasha 79 years ago, was an agricultural consultant for years, and studied engineering. He was one of the first people in East Africa to realise the importance of copper-based pesticides, which were not available in the market. As a result, he started to make them himself, producing copper oxychloride, which is used in coffee plantations and horticulture.

Copper oxychloride is the active ingredient in products effective against blight and mildew.

Mr Rocco founded a company, Saroc Ltd, and operated from 1970 to 2000 on Lusaka Road, Industrial Area, manufacturing pesticides. By the end of that period he had developed an interest in the neem tree (Azarirachta indica), especially after his wife, Margaret Wangari Wakere, explained to him that the tree was reputed to cure 40 diseases.

So Mr Rocco established a new company, Saroneem Biopesticides Ltd at Baba Dogo, Ruaraka, did his research on neem with some help from the International Centre for

22

Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) along the way, and started producing an array of neem-based pesticides and health products.

The neem tree is known to be effective against malaria, fevers of various kinds, diabetes, common colds, high blood pressure, arthritis and other ailments. The tree has a cocktail of chemical components in its bark, leaves and fruits, the most prominent of these being azadirachtin, which has a potent effect on insects.

Neem seeds spread on a plastic sheet under a neem tree

Neem-based pesticides do not have a “knock-down” effect of killing insects instantaneously. Instead, they are slow killers and do not allow building up of resistance against a specific product as is the case with so many conventional pesticides. This is probably because azadirachtin is not isolated from other chemical components, and the whole is too complex for the insect to deal with. Insects treated with neem-based pesticides will stop feeding on leaves with no further damage caused, and die after a week or so. Surviving pests breed fewer or abnormal off-spring.

Saroneem Biopesticides are mainly distributed through Lachlan Ltd, a distributor of pesticides and other horticultural products. The neem health products (creams, lotion and shampoos) are sold through Chandarana supermarkets and other small shops.

At present, no other company in Kenya manufactures neem pesticides, although a number produce neem soap and leaf powder for tea.

Saroneem mainly sources neem seeds

Miti October - December 2009

from Kilifi, where the inhabitants employ children to collect the seeds from under the neem trees, after fruit bats spit them out. The seeds have to be collected every morning, otherwise they can start germinating.

A mature neem tree can produce up to 40kg of seed per year. In a normal year, Saroneem’s intake of seeds is 40 – 50 tonnes, bought at Ksh 50 per kg. This price puts Saroneem Pesticides at a disadvantage compared to neem products manufactured in India, where, according to Mr Rocco, the manufacturers only pay the equivalent of Ksh 8 per kg of seeds.

India is the most important producer of neem seeds, by far, with a collection of 18,000 tonnes of seeds per year.

Internationally, neem products from India dominate the market.

Kenya however is not short of seeds either, with possible supply areas including the coast, Garissa and the shores of Lake Victoria. Also, some 100,000 neem trees are growing at the Dadaab refugee camp, planted by refugee organisations. Importing from Tanzania is another possibility, but one has to cope with higher prices due to transport costs.

Neem trees grow in hot, tropical climates, tolerating quite dry conditions. They are one of the success stories in tree planting in several Sahelian countries, although originally the tree species comes from the Indian subcontinent. It is very well adapted and almost naturalised in Africa.

The principal processing activity at Saroneem’s plant is the crushing of the seeds, resulting in neem oil (15 per cent) and neem seed cake (85 per cent). However, most of the azadirachtin is found in the seed cake, from where it has to be extracted with alcohol. Even after extraction of the azadirachtin, the remaining cake is a good repellent against soil-borne nematodes, a

Nature’s pharmacy extracted by Saroneem Biopesticides Ltd: A range of neem products - shampoo, tea, pesticides, oil, soap, cream, cake, leaf powder…

common threat to various horticultural crops like ornamental flowers, tomatoes, sweet melons, capsicums and others.

Commercial neem products developed

by Saroneem Biopesticides Ltd include: - NeemRos 0.3% powder, an insecticide based on neem seed cake for use in agricultural and horticultural crops; - NeemRoc EC 3%, which is a mixture of neem oil and the alcoholic extract of the neem cake. It is good against biting and sucking insects (Ksh 520 per litre); - NeemRoc + (in the process of registration with the Kenya Bureau of Standards - KEBS), a mixture of neem and other natural products. This works against nematodes, at a dose of 0.5 litres per acre per week, spread through drip irrigation (Ksh 1,500 per litre).

In the last few years, Saroneem’s production of all brands together averaged 20,000 litres per year. The market might expand, depending on how well the products are marketed. According to Mr Rocco, marketing is key to future expansion.

Saroneem Biopesticides Ltd represents an outlet for producers of neem seeds in rural areas, including ASAL, and, indeed, an incentive to plant more trees there.

Mr Rocco has recently decided to move his plant from Nairobi to Nanyuki, and at the moment is awaiting the installation of electricity in the new premises in Nanyuki.

This has had an impact on production, which is now at a reduced level, with limited sales.

As Mr Rocco has grown older now, and suffered from a stroke that immobilised him for months, the running of the company has been taken over by his step-son, Joshua Murimi. He will take over completely once the plant is installed in Nanyuki. Mr Murimi has also created a company of his own, Aloneem Naturals Agencies, producing health products based on aloe.

Mr Rocco can be reached at 0728-592478 and by email at dorianrocco@yahoo.com.

The writer is the Executive Director, Better Globe Forestry Email: jan@betterglobeforestry.com

More natural products - aloe, nettle, chamomile.

Miti October - December 2009

23

Jonathan Kituku in his mukau plantation in Kibwezi. Note the soil work: Ploughing has been done along contour lines for maximum infiltration of rain. No competing grasses or weeds are present, and all is perfectly ready for a cover crop of green grams. The trees have shed their leaves as a drought coping mechanism.

Reaping the fruit

Jonathan Kituku shows the way to successful tree growing

J

By Jan Vandenabeele

onathan Kituku, who lives in Kibwezi, is originally from Wote, Makueni District, where he was born 51 years ago. After completing primary school, he started working in a small company where he learnt some electrical skills. With these skills, he later secured a position at the Kenya Power and Lighting Company, working all over the country, before he decided to set up on his own, growing trees. The idea came to him while he was stationed in Kitale, where a friend used to make money from growing Grevillea trees.

Mr Kituku chose to settle in Kibwezi, as the land was affordable, and started growing maize. This proved a disappointment, with low and erratic yields. So he started looking around to see if he could plant trees and make money out of them, as his friend in Kitale did. Mr Kituku was not discouraged that Kibwezi was a dry area, where commercial tree planting had not been introduced, but believed in his idea. It had to be possible, as trees were growing there

24

anyway.

In 2002, Mr Kituku contacted the then Forest Department, which referred him to the local Kenya Forest Research Institute (KEFRI) station. KEFRI decided to assist him with 40 mukau (Melia volkensii) tree seedlings. Mr Kituku planted these in 2003, but only 18 of them survived. This was due to faulty planting techniques – the holes were too small. However, because of this, KEFRI thought Mr Kituku was not a serious farmer.

So it took some stubborn insisting before KEFRI helped Mr Kituku out again, in December 2005, with 318 mukau seedlings.

To this he added another 101 seedlings from his own nursery that he had already established. This time however, KEFRI was present during the preparations for planting and even the planting, to make sure survival would be higher. Which it was, resulting in very low mortality.

The planting holes were bigger this time, at 50x50x50cm. Today, almost four years later, the plantation is professionally done

Jonathan Kituku’s mukau nursery along river Athi. Other farmers have tree nurseries but Kituku’s is certainly the biggest. He supplies a wide variety of clients and his seedlings usually sell-out.

and maintained, with spacing of 4x4m, good pruning and excellent weed control and

Miti October - December 2009

water harvesting. The latter two are achieved by yearly intercropping with green grams or cowpeas and ploughing the land along the contour lines, to achieve maximum infiltration of rain water and minimal run-off.

It helps that green grams and cowpeas are legumes, with nitrogen-fixing properties, from which the mukau trees can benefit. The land is kept clean, so the mukau trees do not compete for water and nutrients with weeds and bushes.

Since getting the formula right, Mr Kituku has maintained a steady rhythm in planting mukau, as is shown in the table on this page.

He has now covered a total of 13hectares, which makes him one of the biggest growers of mukau nationwide, and he doesn’t stop there.

Mr Kituku has gradually bought land around his core plot, increasing the acreage to more than 160 acres (64 hectares).

Currently, he is preparing land for the 2009 November rains. Future spacing will be slightly higher, at 5x5m, to allow for the trees to grow bigger with less competition.

Management schedule Mr Kituku does not intend to thin his plantation, leaving the trees to grow for 14 years. By then, he expects an average DBH (diameter at breast height) of 40-42cm, for a clean bole 4-5m high. His estimation is based on a single standing mukau in his compound, now nine years old, with a DBH of roughly 25cm.

Pruning is a challenge. Pruning the trees too severely when young renders them prone to bending in case of a strong wind. On the other hand, delaying pruning in order to get stems strong enough to withstand the winds risks creating big knots,

Mukau planting on Mr Kituku’s farm Year Number

Spacing

Area (ha)

2005

419

4.5x4.5m

0.85

2006

2,400

4x4m

3.84

2007

1,016

4x4m

1.63

2008

4,320

4x4m

6.91

TOTAL

8,155

thus degrading the wood quality. The prize, however, is to obtain clean bole lengths of up to 6m, which makes a difference of some Ksh 2,000 to 3,000 per tree.

Future marketing The stump value (standing trees) of Mr Kituku’s future 40cm thick mukau trees is estimated at Ksh 5,000 - 6,000 per piece, while processing them into timber with a chainsaw would push the value up to Ksh 14,000 for an average tree. Even a cautious Ksh 12,000 is good money by any standards, and certainly so in the setting of a poor rural area like Kibwezi where agricultural alternatives can never match this level. One can see where Mr Kituku’s plantations are leading to, notwithstanding his investments and running costs.

In true entrepreneurial spirit, Mr Kituku is already planning to purchase a chainsaw, and even dreams of a small lorry, to get his timber straight to the market, without brokers or other intermediaries. He sees the market mainly at the coast, in Mombasa, which offers better prices than Nairobi, and is easy to reach - 300km over the highway.

In view of these facts, Mr Kituku has become an extensionist for tree planting.

He still gets assistance from KEFRI, like a donation of 1,000 mpingo (Dalbergia melanoxylon or African blackwood)

13.22

seedlings for planting this year, but he has mastered the art of mukau plantations almost better than the teacher.

Neighbouring farmers are picking up the trend, and Mr Kituku is now mentoring 36 of them. He gives them technical advice, sometimes including the mukau seedlings. Most of the farmers are growing patches of 100 to 1,000 seedlings, and one of them even 4,500. Apart from adequate soil preparation, the single factor most contributing to successful mukau planting is simply keeping out the goats. Once this idea properly gets conveyed, young mukau seedlings just thrive.

To cap it all, Mr Kituku has established a commercial mukau nursery and is doing excellent business. When Miti visited the place, located on the banks of Athi River, there were about 8,000 seedlings waiting to be sold. A willing buyer market is around, with seedlings going for anything between Ksh 50 and Ksh 75 per piece. Last year’s seedling production of 24,000 pieces was completely sold out.

This is really an achievement, because it has to be put in the context of the technicalities that make mukau propagation problematic. Indeed, suitable fruits have to be collected from superior trees, the fruit skin has to be removed and the resulting wooden nuts cracked to obtain the seeds.

The seeds then have to be carefully slit and treated with a fungicide. Afterwards they must germinate in propagators (kind of minigreenhouses) to have the right moisture and heat conditions. It’s rather complicated, not at all straightforward like collecting eucalypt seeds and sowing without much care. Fortunately this technique has been developed competently by KEFRI. Well, if this isn’t the future of dryland areas in Kenya, then what is? This option conserves the environment, steps down on soil erosion, makes full use of locally available natural resources and will produce money and reduce poverty.

The writer is the Executive Director, Better Globe Forestry Ltd

Mukau propagation is not simple and is done in different stages. Here is the hallmark of success a high germination rate of seeds.

Miti October - December 2009

Email: jan@betterglobeforestry.com

25

On the brink of a water crisis As rivers dry up and tree cover is depleted, Uganda faces an environmental disaster

By Rwakakamba Morrison

M

y village, Nyiebingo Kebisoni in Rukungiri District, south west Uganda, was a paradise until ten or so years ago. It presented a pristine ecosystem graced by rivers Kanywa, Kiborogota, Omukyijurirabusha, Kanyeganyegye and Omukagyera. Today, these rivers and streams are dry. The hilltops of Itemba, Matebe and Nyakashozi are bare of tree cover and are instead punctuated by deadly gullies. The famous wetlands of Muyorwa and Garubunda are extinct.

If you live in a village, you will notice that those fresh water rivers where you took your daring swimming lessons as a naughty young lad are no more. What is left in some instances are small traces of flowing water surrounded by eucalyptus trees, food crop gardens and traces of waning riparian wetlands.

In some cases, the rivers and streams disappeared completely and small towns are thriving in their place!

Today, the rains can no longer be predicted. And when they come, they bring with them devastating floods accompanied by displacements and diseases. What exactly happened?

Are these symptoms of climate change and subsequent global warming? Has the problem been caused by unabated encroachment or irresponsible land use? Could impunity be a contributing factor? Also to blame are inefficient policy regimes and a deficiency in the monitoring and evaluation of existing environmental policies.

A recent Department for International Development (DFID)-

River Rwizi in Kyahi Forest Reserve, Mbarara District, March 2003. The volume of water is relatively low and also brown, a sign of soil erosion upstream.

funded study carried out and managed by Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE) titled “Auditing the Effectiveness of Government in Protection and Restoration of Water Catchments System� documents and reveals a deepening water crisis in Uganda. The study gives an explanation for prolonged droughts, acute water shortages, and poor, erratic and intermittent rains. The study draws a connection between land use, environmental degradation and the subsequent

River Nyamwamba in Kasese. This river used to be a sanctuary for hippos some years ago. Now people can just walk across.

Photo by Muhumuza Dan

26

Miti October - December 2009

deepening water crisis. The ACODE study observes that the rate at which these resources are encroached upon and consequently depleted is higher than the rate at which they are restored and as a result, Uganda stands on the brink of an environmental calamity.

The encroachment, drying up and depletion of river Rwizi in Mbarara, river Nyamwamba in Kasese and lakes Kyoga and Victoria are glaring manifestations of a severe environmental breakdown, inadequate and non-functionality of policy regimes as well as a major cause of economic mayhem, poverty, conflicts, disease, drought and famine.

The ACODE findings corroborate the Uganda Poverty Status Report (2005), which reveals that Uganda’s forest cover has diminished from over 11 million hectares in 1890 to less than 3 million in 2005! If the trend continues, it means that in a few years, Uganda will have no forests and subsequently no water. As it is, public waterworks like boreholes and protected springs have started drying up.

The foregoing bears testimony that today, environmental conservation is no longer a question of aesthetics but one of economic survival of both individual households and the nation at large. It also presents poverty as a cause and a consequence of environmental degradation especially when every wetland is encroached on, every swamp drained, top soils eroded, rivers drying up and lakes shrinking, the water table continues to go down and desertification becomes a reality. This has eventually reduced and depleted water to feed public waterworks like gravity water schemes, boreholes, shallow wells and protected springs.

In Katakwi, Mbarara, Ntungamo and Kasese, over 50 per cent of public waterworks are non-functional! The water granaries that feed them dried up! How much money did Uganda spend to put up these public waterworks? Will Uganda achieve the ambitious 77 per cent water coverage target as laid down in the Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP) by 2015 at a time when all its wetlands, forests, rivers, hills, lakes are rapidly getting depleted?

Miti October - December 2009

A seasonal River in Mwingi District, Kenya

If Uganda is to insulate itself from a water crisis, it has to replenish and restore its water catchments systematically. This is why the government plan to give away a section of Mabira Rainforest to the Sugar Corporation of Uganda Ltd to grow sugarcane is baffling, whichever way one looks at it. After spirited opposition from the people, the government shelved the plan. However, the government has not given a guarantee that the rainforest will be preserved. The ghosts of Mabira could still come back to haunt us.

Preservation of Mabira Rainforest and other water catchment areas is at the moment a matter of life and death. Mabira is not just important for scenic beauty and ecotourism, but also for the survival of Uganda. If we don’t have water, then we don’t have life. The debate on whether Mabira should be handed over for planting sugarcane should not arise. It is simply taboo.

The state of the environment in Uganda’s pre-independence period was the most ideal in the whole of Africa, earning the country the epithet “Pearl of Africa”. The country enjoyed an ideal climate suitable for agricultural production that boosted the country’s economy in the period immediately after independence. Thus, agriculture formed the country’s economic backbone until today. However, a rising population, now at over 26 million people, has put pressure on land, leading to unsustainable land usage.

Uganda has a number of laws and policies geared at conserving and protecting the environment. These include the Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP) and the National Environment Management Act (NEMA), among others. Despite a forest of policies, water catchments continue to dwindle. This calls for meticulous review and avid implementation of the existing environmental policy regime with a view of tailoring, customising and localising it for practical purposes.

Godber Tumushabe of ACODE argues that if the top leadership (read President Yoweri Museveni) demonstrates the will for uncompromising implementation of environmental policies, this deepening water crisis can be averted. However, the President argues that he wants to create jobs for the citizenry and boost Uganda’s economy.

Can this be achieved sustainably? Can Ugandans be guided to engage in profitable ventures that don’t compromise the wider environmental needs? ACODE, a body of policy gurus, should provide guidance and answer the seemingly legitimate concerns of the President.

Ugandans, we either care for our environment or we perish. Over to you fellow Ugandans.

The writer is Resident Consultant and Manager, Policy Research and Advocacy, Uganda National Farmers Federation rwakakamba@yahoo.co.uk

27

Jatropha under attack A host of insect pests and diseases have been reported in Kenya

By Beryn Otieno and Linus Mwangi

The insect pests and diseases that attack Jatropha curcas in Kenya are: Thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) The species identified on J. curcas include Heliothrips haemorrhoidalis and Scirtothrips kenyensis. The red nymphs congregate on the underside of the leaves as observed in eastern, western and coast regions.

Large populations of thrips cause a silvery or scratchy appearance on the leaves of the plant, leading to premature leaf fall. Thrips are also potential disease vectors.

For effective management, a combination of cultural, chemical and biological control strategies should be used. Pesticides should be rotated to avoid resistance. To reduce chances of viral transmission, plants showing symptoms of infection should be discarded. Chemical treatments also need to target the resting pupal stages sometimes embedded in the soil or in plant debris.

Rainbow shield bug or blue bug (Heteroptera: Scutelleridae) These are sucking bugs which vary from metallic-blue to green and black in colour. Callidea dregii is the most common one. Blue bugs are quite mobile and able to fly some distance. They are known cotton pests and also breed on sunflower, sorghum, tobacco, castor oil and other crops.

They feed by piercing young seeds, causing seed shedding.

Further studies need to establish the extent of damage they cause on Jatropha. Chemicals such as dimethoate, when applied to the plants during flowering and fruit formation, easily manage these bugs.

Mealy bugs (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae) Two species of mealy bugs were observed on Jatropha all over the country, the striped mealy bug, Ferrisia virgata, and the common mealy bug, Planococcus sp.

They suck the plant’s sap, resulting in yellowing, withering and drying of plants and shedding of leaves and fruit. The foliage and fruit become covered with large quantities of sticky honeydew, which serves as a medium for the growth of black sooty moulds, resulting in a reduction of the photosynthetic area. Mealy bugs are also known to transmit several plant viruses.

Among the hosts of economic importance are avocado, banana, black pepper, cassava, cashew, cauliflower, citrus, cocoa, coffee, cotton, egg-plant, Leucaena, oil palm, pigeon pea, pineapple, soybean and tomato.

Some ladybird beetles, including Cryptolaemus montrouzieri, Olla v-nigrum and Azya luteipes, together with syrphids such as Alloagrapta oblique, are known predators of mealy bugs.

Chemicals such as Diazinon, Malathion, Dimethoate and Parathion are effective in controlling F. virgata. However, they have to be sprayed repeatedly to achieve satisfactory control. The combination of Parathion and Malathion with white oils makes spraying more efficient.

To manage the insects at the beginning of a local outbreak, severely infested branches should be cut and burnt immediately.

28

Miti October - December 2009

Whiteflies (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) These are tiny snow–white moth-like insects, of which Bemisia tabaci is the most common. They have a very broad host range and numerous small white adult whiteflies will flutter out and quickly resettle when an infested plant is shaken.

Both adult and nymph stages feed by sucking plant juices, causing chlorotic spots on the leaf surfaces. Depending on the level of infestation, these spots may coalesce until the whole leaf turns yellow and falls off. Whiteflies can vector over 60 species of plant viruses and in Jatropha it has been associated with the cassava mosaic virus.

Whiteflies have been found to infest Jatropha in the coastal and western regions of Kenya. Biological control agents Encarsia formosa and Verticillium lecanii are not enough to lower infestation levels down to sufficiently stop virus transmission, as whiteflies are such efficient virus vectors. Active ingredients that are effective in controlling whiteflies include bifenthrin, buprofezin, imidacloprid and fenpropathrin.

Cotton stainer bug (Hemiptera: Pyrrhocoridae) Adult cotton stainers, Dysdercus suturellus, are narrow bodied, long legged bugs that are approximately 3 – 5mm long. They have a bright red thorax and brown wings crossed with yellow. Infestations of Jatropha occurred in the coastal and eastern regions. This is a known pest of cotton, while other hosts include tangerines, okra pods, ripe papaya, eggplant, nightshade and guava.

As it does with other crops, the bug damages Jatropha by puncturing the fruit, which falls off. Management practices include removal from the farm of all plant debris that could serve as breeding ground for the bug. For small infestations, colonies of cotton stainers on plants are shaken into a bucket of soapy water. “Tanglefoot” around tree trunks keeps young bugs from crawling up to fruits and blossoms.

Small heaps of seeds, fruits or bits of sugarcane can be used as baits to attract cotton stainers, which then can be killed with a spray of soapy or scalding hot water.

Golden beetles (Chrysomelidae: Alticinae)

Golden beetles, Aphtona sp. feed on the leaves of Jatropha plants, leaving holes or skeletons of leaves. The adults are often polyphagous and could come in from the surrounding vegetation.

Bright red or golden brown adults were observed on Jatropha trees. It is not clear whether they are different species or different sexes of the same species. The insects have been found in all the regions of the country and cause severe damage to plants.

More investigations are needed to establish the biology of these pests, other hosts and possible management options

Stomphastis species (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) These generally small (wingspan 5-20 mm) moths are leaf miners like caterpillars. They feed on leaves, forming mines that dry out to form spots resembling disease infections.

When the mines are looked at against light or opened up, black frass from the larvae or live green larvae are visible.

This pest is found all over the country.

Miti October - December 2009

29

Broad Mite (Acari: Tarsonemidae) The adults are very tiny, with the females being about 0.2 to 0.3 mm in body length while males are about half that size. They secrete a plant growth regulator or toxin as they feed, and cause significant damage at very low density. Symptoms of infestation include leaf and fruit distortions, shortening of internodes, blistering, shrivelling and curling of leaves and leaf discoloration. Much of this can be easily confused with viral disease, micronutrient deficiency or herbicide injury.

Their hosts include beet, beans, cucumber, eggplant, pepper, potato, tomato, chilli, cotton, mango, papaya and tea. Damage is especially severe in bell pepper.

Some acaricides provide excellent control, but examination of plant terminals is necessary to evaluate control success, as damage can continue for two weeks after successful control.

Viruses Viral infections have been reported on Jatropha, and judging from the symptoms on the leaves, it is likely to be the cassava mosaic virus, which is widespread in Kenya. Plants infected with the disease show typical mosaic

symptoms with yellow chlorotic spots, distortion and reduction in leaf size. This has been observed in fields with white fly infestations, adjacent to cassava farms in Mpeketoni, Lamu.

The disease is caused by cassava mosaic gemini virus (CMG) and the viruses are disseminated in cuttings derived from

infected plants or are transmitted by the white fly, Bemisia tabaci.

The viruses can be managed through removal of any infested crops, use of virusresistant varieties, planting away from infected fields and managing populations of white flies in the farm.

Pempelia spp (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) P. morosalis attacks Jatropha and is reported to affect a few forest species like Desmodium gangeticum, Flemingia sp. and Uraria lagopides.

The greenish brown/brownish green caterpillars feed on leaves and stem bark, leaving behind a web. They bore into stems of young plants and fruits, leaving galleries of silk and frass.

To control these pests, spraying of endosulfan is recommended, although a dipteran parasite and spider, Stegodyphus sp., has been reported as a natural control agent in India.

Powdery mildew Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that affects a wide range of plants.

Oidium species have been found to attack J. curcas in Kenya, with a nationwide distribution. Leaves, shoots and fruits are covered with a white floury colour, which turns into black patches with severe infection after some time. The disease is enhanced by an alternation of rainy days and sunny days and a degree of environmental humidity.

Ploughing in or removing plant residues after harvest, crop rotations, and the use of resistant cultivars are recommended for control of the disease. Excessive nitrogen fertilisation results in more severe infection of pigeon peas by a similar fungus.

30

Miti October - December 2009

Root rot (Phytophtora spp) The root rot problem has only been reported in a plantation at Kiambere in Mwingi North. Phytophtora spp. are relatively host-specific parasites and many species are of considerable economic importance.

High humidity and temperatures of 28-32째C are conducive to the rapid build-up of the disease. It was characterised by yellowing of foliage, reduced leaf size and eventual death of the whole plant. As the disease progresses, patches of diseased plants become conspicuous in the field and are visible from a distance.

Addition of potassium at 50 kg/ha in the form of potassium sulphate decreases the incidence of Phytophtora blight of pigeon pea. Mulching or intercropping with short leguminous crops such as mung beans and the use of resistant cultivars has been suggested to reduce blight incidence.

Isolates each of Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus subtilis, and species of Trichoderma (T. viride and T. hamatum) are effective against P. drechsleri f. sp. cajani in in-vitro tests. Seed treatment with new formulations of metalaxyl and sulphur fungicides has positive results.

Leaf spots The major fungus associated with this is Alternaria sp., causing characteristic brown dead portions of leaves. Infected leaves are shed prematurely, causing defoliation of plants. Leaf spots have been found all over the country.

A lot of germplasm is currently being planted in the country.

Stem cancer On stems, brown to dark-brown lesions (circled in the picture) distinctly marked from the healthy green portion are observed.

The wounds enlarge in size and girdle the stem, increasing rapidly.

Eventually, the wounds cause the portion of the plant above the lesion to dry out but remain standing. Infected J. curcas plants produce more shoots below the point of infection.

Several pathogenic fungi were isolated from the infected plants, including Fusarium spp., Alternaria spp. and Drechsleria spp.

Conclusions This needs to be screened for its suitability to avoid excessive damage by pests due to stress from incorrect location.

Regular and systematic inspection of J. curcas plants for pests and disease incidence and the threats they pose is necessary in order to draw up strategies to safeguard this important crop.

Farms where J. curcas plants are tended well with robust and vigorous growth have the least incidences and prevalence of insects and disease, indicating that nutrition and proper watering are important in combating pest problems.

More information needs to be collected to guide farmers on

Miti October - December 2009

practices such as intercropping since Jatropha has been observed to share many pests and diseases with other crops. For example, cotton stainer bugs have been observed to move from the cotton crop while whiteflies move from cassava plants into Jatropha when they are intercropped or planted closely together.

The writers are researchers at the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) Email: bnyambune@yahoo.com; lmwangi@kefri.org

31

The famous water cisterns of Kairouan in Tunisia, built at the beginning of the 9th century by the Aghlabid dynasty, that are used to collect rain water from the surrounding hills.

Every drop counts

Proper water management and soil improvement can make drylands productive

By Herman Verlodt

crops where it forms a pond, then infiltrates the soil where it is stored. The technique requires deep soils (up to 2m) to store the harvested runoff. The technique is mainly used for tree establishment in dry areas with seasonal rainfall as low as 150 mm.

When used for fruit trees, it is designed to provide sufficient moisture to a fruiting tree. When used in uneven topography, it is recommended that the blocks of negarims should be subdivided into smaller units.

The bunds should be at least 25 cm high to avoid overtopping, with a width of at least 20 cm at the top and side slopes of 45°, being a relation of 1 to 1 (1:1). On steeper land slopes, the height of the bund should be increased, especially near the infiltration pit. The pit should be 60 x 60 x 60 cm with the subsoil being used for bund construction. The infiltration basin is mostly round, but the planting pit can be either round or square.

The Tunisian meskat system is similar and used for cultivation of olive trees. The meskat consists of collecting water on non cultivated impluviums (generally calcareous crusty Concrete reinforced earth dam in the Mutomo countryside, fed by a rock soils) and to distribute this water

(The first part of this article appeared in Miti issue 3) n Tunisian arid zones (less than 200 mm/ year rainfall), many traditional techniques are used to cultivate trees (especially olive trees) and some cereals, based on water harvesting from large catchment areas.

Some of these techniques are: • Jessours (Matmata in Tunisia is a good example): These are small soil and water trap dams, constructed with earth and stones with lateral or frontal spillways.

• Segui: This consists of some successive bunds in the small valleys of seasonal rivers (oueds) to cultivate cereals and some trees.

• Runoff diversion and storage in big cisterns (examples are found in Kairouan and other places in central Tunisia) for human and animal use.

I

Rain water harvesting with small catchments There are several kinds of micro catchment techniques for crop production in dry areas, such as négarims, semi-circular bunds, contour ridges, trapezoidal bunds, contour stone bunds and

32

contour bunds. They differ in design, but all share the same principle - collection of water from a large area (the catchment) and concentrating it into a small area, even towards feeding a single tree.

Other important techniques are broadbed and furrow systems, ridging and tied ridging, conservation bench and zay pits. All these systems concentrate runoff water to the lowest point in order to provide water to a tree that is generally situated at the centre of this basin.

The system consists of a catchment area and an area planted with trees, pulses or grain. Runoff water collected in the catchment area flows into the area with

catchment.

Miti October - December 2009

to basins cultivated with olive trees. The ratio (K) between the impluvium surface and the surface of the cultivated basin is related to the rainfall (P), the mean annual runoff coefficient (C) and the real evapotraspiration (ETR) K = ETR - P / C.P. In the Tunisian Sahel, with annual rainfall of about 320 mm, K is about 2 and this can provide olive trees with more than the 500 mm rainfall necessary to obtain profitable yields.

Different small catchments In different dry countries, small and medium catchments (loamy, calcareous crusted soils, rocks, roads and roofs) are used to collect runoff water. The water is stored using different systems - aerial (tanks) and underground storage structures (holes, cisterns, basins and tanks) for human use.

Flood water harvesting with macro catchments This includes permanent dams and pans for different uses as well as concrete and earth dams with different names and dimensions.

These include big dams, hillside dams and hillside lakes. The latter (with small earth dams, situated on hill slopes) are even designed to protect big dams against intense flooding and silting.

The dams can be managed either individually or as a unit in an integrated manner. Such integrated management of several dams, together with exploitation of underground resources (boreholes) is much more profitable. What does this mean?

In years with average rainfall, the inflow (run off ) allows for normal management without problems. But in critical years, with either excessive rainfall or drought, a strategic integrated management based on

interconnected dams can be more rewarding.

This integrated management of water makes use of the interconnection between dams to improve water security and to avoid loss of water by overflows through spillways to the sea. The dams are connected by big, concrete, water pipes through which water is pumped, for instance, Coping with climate change: Construction of simple concrete dams to capture water from a small stream in Makueni from a dam with sufficient District, making use of natural features (rocks) levels of water to another where the water level has fallen traditional machines (dalou, noria) or by below critical levels. And this water can be motorised diesel or electric pumps. pumped both ways, not only from dam A to Technology also allows for deeper tapping B, but also the reverse. of water tables. Some of them are pumped, Interconnection not only allows for the but in some cases, artesianism2 allows management of the water quantity but water from deep layers to be used without also its quality (salinity and turbidity1). For pumping (geothermal water). example, during a drought, water in a dam in Water exists in the dry lands, even in an arid zone could slowly turn saline through deserts, but in little quantities. It is possible natural evaporation. An interconnected to use different techniques of integrated system would detect this deterioration and management of water supply and intervene by pumping in good quality water consumption and avoid its loss. from a neighbouring dam.

Water supply management is very During wet years, excess water can be important in dry regions but it has always stored in underground reservoirs to avoid to be combined with water demand loss. management. In arid regions, it is necessary This integrated management is generally to use the term “integrated management complex and must be realised in real time of supply and demand� which focuses on with sophisticated means to measure capturing and using every drop of water. This parameters of quantity and quality and is the objective in arid lands. needs to be transmitted by radio, telephone or satellite to a centralised system. Tunisia is Effect and efficiency one of the few countries to operate such a Water harvesting technology improves food system. It is certainly the way of the future. security, income levels and the standard In West Africa, particularly in Senegal and of living of people in dry areas. But in years Niger, flooded areas are cultivated after the with very low rainfall, water harvesting will floods. This is an ancient cultivation system not work, while in wet seasons, much of the that was in use as early as Neolithic and runoff can be lost by percolation. In addition, pharaonic (Egypt) periods. large runoff volumes may overwhelm the

A typical hillside lake in Tunisia with an earth-core dam, viewed from the spillway. Water is collected through run-off from the surrounding hill slopes.

Groundwater Groundwater comes from superficial and deep water tables and is extracted naturally through springs, by drilling wells or by excavation of galleys along sloping land (foggaras and khriga). Water is also extracted by human effort (jebbad), by animals moving

1 Opaque or muddy, water clouded with soil particles in suspension.

Miti October - December 2009

system and breach the bunds.

Water harvesting techniques should be used in combination with improvements in soil fertility to obtain sufficiently high crop yields.

The writer is a former professor of the University of Tunis (Tunisia) and a researcher specialising in horticulture and irrigation techniques Email: herman.verlodt@yahoo.fr

2 An artesian well is one where water rises to the surface through natural pressure, without pumping. This pressure comes from underground water at higher altitudes than the place where the well is sunk.

33

Free water is everywhere

You just need to collect and store it

By Jan Vandenabeele

ater storage is increasing in importance, as most of Kenya is currently experiencing an acute water shortage due to the drought. This is true for every citizen, whether living in Nairobi or any other major town, or in the countryside – both the normally wet areas as well as the semi-arid and arid lands. Pastoralists are particularly hit hard by the current drought, as dams, water pans and boreholes have dried up.

Existing water storage capacity in Kenya is small compared to demand. This article looks at two specific storage possibilities of medium capacity, both of which can be linked to roof catchments. Although not always accorded the attention deserved, roof catchments have enormous potential, both in urban and rural areas, for alleviating water shortages due to erratic rainfall.

m3

House in Nairobi

200

34

250

160 140 120

200

storage possibility (m 3)

m onthly rainfall (m m )

150

100 100

80 60

50

40 20

m onthly consum ption (m 3)

-

0 1

2

3

4

m3

5

6 month

7

8

9

10

11

12

House in Mwingi town

mm

90

300 m onthly rainfall (m m )

80

250

70 60

200

50

storage possibility (m 3)

40

150

30

100

20

50

m onthly consum ption (m 3)

10 0

0 1

Roof catchments Consider a house in a suburb of Nairobi, of medium dimensions of 15m x 30m, which takes up an area of 450m2. The roof of such a house is a catchment or harvesting area. Let’s hope the roof is not of a too complicated architecture, and allows for simple construction of gutters and a rain pipe leading to a water storage tank.

(Kenyan roof architecture has a tendency towards several little roofs on different levels, most likely for aesthetic reasons but not helpful for collection of rain water.)

Average annual rainfall for Nairobi is about 900mm, of which 400mm falls in March-April-May and 250mm in October-November-December.

The relationship between rainfall and litres of water is simple: 1mm of rain on 1m2 of surface is equal to 1 litre of water. In our example, that results in 400 litres x 450m2 = 180,000 litres or 180m3 of water for the March-April-May rains, and 250 litres x 450m2 = 112,500 litres or 112.5m3 of water for the October-November-December rains. The total for those months - 292,500 litres or 292m3! Now, this is an enormous amount of water.

Suppose a family of six lives in the house, with fairly high water consumption, say, 500 litres per day. That makes for a monthly consumption of 15m3, and an annual consumption of 180 m3.

This is easily covered by the water harvested, and even leaves a balance of 112m3 that can be sold off or used for irrigating a vegetable garden. (See graph).

Let’s take another example of a house in a semi-arid place like Mwingi town, with a simple mabati roof of 10m x 20m (200m2).

mm

180

2

3

4

5

6

Average annual rainfall is 770mm, with 350mm concentrated in November-December and 200mm in April-May. Potential water collection is then respectively 70m3 for November-December and 40m3 for April-May, total: 110m3 (110,000 litres of water!). A family of six that consumes less water, say, 150 litres per day, will use 4,500 litres or 4.5m3 per month. Yearly consumption is 54m3, leaving a balance of 96m3. (See graph).

As we can see, the water is there, and it is free, but it has to be captured and stored. What are the options?

First, the tank has to be big enough to capture the water when it rains, and for storing a

7 month

8

9

10

11

12

surplus to ensure availability during the long dry season. For the Nairobi house, this means a tank with a capacity of at least 75m3 (five dry months during May-September x 15m3/month). For the Mwingi example, this means a minimum capacity of 50m3 (to capture the November-December rains).

Secondly, the tank has to be affordable There exists an extensive range of tanks and reservoirs for storing water. The best known in Kenya are the plastic ones for small storage capacities (up to 10m3), and the masonry and concrete ones for bigger capacities.

This article will discuss two of the more cost-

Concrete foundation for a water tank of 50m3. The three pipes are for (from left to right) water outlet, water inlet and overflow. The latter two should be extended to a height of almost 3metres.

Miti October - December 2009

effective storage tanks. The first type is made of galvanized iron sheets with a plastic liner inside, while the second type is simply plastic sheets to spread on an earthen surface.

Construction of the galvanised iron storage tank is straightforward. The galvanised iron sheets, strapped together on a pallet for easy delivery, are bolted together to make a cylinder, supported by a small concrete foundation. The foundation is a circular ring 50cm wide and 30cm high, with a diameter according to the size of tank. The inside of the ring has to be filled with fine sand, avoiding stones and any sharp object that might pierce the plastic liner.

Once the cylinder is standing, a fleece is hung on the inside, on which the liner itself is then fixed.

The fleece, of white soft plastic, will isolate the liner from direct contact with the cylinder. The liner can be made of different kinds of plastic. The most resistant is made from EPDM1, a flexible and very durable synthetic rubber. Termites will not attack it, and it is resistant to UV rays and ozone gas. It has a guarantee of 25 years.

The tank is covered by a plastic sheet, for instance made of polypropylene, which is less resistant to UV and ozone, but cheaper and easily replaceable.

The galvanised iron storage tanks have several advantages over concrete or masonry ones.

For one, they can be erected easily and fast, in a matter of days. They are also long-lasting. Contrary to popular wisdom, concrete or masonry tanks can develop cracks and wear out because of cement corrosion. Again, galvanised iron tanks can be transported on the back of a pick-up and are competitively priced.

The second type of storage tank is actually a basin, where a plastic sheet is carefully laid out inside an earth embankment. The earth embankment’s sides are angled at 45o or 60o if soils are heavy (clay). It is possible to make different sizes of storage tanks, e.g. 10mx10m, up to 10mx20m, depending on the size of the plastic sheet. The earth embankment can be elevated to increase water pressure for the outlet, or can be partly inside the soil if constructed on a slope. A plastic liner is spread inside the embankment to avoid water

Commercially available sizes for the galvanized iron water storage tank are as follows: Volume (m3)

Height (m)

Diameter (m)

Price (Ksh)*

Price per m3

50

3.08

4.57

500,000

10,000

99

3.08

6.40

900,000

9,091

Filling of 50m3 storage basin. Note the polypropylene plastic liner and its fixing along the earth embankment

Inside view of a 99m3 tank, with plastic liner in place and pipes finalised. The next step is filling with 20-30cm of water to check on leakages.

leakage.

The type of plastic used has to be resistant to termites, e.g. polypropylene mixed with polyethylene (brand name Nicotarp 100), with a life

of about 20 years. A basin with a liner of 10mx10m has a storage capacity of approximately 50m3 of water. The basin is covered with another type of plastic suspended on steel wires. This cover is absolutely necessary, for protecting the water against evaporation, dust and sunlight. Sunlight stimulates growth of algae, polluting the water and making drip-irrigation a problem by obstructing the drippers.

A suitable type of plastic is Phormisol 200g (brand name) manufactured out of polypropylene.

Its life span under harsh sunlight is about five years, after which it has to be replaced. The price of Nicotarp 100 is approximately Ksh 700 per m2 while Phormisol 200g costs approximately Ksh 180 per m2 (excluding VAT).

This is a reasonably priced basin, but it occupies more space than the tanks described above. It is best used for (drip) irrigation purposes, though it can be constructed close to a house with a roof catchment.

Both types of water storage structures have existed in Kenya for years, but are not easy to find in the commercial sector.

(See the list of suppliers on page 36).

The writer is the Executive Director, Better Globe Forestry Ltd Email: jan@betterglobeforestry.com

Complete construction cost of a 50m3 basin:

A rural health centre in Ngwata, Makueni, with a freshly installed roof catchment and 99m3 storage tank. Note the dug-in position of the tank to allow proper placing of rain pipe.

Item

Cost (Ksh)

Remark

Nicotarp 100 plastic

70,000

10mx10m ~ 100m2

Cover (Phormisol 200g)

18,000

10mx10m ~ 100m2

PE pipe 50mm, 6 bar

1,500

Outlet, 10m

PE elbow 50mm

1,000

Also for outlet

Steel cable

3,000

6x11m

Soil work

30,000

If done manually

TOTAL

125,500

Ksh 2510/m3

1 EPDM: Ethylene propylene diene monomer (M-class)

Miti October - December 2009

35

Know your suppliers This month, we focus on providers of goods and services for agro-forestry, plantation forestry and related activities

NAME OF COMPANY

CONTACT

NATURE OF BUSINESS

PRODUCT

Agrevo East Africa Ltd

P. O. Box 60022 The Chancery Building Valley Road Tel: + 254 (020) 271 2146 Nairobi

Suppliers and importers

Fertilisers, pesticides and other chemicals

Agrichem and Tools

P.O. Box 49430 - 00100 Kijabe Street Next to Globe Cinema Building Tel: + 254 (020) 820 496 / 206 3755 Nairobi

Suppliers and importers

Fertilisers, pesticides and other agro chemicals

Agro Irrigation & Pump Services Ltd

P.O. Box 32111 - 00600 North Airport Road Embakasi Tel: +254 (020) 675 1028/83/86/89 Nairobi

Manufacturers, importers and suppliers

PPR pipes and fittings, green houses, drip and sprinkler irrigation implements, bio-agro chemicals, borehole drilling and pumps

Amiran (K) Ltd

P.O. Box 30327 – 00100 Old Airport Rd Tel: + 254 (020) 824 840 – 9 Nairobi

Manufacturers and distributors

Pesticides, herbicides, soil fumigants, irrigation equipment, greenhouses, PVC and polythene coverings for greenhouses

Bayer East Africa Ltd

P.O. Box 30321 Outer Ring Rd Tel: + 254 (020) 856 0667 / 860 670 Nairobi

Manufacturers and distributors

Agro chemicals

Better Globe Forestry Ltd

P.O. Box 823 – 00606 4 Tabere Crescent Kileleshwa Tel: + 254 (020) 434 3435 Nairobi

Consultants and trainers

Consultancy services in agro-forestry and large-scale tree plantations in ASAL

Bonar (EA) Ltd

P. O. Box 42759 - 00100 Addis Ababa Road Industrial Area Tel: + 254 (020) - 557355 Nairobi

Manufacturers

Plastic containers and polythene bags

Brazafric Enterprises Ltd

P.O. Box 76561 - 00508 Kenbelt Industrial Park Off Mombasa Road Tel: + 254 (020) 820 257 / 820 597 Nairobi

Importers and distributors

Knapsack sprayers, mechanised hand sprayers, post hole diggers, forest firefighting equipment

Car & General

P.O. Box 20001 - 00200 Lusaka Rd/ Dunga Rd Industrial Area Tel: + 254 (020) 554 500 / 554 515 Nairobi

Agents

Tractors, implements and accessories, generators

Cosmo Plastics Ltd

P.O. Box 46338 Runyenjes Road Industrial Area Tel: +254 (020) 543 066 / 536 305 Nairobi

Manufacturers and distributors

PVC and HDP water pipes, polythene sheetings for tree nurseries

Davis & Shirtliff

P.O. Box 41762 - 00100 Dundori Road Industrial Area Tel: + 254 (020) 696 8000 / 558 335 Nairobi

Manufacturers, agents and distributors

Surface and borehole water pumps, water treatment equipment, generators, power

P.O. Box 41761 - 00100 Jirore Road Off Enterprise Road Industrial Area Tel: + 254 (020) 651 271

Manufacturers

Eslon Plastics of Kenya Ltd

36

equipment

Pipes and fittings for irrigation systems

Miti October - December 2009

NAME OF COMPANY

CONTACT

NATURE OF BUSINESS

PRODUCT

FMD East Africa

Head Office: George Morara Avenue P.O. Box 7277 – 20110 Nakuru, Kenya Tel: +254 (051) 211 855 / 213 307 /213 498

Agents

Tractors, spraying equipment

Nairobi Office: Bunyala Road off Uhuru Highway P.O. Box 18346 – 00500 Tel: +254 (020) 216 657 / 217 514 Eldoret Office: Kenyatta Street P.O. Box 2562 Tel: +254 (053) 62262

Uganda Engineering Solutions (U) Limited 97/99 Namuwongo Road P O Box 25349 Kampala Tel. + 256 (0) 312-264221 / 752-701239

G North & Son Ltd

P.O Box 18114 - 00500 Funzi Road Industrial Area Tel: + 254 (020) 531267 /8 Funzi Rd Industrial Area Nairobi

Agents and manufacturers

Ploughs, harrows, planters, spraying and irrigation equipment

Henchem Ltd

P. O. Box 14690 - 00100 Nacico Co-operative Plaza Landhies Road, Majengo Tel: + 254 (020) 316744 Tel: + 254 (020) 224 0455 Nairobi

Suppliers

Fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides

Hobra Manufacturing Ltd

P. O. Box 1187 Tel: + 254 (050) 203 0442 Naivasha

Manufacturers and importers

Spraying pumps

Holman Brothers (EA) Ltd

P.O. Box 42044 – 00100 Bunyala Rd, Industrial Area Tel:+254 (041) 249 2457 Nairobi

Importers and distributors

Farm machinery and equipment, earthmoving equipment

Kakuzi Ltd

P.O. Box 24, 01000 Punda Milia Road, Makuyu, Thika, Kenya Tel: +254 (067) 24 185 Sales: +254 (067) 240 57 or 0733 730 978 Sales: liveforest@kakuzi.co.ke

Agro forestry

Treated poles and timber products

Kibwezi Mukuyu Farm Ltd

P.O. Box 1686 - 00502 Karen, Nairobi Physical address: Masongaleni, Kibwezi, close to Kasemeini, between TARDA and the University of Nairobi farm Tel + 254 0710 – 863 179 (manager)

Suppliers

Water storage units 50 to 100m3 – including full installation

Lima Ltd

P. O. Box 18346, Nanyuki Rd, Industrial Area Tel: + 254 (020) 532493

Importers and agents

Farm machinery and equipment, construction and agricultural equipment and tools

P. O. Box 43524 - 00100 Homa Bay Road Industrial Area Tel: + 254 (020) 558805 Nairobi

Manufacturers

Pumps for boreholes, generators, water

P. O. Box 49086 - 00100 Rangwe Road off Lunga Lunga Road Industrial Area Tel: + 254 (020) – 550 961 / 650 161 / 553 101 Nairobi

Manufacturers

Nairobi

Nairobi Ironmongers Ltd

Nairobi Plastics Ltd

Miti October - December 2009

pipes and fittings, PVC pipes and fittings

Plastic sheeting and bags

37

NAME OF COMPANY

CONTACT

NATURE OF BUSINESS

PRODUCT

Osho Chemical Industries Ltd

P.O. Box 49916 Sasio Road, Industrial Area, Nairobi, 00100 Tel: + 254 (020) 532 939/40

Manufacturers and distributors

Insecticides, acaricides, fungicides, herbicides, fertilisers, knapsack sprayers

Rockem Ltd

P.O. Box 47090 – 00100 Railway Godowns Haile Selassie Avenue Tel:+ 254 (020) 343 472 Nairobi

Distributors

Agro chemicals

Safepak Ltd

P.O. Box 63150 Maasai Road off Mombasa Road Tel: +254 (020) 535 862 / 558 618 Nairobi P.O. Box 47341 – 00100 Panesar Centre Tel: + 254 (020) 555 928/30 Nairobi

Manufacturers and distributors

Plastic packaging for tree seedlings

Agents

Agro chemicals

Topserve (EA) Ltd

Suppliers in Uganda Name of company

Contact

Nature of business

Product

ACDI VOCA

Plot 6-8 Kibira Road, Industrial Area P.O Box 7856, Kampala Tel: +256 (041)4343306

Agricultural development and support services

Technical support and agro inputs

Agricol Boutique Ltd

Plot 51/53 Nasser Road Box 24910, Kampala Tel: +256 (041) 4348789

Agricultural engineering equipment and supplies

Agro equipment

Agro Sokoni

Plot 15/17 Nasser Road Box 22793, Kampala Tel: +256 (041) 4257445

Agricultural engineering equipment and supplies

Agro equipment

Agro-machinery (U) Ltd

Plot 61/72 Nkrumah Road JP Plaza (Former Custodian Board Building) Box 2769, Tel: +256 (041) 4233181

Agricultural engineering equipment and supplies

Agro equipment

Agricultural Sector Programme

Plot 58 Lumumba Avenue Tel: +256 (031) 2351600

Agricultural development and support services

Technical support and agro inputs

Akamba (U) Ltd

Plot 12 Old Port Bell Road Box 20028 Kampala Tel: +256 (041)4340406

Agricultural engineering equipment and supplies

Agro equipment

AT Uganda Ltd

Plot 1, Muwafu Road, Ntinda Box 8830, Kampala Tel: +256 (041)4285803

Agricultural development and support services

Technical support and agro inputs, processors and exporters

Auto Sokoni (U) Ltd

Plot 29 – 29 A Nkrumah Road Box 1555 Kampala Tel: +256 (041) 4257601/7

Agricultural Engineering Equipment & Supplies

Agro equipment

Support (ASPS)

38

Miti October - December 2009

Name of company

Contact

Nature of business

Product

Balton Uganda Ltd

P. O. Box 852 Plot 47/51 Mulwana Road, Industrial Area Tel: + 256 (031) 2502300 Kampala

Suppliers and importers

Fertilisers, agro chemicals, agro equipment

Commercial Landuse and Agriculture Development Partners Ltd

Plot 14/18 Nakivubo Place. G& B Plaza Box 48 Ntinda Tel: +256 (077)4068824

Agricultural development and support services

Technical support and agro inputs

Cotton Development Organisation

Plot 15 Clement Hill Road, Cotton House Box 7018, Kampala Tel: +256 (041)4232968

Agricultural development and support services

Technical support and agro inputs

Crocodile Tool Co. Ltd

Plot 89/90 5th Street Industrial Area Box 4641 Kampala Tel: +256 (041)4234000/1

Agricultural engineering equipment and supplies

Agro equipment

East African Seed (U) Ltd

Plot 582 Bombo Road Kawempe Box 3678 Kampala Tel: +256 (041)4566585

Agricultural engineering equipment and supplies

Agro equipment

Farm Engineering Services Ltd

Plot 127 – 131 6th Street, Industrial Area Box 27400 Kampala Tel: +256 (041)4340640/1

Agricultural Engineering Equipment & Supplies

Agro equipment

Fica Seeds (U) Ltd

P.O. Box 34095 Plot 167, Bombo Road, Kawempe Tel: + 256 (041) 456631

Suppliers and importers

Seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, agro chemicals and agro equipment

Kampala HS Notay & Co. Ltd

Kyambogo Box 16159 Tel: +256 (041)4257330

Agricultural engineering equipment and supplies

Agro equipment

Jos Hansen and Soehne Ltd

Plot 1 Pilkington Road Workers House 7th floor Box 2333 Kampala Tel: +256 (041)4251324

Agricultural engineering equipment and supplies

Agro equipment

Magric (U) Ltd

Plot 103 Jinja Road Lugogo Box 3218, Kampala Road Tel: +256 (041)

Agricultural engineering equipment and supplies

Agro spray pumps, produce – dealers, processors and exporters

Mt Elgon Seed Co. Ltd

Nakivubo Place Box 23810 Kampala Tel: +256 (041) 4250544

Agricultural seeds

Seeds, agro equipment

Multiple Industries Ltd

Plot 13/23 8th Street Industrial Area Box 20166 Tel: +256 (041)4250486

Agricultural engineering equipment and supplies

Agro equipment

Musi Agro Industries Ltd

Plot 262 Kibuga Road Old Kampala Box 10273 Kampala Tel: +256 (041)4253345

Agricultural engineering equipment and supplies

Agro equipment, produce – dealers, processors and exporters

Nalweyo Seed Co. Ltd

Plot 21/23 Entebbe Road Box 24478 Kampala Tel: +256 (041)4236365

Agricultural seeds

Seeds

National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS)

Plot 39A Lumumba Avenue, Nakasero Mukwasi House Box 25235 Tel: +256 (041) 4345440

Agricultural development and support services

Technical support, agro inputs and agricultural research

National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO)

Plot 1-3 Lugard Avenue NARO Building P.O Box 295, Entebbe Tel: +256 (041)320512

Agricultural development and support services

Technical support, agro inputs and agricultural research

National Enterprise Corporation

Plot 58 6th Street Industrial Area Box 3145 Kampala Tel: +256 (041)425401

Agricultural engineering equipment and supplies

Agro equipment

Miti October - December 2009

39

Name of company

Contact

Nature of business

Product

National Tree Seed Centre

Box 70863 Kampala Tel: +256 (041) 4286049

Agricultural Seed

Seeds

Rhone Poulene (U) Ltd

P.O. Box 16175, Kampala Plot 41/43 Nasser Road. MTA Building Tel: +256 (041) 4255339 Kampala

Suppliers and importers

Fertilisers and agrochemicals

Roko Technical services

Plot 1 – 27 Nasser Lane, Roko Town Centre Box 37825 Kampala Tel: +256 (041)4347130/2

Agricultural engineering equipment and supplies

Agro equipment

Roofclad Ltd

Plot 86/90 5th Street Industrial Area Box 4641 Kampala Tel: +256 (041)4234000

Agricultural engineering equipment and supplies

Agro equipment

Safari Seeds Ltd

Plot 2891 Bombo Road, Kawempe Box 71603 Kampala Tel: +256 (041)4568673

Agricultural seeds

Seeds

Tianjin Machinery Co. Ltd

Plot 15/17 1st & 2nd Street, Industrial Area Box 7786 Kampala Tel: +256 (041)4343381

Agricultural engineering equipment and supplies

Agro equipment

Roofclad Ltd

Plot 86/90 5th Street Industrial Area Box 4641 Kampala Tel: +256 (041)4234000

Agricultural engineering equipment and supplies

Agro equipment

Safari Seeds Ltd

Plot 2891 Bombo Road, Kawempe Box 71603 Kampala Tel: +256 (041)4568673

Agricultural seeds

Seeds

Tianjin Machinery Co. Ltd

Plot 15/17 1st & 2nd Street, Industrial Area Box 7786 Kampala Tel: +256 (041)4343381

Agricultural engineering equipment and supplies

Agro equipment

Uganda National Agro-input Dealers Association (UNADA)

Plot 137 8th Street, Namuwongo Industrial Area +256 (031)2293475

Agricultural development and support services

Technical support and agro inputs

Uganda Oilseed Producers & Processors Association

Plot 47/49 Nkrumah Road UCA Building 1st Floor Box 26357, Kampala Tel: +256 (041)4342504

Agricultural development and support services

Technical support and agro inputs

The Ssemwanga Centre for Agriculture and Food Ltd

Plot 22 Upper Kololo Terrace Conrad Plaza 2nd Floor Box 40257, Kampala Tel: +256 (041) 4346246

Agricultural development and support services

Technical support, agro-inputs and agricultural research

Victoria Seeds Ltd

Plot 201 6th Street Industrial Area Box 11913 Kampala

Suppliers

Agricultural seeds

40

Miti October - December 2009

ENJOY OUR BUSINESS CLASS

Fly and relax with Brussels Airlines Business Class. Savour a fine meal. Then spoil yourself as you recline in your flat-bed seat. Watch our selection of programmes on your individual seat screen. Above all, enjoy the smiles of our dedicated and experienced crew.

Miti October - December 2009 kenya.brusselsairlines.com