Moringa to support Kenyan farmers health & wealth

INTRODUCTION

Much greetings from Drylands Natural Resource Centre (DNRC) family. We are delighted to share with you our progress report on Moringa to support Kenyan farmer’s healthy and wealthy quarterly report. The now 800 small holder farmers continue to benefit from moringa products including moringa leave powder and moringa seeds. Moringa leave powder is being used by the farmers in their food for nutrition and the seeds are sold for income. DNRC is selling Moringa seeds to LUSH Cosmetics Company which is income for the famers. The demand for moringa products is increasing and thus we continue to propagate and increase moringa trees in our farmers farms to increase their income and health. So thanks so much for your continued and long term support to our farmers. The older farmers who have been planting moringa are encouraging the newly recruited farmers to plant and use moringa products for their have benefited from it both financially and healthwise.

During this reporting period, DNRC staff have been mobilising farmers to harvest and collect moringa seeds for the current moringa seed order from LUSH. Also the staff have been busy with individual farmers follow ups on moringa management and preparations to plant more. At DNRC nursery, the staff have been busy propagating more moringa seedlings.

Below are detailed activities during the quarter:

Moringa seeds Collection.

During the reporting quarter, DNRC staff were able to collect 410kg of moringa seeds for the market. It’s a busy process as it involves collecting seeds from individual farmer’s farms, weighing, drying more and defeathering them. The farmers are paid according to the number of kgs delivered.

Trainings and follow-ups

During this reporting period, DNRC training and outreach officer was busy following up with individual farmers to make sure the manage professionally the existing trees and planting more as it was during rainy season. She also trained them on moringa tree and its benefits.

Tree Nursery

DNRC tree nursery program was busy with a lot of propagation of moringa seedlings for this year’s target of 5000 more moringa seedlings. They were also busy with managing the already germinated moringa seedlings in the nursery.

Focus for the next quarter.

• Propagating more moringa seedlings.
• Sourcing of Moringa seeds and leaves
• Trainings and follow ups of DNRC 800 farmers