Moringa to support Kenyan farmers health & wealth

INTRODUCTION

Drylands Natural Resources Centre (DNRC) again wish to send our sincere greetings to all of us. We continue to endeavour towards achieving our main objectives of economic development, environmental regeneration and community regeneration. Moringa is one of the trees we have been planting for both environmental regeneration as well as economic development. Moringa tree has played a big role towards environmental regeneration being a fast growing agroforestry creates vegetation cover in a short period. As the leaves shade and decompose they continue building soil biology. Moringa powder is very nice health supplement which has become very common and many of our farmers are using it. Farmers especially with underlying health conditions have testified positive results of using Moringa powder. Moringa oil has also become popular for its satisfying results on hair and skin thus its market is slowly growing locally and Internationally. This means our farmers will sale more Moringa seeds and powder thus making extra income. During the reporting quarter, DNRC staff activities were issuing moringa seedlings to our farmers and schools, propagating more moringa seedlings in our tree nursery and also training and follow up of planted moringa and other seedlings in schools and farmers farms.Below are detailed activities during the reporting quarter.

TRAINING AND FOLLOW UPS

During the reporting quarter, DNRC staff involved in training and follow-ups were busy training farmers on how to manage Moringa trees as well as helping the new farmers plant new Moringa seedlings in their farms. They were also involved in training farmers on how to harvest Moringa leaves for better quality production.

RECEIVING MORINGA SEEDS AND LEAVES FOR VALUE ADDITION  

During the reporting quarter we received over 100 Kgs of Moringa seeds from farmers for oil processing.  During the reporting quarter, a total of 61.5 kgs of Moringa leaves were bought from the farmers and a total of 20.5 kgs of Moringa Powder was processed and sold bringing income for both farmers and DNRC.

CHALLENGES

There were no major challenge except slow market for both moringa oil and powder though its growing

PLANS FOR THE NEXT QUARTER

•  To propagate more Moringa seedlings to issue to farmers come November- December 2025 rains.
•  To continue receiving moringa leaves from farmers  and making  Moringa powder.
•  To continue training and doing follow-ups on individual farmers progress on Moringa trees