Kenyan farmers benefit from insect rearing project
Icipe's Chrysantus Mbi Tanga trains farmers how to rear black soldier flies and crickets at Wambugu Agricultural Training Centre in Nyeri on October 19, 2017. Photo | JOSEPH KANYI | NMG
The project has already been rolled out in Nyeri, Kiambu, Uasin Gishu and Kakamega counties.
Agricultural extension officers are among residents who were trained alongside feed manufacturers.
To encourage the adoption of insect-based animal feed, Icipe has carried out four sensitization campaigns.
More than 4,000 farmers have been trained on insect rearing so that they may have a more pocket-friendly alternative for animal feeds.
International Centre of Insects Physiology and Ecology (Icipe) has already rolled the project by giving farmers insects and insect cages to help boost production.
The project has been rolled out in Nyeri, Kiambu, Uasin Gishu and Kakamega Counties and is being conducted free of charge.
“Animal feed constitute 60 to 70 per cent of total cost of livestock and aquaculture farming, of which protein alone accounts for 70 per cent. Commonly used protein sources in feeds include fish meal, soymeal, cotton cake meal, sunflower meal which are very expensive,” explained Icipe project manager, Dr Tanga Mbi Chrysantus, to farmers at the Wambugu Agriculture Training Centre in Nyeri County.
Agricultural extension officers were also among residents trained alongside animal feed manufacturers.
“The high-quality insect based product is used to substitute or partially replace the expensive fishmeal, soybean meal in poultry, fish and pig feeds,” he said.
Icipe's Chrysantus Mbi Tanga: The insects are usually grinded and mixed with animal feed to serve as a source of protein supplement, saving the farmer from buying expensive ingredients. PHOTO | JOSEPH KANYI | NMG
Dr Tanga said the farmers were being encouraged to shift focus to rearing black soldier flies so that they can cut food production costs.
“Soldier fly larvae feed on a wide variety of “waste” and low value organic materials or by products including animal manure that produces 50 per cent protein, vitamins, minerals, micronutrients and high value oil,” he added.
To encourage the adoption of insect-based animal feed, Icipe has carried out four sensitization campaigns in different parts of the country.
“We appreciate the response we have gotten from the various County governments we have worked with. However, one of the key challenges in the adoption of insect rearing for feed is the lack of legislation,” he said.
Currently, Icipe and its partners are engaging the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) to develop a common threshold for the use of insects in the food and feed industry in order to mitigate the unsustainability of relying on fish and soybean meals.
