From 6c591f7c5daa93162b0d26449ba0fcc468318362 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Bethany Davisson Date: Sun, 12 Jan 2025 12:21:39 +0900 Subject: [PATCH] Add Cotton Waste Biofuel Powers Farmers to Eliminate Drought In Kenya --- ...s-Farmers-to-Eliminate-Drought-In-Kenya.md | 40 +++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 40 insertions(+) create mode 100644 Cotton-Waste-Biofuel-Powers-Farmers-to-Eliminate-Drought-In-Kenya.md diff --git a/Cotton-Waste-Biofuel-Powers-Farmers-to-Eliminate-Drought-In-Kenya.md b/Cotton-Waste-Biofuel-Powers-Farmers-to-Eliminate-Drought-In-Kenya.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9b015b0 --- /dev/null +++ b/Cotton-Waste-Biofuel-Powers-Farmers-to-Eliminate-Drought-In-Kenya.md @@ -0,0 +1,40 @@ +
By Nita Bhalla
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KITUI, Kenya, June 6 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Kenyan farmer Abel Mutie Mathoka believed it must be a joke when he was told he might irrigate his drought-hit crops more cheaply, easily and effectively utilizing a pump fuelled by cotton waste.
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"Who could think it's possible to make a fuel better than diesel from cotton seeds? I didn't!" laughed Mathoka, bending down to examine the [watermelons](https://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/159346/mission-newenergy-delivers-maiden-biodiesel-production-to-global-oil-major-24476.html) on his 10-acre (four-hectare) shared plot in Ituri village in Kenya's southeast Kitui county.
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"But it works," he stated, walking over to a close-by tree and plucking a big green pawpaw. "Irrigation with this biodiesel water pump has assisted me get higher yields, particularly throughout dry spell periods."
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Mathoka said his profits had actually doubled in the 2 years he has actually been pumping water utilizing biodiesel, which is both more effective and 20 shillings ($0.20) per litre less expensive than routine diesel.
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The biodiesel he is [utilizing](https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/company/MNELF:US) is not simply great news for him - it is also great news for the planet.
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Unlike most biofuels, which are originated from crops such as maize, sugarcane, soybean, rapeseed and [jatropha curcas](https://www.zonebourse.com/cours/action/MISSION-NEWENERGY-LIMITED-8557641/), it is made from a byproduct of the cotton-making procedure.
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That implies that as well as being [cleaner](https://forest500.org/rankings/companies/mission-newenergy-limited) and less expensive than [routine](https://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/159352/mission-newenergy-debt-free-focused-on-biofuel-joint-venture-60797.html) fuel, it is more sustainable than other biofuels because no extra land is needed to produce it.
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From Brazil to Indonesia, the rush to cultivate [biofuel](https://www.investing.com/equities/mission-newenergy-ltd-company-profile) crops has driven forest communities off their land and pressed farmers to change from crops-for-food to more lucrative crops-for-fuel - exacerbating food scarcities.
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"Our biodiesel comes from crushing cotton seeds left over as waste after ginning - the process of separating the seeds from raw cotton," [stated Taher](https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/51278-86) Zavery, [managing director](https://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/159352/mission-newenergy-debt-free-focused-on-biofuel-joint-venture-60797.html) of Zaynagro Industries Ltd, the Kitui-based business producing the biodiesel.
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"We began producing and using it to power our cotton ginning factory in 2011. With increased production, we now utilize it for our trucks, sell it to the United Nations to run some of their buses - and also to regional farmers for watering."
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More than 1,200 farmers in Kitui have actually up until now invested in biodiesel pumps for irrigation as part of an effort launched by in 2015, said Zavery.
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DRY RIVER BEDS
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Climate modification is taking a toll throughout east Africa and increasingly irregular weather is ending up being commonplace in countries such as Kenya, Somalia, Uganda and Ethiopia, leading to lower rainfall.
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The recurring dry spells are ruining crops and pastures and are starving animals - pressing millions of individuals in the Horn of Africa to the brink of severe appetite.
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The variety of Kenyans in requirement of food aid in March surged by nearly 70 percent over a period of eight months to 1.1 million, largely due to poor rains, according to [government figures](https://www.abnnewswire.net/companies/en/31347/%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%A9%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%97-Mission-NewEnergy-%E0%B8%88%E0%B8%B3%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%94.html/4).
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With practically half Kenya's 47 counties declared to have a serious scarcity of rain, humanitarian firms are cautioning of increased hunger in the months ahead.
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"Only light rains is forecast through June ... and this is not expected to relieve dry spell in affected areas of Kenya and Somalia," stated the Famine Early Warning Systems Network in its most current report.
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"Well below-average crop production, poor livestock body conditions, and increased regional food prices are expected, which will minimize poor homes' access to food."
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In Kitui's Kyuso area, the indications are currently obvious.
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Rivers, water pans and dams are drying up as an outcome of the prolonged drought.
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Villagers suffer trekking longer ranges - sometimes more than 10 km (6 miles) with their donkeys loaded with empty jerry cans searching for water.
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Small-scale farmers, the majority of whom are [reliant](https://www.abnnewswire.net/companies/en/31347/%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%A9%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%97-Mission-NewEnergy-%E0%B8%88%E0%B8%B3%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%94.html/4) on rain-fed farming, go over strategies to offer their goats to make ends fulfill if the harvest is poor.
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BATTLING DROUGHT WITH BIODIESEL
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But not all Kitui's farmers are stressed.
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A small however growing number are shedding their burden of dependence on the weather condition - and investing in irrigation systems powered by Zaynagro's cotton seed biodiesel through a pay-as-you-go plan introduced more than 3 years ago.
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Neighbouring farmers band together to [purchase](https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/company/MNELF:US) the irrigation system - that includes the [biodiesel](https://www.investing.com/equities/mission-newenergy-ltd-company-profile) pump, 12 metres of pipes and 10 litres of biodiesel - at costs beginning with 32,000 shillings, depending on the size of the pump.
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The farmers make an initial payment, then pay interest-free month-to-month [instalments](https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/51278-86) until the overall is settled. They buy the biodiesel to run the pumps from Zaynagro at 80 shillings a litre.
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Farmer Alex Babu Kitheka, 39, stated the [biodiesel](https://www.businessnews.com.au/Company/Mission-NewEnergy) pump permitted him to water a larger portion of his one-acre plot, where he grows a variety of vegetables including maize, tomatoes, spinach and sweet potatoes.
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"With a diesel pump, maize yields were lower and I would get 15,000 shillings in 3 months. With the [biodiesel](https://www.abnnewswire.net/companies/en/31347/%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%A9%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%97-Mission-NewEnergy-%E0%B8%88%E0%B8%B3%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%94.html/4) pump, I can earn 45,000 shillings," said Alex Babu Kitheka, standing near his plot in Ilangilo town, 40 km (25 miles) from Kitui town.
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CIRCULAR ECONOMY
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Other farmers point to the plan as a significant advantage in assisting improve their output.
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"The instalment scheme is great. Most farmers do not have the cash and can not easily get a loan to buy a pump like this," said Maurice Kitheka Munyoki, 41, as he stood beside his blue biodiesel pump.
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"Having a plan like this helps us a lot. Our yields are good which implies we can settle the expense of the pump slowly in percentages, and have cash left over to pay the school fees."
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[Zaynagro's initiative](https://www.zoominfo.com/c/mission-newenergy/346542889) is still in its early stages, with couple of [farmers](https://www.investing.com/equities/mission-newenergy-ltd-company-profile) having repaid the complete cost of the pumps.
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But such [biofuel](https://stocktwits.com/symbol/MNEL) schemes are appealing since they develop a circular economy by turning waste to [biofuel](https://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/159346/mission-newenergy-delivers-maiden-biodiesel-production-to-global-oil-major-24476.html) for revenue, stated Sanjoy Sanyal, senior associate for Clean Energy Finance at the World Resources Institute.
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The simplicity of the design - user friendly, robust technology, ensured supply of biodiesel combined with a pay-as-you-go plan - could help electrify rural Africa, he stated.
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"There is a mosaic of sustainable energy choices in the world. The key issue is testing concepts and techniques in a collective fashion," stated Sanyal.
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"Other cotton ginning factories in the area need to attempt and gain from this experiment. Financial institutions need to begin explore loans to groups of farmers. International donors and financiers require to support experimentation."
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($1 = 101.3000 Kenyan shillings) (Reporting by Nita Bhalla @nitabhalla, Editing by [Claire Cozens](https://www.investing.com/equities/mission-newenergy-ltd-company-profile). Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the [charitable](https://www.nasdaq.com/market-activity/ipos/overview?dealId=804419-65608) arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, females's and LGBT+ rights, human trafficking, home rights and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org)
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