By: Joyce Okuta, John Njue
and Bett Kipsang’
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| Rahab Githumbi holding the certificate and a bag awarded at EAFIF |
The two days event which took place at the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI), Kabete-Nairobi, at the end of May 2013 brought together farmers, leaders, students, the public and scientists to share farming innovations.
ALIN participated at the EAIFF, by nominating
innovative farmers around the Maarifa centres for final selection by PROLINOVA;
the convening organization. The exhibitors drawn from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania
and Ethiopia were among the 50 selected farmers to showcase their unique agricultural
innovations to the members of the public.
The fair was designed to call attention to
the importance of farmer innovation in agricultural development, to celebrate
farmers’ creativity, and to bring policymakers and the general public in Kenya
in contact with farmer innovators.
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| 'Mother' turkey and five chicken showcased at the EAFIF |
“When I filled the entry form with assistance
from Noah, I thought there was nothing serious in it, but when I got the news
that I will travel to Nairobi to showcase my work, I was thrilled”, says Rahab, a member of Ng’arua Focal Group.
On her exhibition stand was a turkey, a hen
and five chicken reared by ‘mother’ turkey. Chicken and turkeys can coexist
harmoniously and even hatch each other’s eggs. Rehab’s innovation was documented
in ALIN’s Baobab Magazine Issue 52 in 2008; http://www.rufford.org/files/Baobab,%20Issue,%20May%202008.pdf
and also posted on the Ngarua maarifa centre blog http://ngaruamain.blogspot.com/2010/08/turkey-farming-in-ngarua.html.
During the fair, over 900 copies of the article were disseminated to visitors
from her stand.
Rahab displayed a huge turkey, which hatched
and reared five chickens, an innovation which attracted many visitors to her
stand. People were wondering what benefits turkeys brought the hens. The
visitors asked many questions about where she got the turkeys, if there was
market for turkeys, if she sells them at her farm, if the turkey could take
good care of the chicks after brooding. Scientists were interested to know if
she had shown the innovation anywhere else.
The comments made were tremendous; they
lauded her good work and high returns she got from her sales per year. She also
learned a lot from scientists and other farmers who were willing to share some tips
with the farmer. She got an idea on how to produce young turkey chicks at once
by delaying a broody turkey until the rest are broody so that they can start
sitting on the eggs at the same time.
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| Visitors at Rahab's stand read publications |
The most striking thing in this innovation is
the unlimited market for turkeys. ‘‘I
discovered during the fair that the demand for turkeys and their eggs was
higher than I could imagine, and I will never lack the market, even if I had
five hundred of them’’ said Rahab.
She got over 100 orders of turkeys and turkey
eggs. She said she will work extra hard to ensure that all her clients get the
turkeys. Rahab is highly motivated since she has realized that people are
interested in turkey rearing. She now plans to expand her project by injecting
more capital and effort to produce for the ready market.
Rahab says that the exhibition was an
eye-opener to her and exposed her to both national and international visitors;
she attributes all these to ALIN.
The best innovators from Kenya and Ethiopia were
awarded with trophies; Simon Musila who exhibited Growing finger millet through
seedlings was awarded.
Rahab was awarded with certificate and a bag.
‘‘I will always remember this day’’ said Rahab.
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