Pure seeds- Seeds mixed with fine soil, fine wood ash or fine manure. Remove plants from the Centre and leave only 3 plants to grow, set like a traditional firestones. In Kenya, poverty and food insecurity are highest in urban slums, among pastoralists and farmers in remote areas, which comprise 80% of the land mass. Improves level of blood in the body by developing red blood cells. Broadcast the seeds lightly in a nursery bed and cover 1 cm deep. While originating from tropical America amaranth is now very widely distributed throughout the tropics. Keywords: Amaranth grain varieties, Nutritional diversity 1. White or golden colored grains are recommended for consumption. A delay in harvesting leads to sprouting especially if there are high temperatures and moisture. Amaranth is a herbaceous plant or shrub that is either annual or perennial across the genus. A grain Amaranth farmer in Lugari district - Kenya, proudly displays his bags he harvested of the Grains (amaranth) Irrigate thoroughly to maintain vigorous plant growth. Amaranth is propagated as vegetable amaranth, grain amaranth, ornamental amaranth and weeds. Like most crops the best soil is loam soil with a lower acidity. Subscribe to Get Post in E-mail. Amaranth is known in local language as Terere (Kikuyu), muchicha (Kiswahili, Ngiriama), Lidodo, (Luyha), alika(Luo). If seedlings are started in a raised nursery bed, the soil should be partially sterilized by burning a 3-5 cm thick layer of rice straw or other dry organic matter on the bed. The choice of planting method depends on availability of seed and labor and may also vary with the growing season. Health Benefits of Eating African Indigenous Vegetables, Cabbage Farming – Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Cabbage, Onion Farming – Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Onions, How to grow Amaranth (Mchicha/Terere/Ododo) in Kenya, Boost energy level due to the presence of carbohydrates. Copyright@2018 FarmLINK Kenya - Connecting Farmers in Kenya. Amaranth contains potassium which regulates the water balance and eventually regulating body blood pressure. pure seeds dropped or broadcast with two fingers including thumb. It’s essential for normal brain and nerve function. The best spacing is 30*10cm and it takes a maximum of 4-6 weeks before maturity. Food1.com is the international website for the worldwide Food Industry. groundnut and amaranth in Zimbabwe, Kenya and Benin. Amaranth has been widely regarded as a stubborn weed or food for the poor in the past years especially in many parts of Africa including Kenya, however, for the past one decade there has been a sharp rise in the demand and consumption of Amaranth (Bosch et al., 2009). Submitted. The companies are divided into suppliers for Whole Amaranths and more. Interesting! For maximum harvest, one need to lookout. Vegetable amaranth is a popular leafy vegetable crop grown and consumed in many parts of Kenya. The Amaranthusspecies commonly found in Kenya are A. dubiusand A. hybridusgrown for vegetable, Amaranthus cruentusgrown for grain and A. hypochondriacusgrown for both vegetable and grain. with amaranth grain or with NaFeEDTA containing micronutrient powder on iron intake and status in Kenyan children. Water should be applied especially just after sowing or transplanting to ensure a good stand. Macharia-Mutie CW(1), Van de Wiel AM, Moreno-Londono AM, Mwangi AM, Brouwer ID. Tall varieties – 60cm by 20cm The delivery and price were spot on! To grow amaranth, the important thing is to note that there are different species and each may require different altitudes but the optimal altitude for most species is 0-2000 metres with a cool-warm temperature of between 22-30°C. Species across the genus contain concentric rings of vascular bundles, and fix carbon efficiently with a C4 photosynthetic pathway. Certified seeds are available from the following:-, Clear the land of all bushes, burn the bushes as ashes favors amaranths production. Average seed requirement is 2 kg / acre. The crop can grow anywhere in Kenya i.e. Powered By Heartbit, Local market range between 40 – 80/= per kg depending on the buyer for the grain (for consumption) and 200/= per Kg of seed (for planting), Want to be notified about agricultural news and events? Farmers in Kenya are ready to help select improved amaranth cultivars. Kenya Amaranth Importers Directory - Offering Kenya's buying leads from buyers, importers, distributors & resellers at Kenya TradeKey.com Mercy Kabahuma Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. He has branched flower stalks with small seeds, the color of which vary from cream to gold and from pink to shiny black. Very good to know more about crops.Very happy to get ideas from the experiences people have. The yellow flowers disappear and the seeds appear eligible in the chambers i.e. Amaranth is grown during both wet and dry seasons, though irrigation is normally required for dry season crops since the rate of transpiration by the leaves is fairly high. The key ones include:-Amaranth International Ltd offers both local and export market. It requires fine, loose soils which can provide the small seed with good soil contact. Planting is done when the soils are soaked or wet. The key ones include:-. For infertile soils use 100kg DAP /acre. Amaranth International Ltd offers both local and export market. Spread manure along the furrows and mix well with soil to provide full utilization by the plants. In this section you can find 2 Amaranth Suppliers in Kenya registered on our portal. Have you ever… Amaranth has different names depending on different tribes. For some interested in growing Amaranth, our article today how to grow Amaranth in Kenya will give you some tips. MOALF/SHEP PLUS 1-1 Amaranth (Mchicha) 2 1. The seeds can be stored in clean plastic paper bags in a cool room where rodents are completely avoided. Amaranth grows very slowly during the first two weeks after germination while weeds grow faster and overtake amaranth if not attended to. Soil, wood ash or manure seed mixture using three fingers including thumb. This gives roots enough space to spread and avoid lodging and diseases. 73 Like most crops the best soil is loam soil with lower acidity. Like most crops the best soil is loam soil with lower acidity. Different cultures cook amaranth differently, but the demand for amaranth in the country is high as currently, some companies are even buying amaranth seeds to get flour. Health benefits. It can do well both under rain fed and under irrigation. Several companies are involved in grain amaranth promotion and marketing. Cover the seedbeds with an insect-proof net to. 1ST weeding should be done within the 2nd week after germination between the rows to reduce weed competition. Cut the head slightly below the inflorescence or the end of the stem at a slanting angle using a knife or sharp panga. Farmers need to be sensitized to the benefits of growing amaranth, locally known as terere - which can … Herbicides cannot be used since the crop is in the weed family. This site is very informative. Amaranth is planted either by direct seeding or transplanting. Pure seeds dropped or broadcast using tins with very small holes at the bottom. This portal is an active B2B website for all Food Suppliers and their products like Food. 0-2400m asl, Normally the hotter it is the better it grows, For seed to germinate temperatures of at least 15- 17 degrees C is needed, Eastern, Central and Nairobi, R/Valley-Amaranth International, Nyanza-African Amarantha Limited, Amaranth International, Amaranth Incas. You will find all the information you need. Kenya Fruits Exporters is the ultimate resource for cultivating your garden. There are two steps to transplanting: Although amaranth is a low management crop and can grow in poor soils, applying organic fertilizer increases yield. 1.2 Grain Amaranth varieties commonly grown in Kenya 1.2.1 Katumani amaranth (KAM) 114 • The plant is bushy, growing to about 2 meters high • The stem is green with a light purplish base • It has broad green leaves • The plant bears several panicles on each branch The tall varieties for high rainfall areas. potential adoption of grain amaranth production in hiv/aids-affected rural kenyan communities . Amaranth is an herbaceous annual belonging to the family Amaranthaceae with green or red leaves and branched flower stalks (heads) bearing small seeds, variable in colour from cream to gold and pink to shiny black. Winnow the seeds to clean them and spread them out under the sun to dry. Transplanting is preferred when there is limited amount of seed, plenty of labor, and during the wet season when heavy rains and flooding are most likely to wash out seeds. Amaranth Contractors Ltd is a design and construction company dedicated in giving our clients a world class designs. The seeds require very little soil covering because if deep planted, germination is delayed or seeds may rot. Container-grown in divided trays, lifted with the root ball intact and transplanted. Two or three days of good sunshine will completely reduce moisture levels to required standards (13% moisture content). I like it, I would like to invest in agribusiness. Two or three days of good sunshine will completely reduce moisture levels to required standards (13% moisture content). Break down soil to fine tilth to provide a layer of fine soil surface. This a very resourceful site on agribusiness Especially to the youths venturing in agriculture. The best spacing is 30*10cm and it takes a maximum of 4-6 weeks before maturity. Figure 1: Vegetable amaranth types For maximum harvest one need to lookout. Amaranths are “pseudo-cereals” because of their flavor and cooking similarities to grains) that has high nutritional and medicinal value. Join over 30,000 online users in our farming community. Stored grains are usually infested by rats and cockroaches; however they are not infested by weevils due to their small size. The flour can be used to prepare porridge, pizza ,pasta,Pancake,flat bread, Ugali, The flour has no gluten and therefore needs to be mixed with other flours at the ratio of 1 part: 3parts when preparing Chapattis, Doughnuts, Mandazi cake.s, KALRO(Kenya Agricultural & Livestock Research Organization), ICIPE(International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology), KAGRC (Kenya Animal Genetic Resources Centre), KEFRI (Kenya Forestry Research Institute), NAFIS(National Farmers Information Service), ILRI (International Livestock Research Institute). Leafy amaranth (LA) is consumed widely as a vegetable in Kenya. Maturity occurs in 45 – 60 days for early maturing (short) varieties while late maturing (tall varieties) take 70- 120 days. In some regions of Kenya, amaranth is known as terere or mchicha. Sensory Acceptability and Factors Predicting the Consumption of Grain Amaranth in Kenya Catherine W. Macharia-Mutie Division of Human Nutrition , Wageningen University , Wageningen, The Netherlands ; Directorate of Research Management and Development , Ministry of Higher Education Science and Technology , Nairobi, Kenya Correspondence catemutie@yahoo.com catherine.macharia-mutie@wur.nl The crop turns brown or pale green or even yellowish. This indicates that amaranth grain could be one of the pathways towards solving the macro - and micronutrient deficiencies experienced in Sub- Sahara Africa. 51 Chapter 4: Sensory acceptability and factors predicting the consumption of grain amaranth in Kenya. Highly nutritive with high quality proteins (lysine and methionine) and high levels of vitamins and dietary fibers. Soils Amaranth is adaptable to different soils- sandy, loamy, alkaline or saline types but prefers soil pH of between 6.0 and 7.5 Amaranth is propagated as vegetable amaranth, grain amaranth, ornamental amaranth and weeds. In a country made up of over 40 million people of different tribes and ethnicities, whose major common denominator is the use of vegetables in preparing their food, vegetable farming in Kenya is indeed very profitable. Flowers vary interspecifically from the presence of 3 or 5 tepals and stamens, whereas a 7-porate pollen grain structure remains consistent across the family. Amaranth can tolerate a wide range of soil conditions but does best in Loam or silty loam soils with good water holding capacity. We have Amaranth Suppliers in Kenya, Algeria, Angola and more. Amaranth has different names depending on different tribes. Best weather conditions to grow Amaranth in Kenya. AMARANTH PRODUCTION Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries State Department for Crop Development & Agricultural Research. If grown under irrigation, watering should stop, 15-20 days before maturity, Grain Amaranth has 2 main varieties the short and tall varieties, recommended varieties low and high rainfall areas, The short varieties are suited for low rainfall regions • Eastern Kenya (after being introduced by KALRO Katumani). Make furrows 0.5-1.0 cm deep. Incas Health International Ltd; African Amarantha ltd; Amaranth Grain ltd; All Grain Company Kenya Ltd in Nairobi; Packed Amaranth … Drip irrigation or micro-sprinkler irrigation is recommended in areas with limited water supply. Amaranth is an indigenous plant known for its leafy vegetables and grain. Vegetable farming is one of the silent money makers in Kenya. seeds are visible to the eye. On average an one acre can produce up to five thousand kilograms of amaranth. Offers both local and export market from the Centre and leave only 1 plant/hill Application & management crops. 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