Author: acacialeakey

Starting in October we received short rains, though the farm is beginning to dry out as is customary for this time of the year, while this puts pressure on our grazing, it is an essential part of the natural cyclical rhythm of the farming calendar.

The resident elephant departed in November after having consumed a large portion of maize and sorghum crops intended for silage production for drought time cattle feed. Whenever he departs KWS are informed and they are able to ensure he reaches other protected areas safely.

Crops

This quarter we have harvested Rhodes grass seed and beans, which will now be prepared and packed for sale for the 2021 growing season. 
The Rhodes grass has also been used to produce hay and 270 tonnes of silage. The hay is for sale (click here for more information) while the silage is to be used as cattle feed during the upcoming dry season.

Cows

This quarter we conducted our first delivery of beef cattle to Choice Meat. This is the beginning of a new partnership that we hope will enable us to get meat from farm to market as quickly and efficiently as possible, while also minimizing distress for the animals. 

Our December calvings set a new high record. 

Looking Forward

Our priorities include improving water security through water harvesting infrastructure, this is key for rain fed agriculture and cattle production. 

Leldet is also a founding member of the Kenya Bean Consortium. The aim of which is to fast track the introduction of bush and climbing bean varieties for commercial release into the local seed market by using a new seed harmonization agreement. If initial trials are successful, new varieties could be available by 2022, these have huge promise given the popularity of similar varieties in other east african countries. 

As we increase our drought resiliency through stored feeds such as silage, we will increase the acreage under Leldet’s hugely successful E6518 forage sorghum. This and other feeds will form the basis of increased efficiency in our beef cattle production.

As always, investments in farm equipment and infrastructure for increased effectiveness and efficiency are on the horizon. These may be financed by newly subdivided plots to the east of the main farm, interest in these plots has grown exponentially over the course of 2020 – please click here for more information.

Covid continues to influence our operations, though by maintaining discipline in sanitation, mask wearing and social distancing we have been able to keep our team safe while staying productive. 

We are looking to the new year with hope for a prosperous and happy 2021 for all. 

Stay Safe and Happy New Year 2021!

Crops

The beans planted earlier this year have come up and are doing exceptionally well, this year we’ve planted KK8, Chelelang and KAT B1, all for seed. These went in at a higher density than usual, resulting in good cover and reduced weeds. We are monitoring these crops closely to ensure they do not suffer from rust or other diseases before they are harvested in October to November.

We have taken on a new Massey Ferguson 6713 tractor and a Noguiera silage harvester, this machinery’s inaugural task was to harvest our matured forage sorghum to produce silage for the cattle. On a typical day we were harvesting 40-50 tonnes of sorghum per day, this is made possible by the high biomass density of the sorghum. 

Leldet’s forage sorghum (variety E6518) grows up to 15ft (4.5m).

We were also glad to welcome back our Laser tractor, which has been central to farm operations since we started in 1999 and received a major overhaul from FMD Nakuru. Affectionately known as “mama ya shamba”, the laser went right back to work digging the silage hole then compressing the sorghum to maximize the space of the hole and minimize oxidation in the fermentation process.

One challenge faced during this harvesting was our resident elephant, who has been enjoying the sorghum, particularly as he is able to hide within the crop – no small feat as he is particularly large! We are grateful for the support from KWS Nakuru, who enabled us to harvest the sorghum without the fear of a confrontation between harvester and elephant!

In preparation for the short rains we constructed a “shakorator” – a device with a few tines, designed to rip the soil to a depth of approximately 2 – 3 feet in order to aerate the soil and enable water to penetrate the compacted surface. This is a key step in restoring the soil’s productivity after it has been grazed by livestock.

Seed

Sales of beans continue to be strong in Bomet and Kericho counties, we have been receiving images and feedback from farmers, and as part of our after sales support have been following up with any issues and assisting with trouble shooting where crops have underperformed. Information and images will be posted to our “Farmer Diaries” page (coming soon). 

Our most recently sorted and packed lots of seed continue to show excellent quality, with germination tests conducted by KEPHIS consistently above 95%. 

Livestock

We have been fortunate over the last few months to have not faced any heavy disease burden, with only mild issues from the Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) outbreak in the region. the cows and sheep are healthy and putting on weight. The steers are grazing a Rhodes grass field during the day and provided with Rhodes grass silage in the evening.

Covid-19

We are continuing to enforce the sanitation measures introduced at the beginning of the pandemic, including through production and dissemination of Leldet and Chemeron branded masks.

Weather:

We received 382 mm of rain in April, May and June, which is higher than average so the farming is looking very verdant, especially after the exceptionally mild dry season. The total rainfall for 2020 so far is 510mm.

Crops:

April and May is planting season, so we’ve been busy planting beans (Chelelang and KK8), Boma Rhodes grass and forage sorghum (E6518). 

Weed control this year has been a challenge because of all of the rain we’ve been having. 

The part time resident elephant demolished some of the sorghum, but luckily he took his leave before he could cause too much damage.

Seed:

Sales of beans have been strong in Bomet and Kericho counties as everyone makes the most of the rains. Each season demand for Leldet beans grows as more people learn of, and value, the reliability and quality of Leldet seed.

Livestock:

The sheep have moved into a new mobile boma. This will reduce disease spread between cattle and sheep, particularly of Blue Tongue and Rift Valley Fever which are both devastating for calves. 

The annual livestock review was conducted in May, giving us a chance to update records and continue to curate exceptional herds of crosses and pure boran. 

The steers are as always getting the best of the grazing, this is supplemented by high protein farm-made feed made from sorghum, maize and bean waste from last year, so that they really pack on the kilos. 

Our two-cluster milking machine has been commissioned and will come into full service once ongoing upgrades to the diary have been completed. 

Covid-19:

Covid-19 has thrown new challenges at the farm and our staff have continued to be exceptionally proactive, professional and responsible. All of the necessary safety and sanitation measures have been enforced, and we’ve been able to continue to be productive and support our employees through this difficult period. 

One positive outcome has been that Harry and Elliot have been able to spend more time on the farm due to school closures. Not only have they been very helpful taking on everyday farm jobs, they’ve also been deploying more camera traps, and we’ve been pleasantly surprised by all of the wildlife activity. Elliot has managed to capture some exceptional images!