antwandelaney0
/
mission-biofuels-india-private-ltd
1
0
Code Issues Packages Projects Wiki

Add Cotton Waste Biofuel Powers Farmers to Fight Drought In Kenya

Antwan Delaney 2025-01-18 10:44:14 +08:00
parent 84e1d3d161
commit 7b235fca4a
1 changed files with 40 additions and 0 deletions
Show Stats Download Patch File Download Diff File Expand all files Collapse all files

40
Cotton-Waste-Biofuel-Powers-Farmers-to-Fight-Drought-In-Kenya.md Normal file

@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
<br>By Nita Bhalla<br>
<br>KITUI, Kenya, June 6 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Kenyan farmer Abel Mutie Mathoka believed it should be a joke when he was told he might irrigate his drought-hit crops more cheaply, easily and effectively utilizing a pump sustained by cotton waste.<br>
<br>"Who could believe it's possible to make a fuel better than diesel from cotton seeds? I didn't!" laughed Mathoka, bending down to check the watermelons on his 10-acre (four-hectare) shared plot in Ituri town in Kenya's southeast Kitui county.<br>
<br>"But it works," he said, strolling over to a nearby tree and plucking a big green pawpaw. "Irrigation with this biodiesel water pump has actually helped me get higher yields, specifically during drought periods."<br>
<br>[Mathoka](https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/mission-newenergy) said his profits had 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 regular diesel.<br>
<br>The biodiesel he is utilizing is not just good news for him - it is also good news for the world.<br>
<br>Unlike many biofuels, which are stemmed from crops such as maize, sugarcane, soybean, rapeseed and [jatropha](https://www.nasdaq.com/market-activity/ipos/overview?dealId=804419-65608), it is made from a by-product of the cotton-making procedure.<br>
<br>That indicates that as well as being cleaner and cheaper than regular fuel, it is more sustainable than other biofuels due to the fact that no additional land is needed to produce it.<br>
<br>From Brazil to Indonesia, the rush to cultivate [biofuel](https://stocktwits.com/symbol/MNEL) crops has actually [driven forest](https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/mission-newenergy) neighborhoods off their land and pushed farmers to switch from crops-for-food to more profitable crops-for-fuel - intensifying food scarcities.<br>
<br>"Our [biodiesel](https://www.intelligentinvestor.com.au/shares/asx-mbt/mission-newenergy-limited/share-price) comes from crushing cotton seeds left over as waste after ginning - the process of separating the seeds from raw cotton," said Taher Zavery, [handling director](https://www.energy-xprt.com/companies/mission-newenergy-limited-36048) of Zaynagro Industries Ltd, the Kitui-based business producing the [biodiesel](https://www.energy-xprt.com/companies/mission-newenergy-limited-36048).<br>
<br>"We started producing and utilizing 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 a few of their buses - and also to regional farmers for irrigation."<br>
<br>More than 1,200 farmers in Kitui have actually so far bought biodiesel pumps for watering as part of an effort launched by Zaynagro in 2015, said Zavery.<br>
<br>DRY RIVER BEDS<br>
<br>Climate modification is taking a toll across [east Africa](https://www.energy-xprt.com/companies/mission-newenergy-limited-36048) and progressively irregular weather is ending up being commonplace in countries such as Kenya, Somalia, Uganda and Ethiopia, leading to lower rainfall.<br>
<br>The repeating droughts are destroying crops and pastures and are starving animals - pressing millions of people in the Horn of Africa to the edge of severe appetite.<br>
<br>The number of Kenyans in need of food help in March surged by nearly 70 percent over a period of eight months to 1.1 million, mostly due to bad rains, according to government figures.<br>
<br>With almost half Kenya's 47 counties stated to have a major lack of rain, humanitarian companies are warning of increased cravings in the months ahead.<br>
<br>"Only light rains is forecast through June ... and this is not anticipated to ease drought in impacted areas of Kenya and Somalia," stated the Famine Early Warning Systems Network in its latest report.<br>
<br>"Well below-average crop production, bad animals body conditions, and increased local food rates are expected, which will lower poor homes' access to food."<br>
<br>In Kitui's Kyuso area, the signs are currently apparent.<br>
<br>Rivers, [water pans](https://www.zonebourse.com/cours/action/MISSION-NEWENERGY-LIMITED-8557641/) and dams are drying up as an outcome of the extended dry spell.<br>
<br>Villagers experience travelling longer ranges - in some cases more than 10 km (6 miles) with their donkeys laden with empty jerry cans searching for water.<br>
<br>Small-scale farmers, many of whom depend on rain-fed farming, go over plans to offer their goats to make ends fulfill if the harvest is bad.<br>
<br>BATTLING DROUGHT WITH BIODIESEL<br>
<br>But not all Kitui's farmers are worried.<br>
<br>A small however growing number are shedding their burden of dependence on the weather condition - and buying irrigation [systems](https://www.investing.com/equities/mission-newenergy-ltd-company-profile) powered by Zaynagro's cotton seed [biodiesel](https://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/159352/mission-newenergy-debt-free-focused-on-biofuel-joint-venture-60797.html) through a pay-as-you-go plan released more than 3 years back.<br>
<br>Neighbouring farmers unite to buy the irrigation system - which consists of the [biodiesel](https://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/159352/mission-newenergy-debt-free-focused-on-biofuel-joint-venture-60797.html) pump, 12 metres of pipes and 10 litres of [biodiesel](https://www.pinterest.com.au/missionnewenergy/) - at [expenses starting](https://www.zonebourse.com/cours/action/MISSION-NEWENERGY-LIMITED-8557641/) from 32,000 shillings, upon the size of the pump.<br>
<br>The farmers make a preliminary payment, then pay interest-free regular monthly instalments till the total is paid off. They purchase the biodiesel to run the pumps from Zaynagro at 80 [shillings](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1463471/000165495419013063/R31.htm) a litre.<br>
<br>Farmer Alex Babu Kitheka, 39, stated the [biodiesel](https://www.intelligentinvestor.com.au/shares/asx-mbt/mission-newenergy-limited/share-price) pump permitted him to irrigate a larger part of his one-acre plot, where he grows a variety of [vegetables including](https://www.zonebourse.com/cours/action/MISSION-NEWENERGY-LIMITED-8557641/) maize, tomatoes, spinach and sweet potatoes.<br>
<br>"With a diesel pump, maize yields were lower and I would get 15,000 shillings in 3 months. With the biodiesel pump, I can earn 45,000 shillings," stated Alex Babu Kitheka, standing near his plot in Ilangilo town, 40 km (25 miles) from Kitui town.<br>
<br>CIRCULAR ECONOMY<br>
<br>Other farmers indicate the scheme as a significant advantage in assisting enhance their output.<br>
<br>"The instalment scheme is excellent. Most farmers don't have the cash and can not quickly get a loan to purchase a pump like this," said Maurice Kitheka Munyoki, 41, as he stood beside his blue biodiesel pump.<br>
<br>"Having a scheme like this assists us a lot. Our yields are excellent which suggests we can pay off the expense of the pump slowly in percentages, and have money left over to pay the school costs."<br>
<br>Zaynagro's effort is still in its early stages, with few [farmers](https://www.pinterest.com.au/missionnewenergy/) having repaid the full cost of the pumps.<br>
<br>But such [biofuel](https://www.investing.com/equities/mission-newenergy-ltd-company-profile) schemes are appealing since they produce a circular economy by turning waste to [biofuel](https://www.zonebourse.com/cours/action/MISSION-NEWENERGY-LIMITED-8557641/) for earnings, stated Sanjoy Sanyal, senior associate for Clean Energy Finance at the World Resources Institute.<br>
<br>The simpleness of the design - user friendly, robust technology, ensured supply of [biodiesel](https://biodieselmagazine.com/articles/felda-global-buys-missions-kuantan-port-plant-for-11-5-million-9053) integrated with a pay-as-you-go scheme - could help amaze rural Africa, he stated.<br>
<br>"There is a mosaic of sustainable energy choices worldwide. The crucial concern is evaluating concepts and techniques in a collective style," stated Sanyal.<br>
<br>"Other cotton ginning factories in the area should try and learn from this experiment. Banks need to begin exploring with loans to groups of farmers. International donors and investors require to support experimentation."<br>
<br>($1 = 101.3000 Kenyan shillings) (Reporting by Nita Bhalla @nitabhalla, Editing by Claire Cozens. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's and LGBT+ rights, human trafficking, property rights and environment modification. Visit http://news.trust.org)<br>