Hydrophonics for Dairy Feed
Published on by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network in Business
Helping Dairy Farmers Grow Feed in just 7 days, without Soil
In 2003, Peter Chege had an epiphany: he could easily do what his employer was doing and play his part in creating jobs in the economy. After a year and a half working at a pharmaceutical company as a quality controller, he quit to start his own manufacturing plant. ."I had thought of opening my own pharmaceutical company, but getting licences to make drugs is difficult and expensive. I settled on animal feeds and mineral supplements because I saw a gap I knew I could fill," said Mr Chege.
Making good use of his background in analytical chemistry, he set up Animal Minerals and Allied, and set about making high-quality livestock feed and supplements to boost animal productivity and increase the cash going into farmers' pockets.
In early 2012, however, he realised his business would have to change to survive. "Around this time, the raw materials required to make feed became very expensive. To continue with the quality of feed we were manufacturing, our products would have become too pricey and farmers would not have been able to afford them." High-quality feed He dedicated the entire year to researching cost-effective ways to make nutritious, high-quality feed.
"Early on in my search, I came across the idea of hydroponics and on reading up on it, I realised it could revolutionise agriculture in Kenya," Chege said. "It uses a 10th of the water required in conventional agriculture as the water used is recycled, and utilises vertical farming, so it requires only a third of the land normally used.
" Hydroponics has been in existence for centuries. It enables the growing of crops using 90 per cent less water and 70 per cent less space than conventional farming, and without the use of soil. Plants are watered with a nutrient solution at predetermined intervals in a controlled environment, which is provided by a greenhouse.
Source: Standard Digital
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