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Add Cotton Waste Biofuel Powers Farmers to Eliminate Drought In Kenya

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<br>By Nita Bhalla<br>
<br>KITUI, Kenya, June 6 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Kenyan farmer Abel Mutie Mathoka thought it should be a joke when he was told he might water his drought-hit crops more inexpensively, easily and effectively using a pump fuelled by cotton waste.<br>
<br>"Who could believe it's possible to make a fuel better than diesel from cotton seeds? I didn't!" chuckled Mathoka, crouching down to examine 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, walking over to a close-by tree and plucking a large green pawpaw. "Irrigation with this biodiesel water pump has actually assisted me get greater yields, specifically throughout drought durations."<br>
<br>Mathoka stated his earnings 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 cheaper than routine diesel.<br>
<br>The biodiesel he is utilizing is not simply excellent news for him - it is likewise excellent news for the world.<br>
<br>Unlike a lot of biofuels, which are originated from crops such as maize, sugarcane, soybean, rapeseed and [jatropha curcas](https://biodieselmagazine.com/articles/felda-global-buys-missions-kuantan-port-plant-for-11-5-million-9053), it is made from a byproduct of the cotton-making process.<br>
<br>That suggests that along with being cleaner and cheaper than regular fuel, it is more sustainable than other biofuels since no additional land is required to produce it.<br>
<br>From Brazil to Indonesia, the rush to cultivate biofuel crops has actually driven forest communities off their land and pushed farmers to change from crops-for-food to more lucrative crops-for-fuel - worsening food lacks.<br>
<br>"Our biodiesel comes from squashing cotton seeds left over as waste after ginning - the process of separating the seeds from raw cotton," stated Taher Zavery, [managing director](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1463471/000165495419013063/R31.htm) of Zaynagro Industries Ltd, the Kitui-based company producing the biodiesel.<br>
<br>"We started producing and using it to power our cotton ginning factory in 2011. With increased production, we now use 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 up until now bought biodiesel pumps for irrigation as part of an effort introduced by Zaynagro in 2015, stated Zavery.<br>
<br>DRY RIVER BEDS<br>
<br>Climate change is taking a toll across east Africa and increasingly unpredictable weather condition is becoming commonplace in nations such as Kenya, Somalia, Uganda and Ethiopia, resulting in lower rainfall.<br>
<br>The recurring dry spells are ruining crops and pastures and are starving animals - pressing millions of individuals in the Horn of Africa to the brink of extreme hunger.<br>
<br>The variety of Kenyans in need of food aid in March surged by almost 70 percent over a period of 8 months to 1.1 million, mostly due to poor rains, according to federal government figures.<br>
<br>With almost half Kenya's 47 counties stated to have a serious shortage of rain, humanitarian companies are [cautioning](https://stocktwits.com/symbol/MNEL) of increased cravings in the months ahead.<br>
<br>"Only light rainfall is forecast through June ... and this is not anticipated to alleviate dry spell in affected locations 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 regional food costs are anticipated, which will minimize bad households' access to food."<br>
<br>In Kitui's Kyuso location, the signs are currently obvious.<br>
<br>Rivers, water pans and dams are drying up as an outcome of the prolonged drought.<br>
<br>[Villagers grumble](https://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/159352/mission-newenergy-debt-free-focused-on-biofuel-joint-venture-60797.html) of trekking longer ranges - in some cases more than 10 km (6 miles) with their donkeys laden with empty jerry cans looking for water.<br>
<br>Small-scale farmers, the majority of whom are dependent on [rain-fed](https://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/159352/mission-newenergy-debt-free-focused-on-biofuel-joint-venture-60797.html) agriculture, go over plans to sell their goats to make ends fulfill if the harvest is poor.<br>
<br>BATTLING DROUGHT WITH BIODIESEL<br>
<br>But not all Kitui's farmers are fretted.<br>
<br>A little however growing number are shedding their concern of reliance on the weather - and purchasing irrigation systems powered by Zaynagro's cotton seed biodiesel through a pay-as-you-go scheme released more than 3 years back.<br>
<br>Neighbouring farmers band together to invest in the watering system - which consists of the biodiesel pump, 12 metres of pipes and 10 litres of biodiesel - at expenses beginning with 32,000 shillings, depending upon the size of the pump.<br>
<br>The farmers make an initial payment, then pay interest-free monthly instalments till the overall is paid off. They buy the biodiesel to run the pumps from Zaynagro at 80 shillings a litre.<br>
<br>Farmer Alex Babu Kitheka, 39, stated the biodiesel pump allowed him to irrigate a larger portion of his one-acre plot, where he grows a variety of vegetables consisting of 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, near his plot in Ilangilo village, 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 plan is excellent. Most farmers do not have the cash and can not quickly get a loan to buy a pump like this," stated Maurice Kitheka Munyoki, 41, as he stood beside his blue biodiesel pump.<br>
<br>"Having a plan like this assists us a lot. Our yields are great which means we can settle the expense of the pump slowly in percentages, and have cash left over to pay the school fees."<br>
<br>Zaynagro's effort is still in its early stages, with few farmers having repaid the full cost of the pumps.<br>
<br>But such [biofuel](https://www.businessnews.com.au/Company/Mission-NewEnergy) plans are appealing since they develop a circular economy by turning waste to [biofuel](https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/51278-86) for earnings, stated Sanjoy Sanyal, senior associate for Clean Energy Finance at the World Resources Institute.<br>
<br>The simplicity of the design - user friendly, robust technology, assured supply of biodiesel combined with a pay-as-you-go scheme - might assist energize rural Africa, he said.<br>
<br>"There is a mosaic of sustainable energy choices on the planet. The crucial problem is checking ideas and approaches in a collective fashion," stated Sanyal.<br>
<br>"Other cotton ginning factories in the region should attempt and learn from this experiment. Banks ought to begin try out 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 climate modification. Visit http://news.trust.org)<br>