Add Cotton Waste Biofuel Powers Farmers to Eliminate Drought In Kenya

Cotton-Waste-Biofuel-Powers-Farmers-to-Eliminate-Drought-In-Kenya.md

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+<br>By Nita Bhalla<br>
+<br>KITUI, Kenya, June 6 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Kenyan farmer Abel [Mutie Mathoka](https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/company/MNELF:US) thought it needs to be a joke when he was informed he might irrigate his drought-hit crops more inexpensively, cleanly and efficiently using a pump sustained by cotton waste.<br>
+<br>"Who could think it's possible to make a fuel much 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 village in Kenya's [southeast Kitui](https://forest500.org/rankings/companies/mission-newenergy-limited) county.<br>
+<br>"But it works," he stated, strolling over to a neighboring tree and plucking a large green pawpaw. "Irrigation with this biodiesel water pump has actually helped me get higher yields, especially during dry spell durations."<br>
+<br>Mathoka stated his profits had doubled in the two years he has actually been pumping water using biodiesel, which is both more efficient and 20 [shillings](https://www.pinterest.com.au/missionnewenergy/) ($0.20) per litre more affordable than [routine diesel](https://www.pinterest.com.au/missionnewenergy/).<br>
+<br>The biodiesel he is utilizing is not just excellent news for him - it is likewise great news for the planet.<br>
+<br>Unlike a lot of biofuels, which are [stemmed](https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/company/MNELF:US) from crops such as maize, sugarcane, soybean, rapeseed and [jatropha curcas](https://forest500.org/rankings/companies/mission-newenergy-limited), it is made from a byproduct of the cotton-making procedure.<br>
+<br>That indicates that in addition to being cleaner and cheaper than routine fuel, it is more sustainable than other biofuels because no extra land is needed to produce it.<br>
+<br>From Brazil to Indonesia, the rush to cultivate [biofuel](https://www.google.com/search?kgmid=/m/0cqd_rb) crops has driven forest communities off their land and [pressed farmers](https://www.investing.com/equities/mission-newenergy-ltd-company-profile) to change from crops-for-food to more lucrative crops-for-fuel - exacerbating food scarcities.<br>
+<br>"Our [biodiesel](https://www.zonebourse.com/cours/action/MISSION-NEWENERGY-LIMITED-8557641/) originates from crushing cotton seeds left over as waste after ginning - the process of separating the seeds from raw cotton," stated Taher Zavery, handling director of Zaynagro Industries Ltd, the Kitui-based company producing the biodiesel.<br>
+<br>"We began producing and utilizing 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 some of their buses - and also to regional farmers for irrigation."<br>
+<br>More than 1,200 farmers in Kitui have actually so far purchased [biodiesel](https://biodieselmagazine.com/articles/felda-global-buys-missions-kuantan-port-plant-for-11-5-million-9053) pumps for irrigation as part of an [initiative released](https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/51278-86) by Zaynagro in 2015, said Zavery.<br>
+<br>DRY RIVER BEDS<br>
+<br>Climate change is taking a toll throughout east Africa and significantly unpredictable weather is becoming commonplace in countries such as Kenya, Somalia, Uganda and Ethiopia, resulting in lower rainfall.<br>
+<br>The repeating dry spells are ruining crops and pastures and are starving animals - pushing millions of people in the Horn of Africa to the verge of extreme cravings.<br>
+<br>The number of Kenyans in requirement of food help in March surged by nearly 70 percent over a period of 8 months to 1.1 million, mostly due to bad rains, according to federal government [figures](https://www.nasdaq.com/market-activity/ipos/overview?dealId=804419-65608).<br>
+<br>With practically half Kenya's 47 counties declared to have a serious shortage of rain, humanitarian companies are warning of increased appetite in the months ahead.<br>
+<br>"Only light rains is forecast through June ... and this is not expected to relieve dry spell in affected locations of Kenya and Somalia," said the Famine Early Warning Systems Network in its newest report.<br>
+<br>"Well below-average crop production, bad livestock body conditions, and increased regional food prices are anticipated, which will reduce poor homes' access to food."<br>
+<br>In Kitui's Kyuso location, the indications are already evident.<br>
+<br>Rivers, water pans and dams are drying up as a result of the prolonged dry spell.<br>
+<br>Villagers suffer trekking longer distances - sometimes more than 10 km (6 miles) with their donkeys packed 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 offer their goats to make ends fulfill if the harvest is poor.<br>
+<br>BATTLING DROUGHT WITH [BIODIESEL](https://biodieselmagazine.com/articles/felda-global-buys-missions-kuantan-port-plant-for-11-5-million-9053)<br>
+<br>But not all Kitui's farmers are stressed.<br>
+<br>A small however growing number are shedding their concern of dependence on the weather - and investing in irrigation systems powered by Zaynagro's [cotton seed](https://forest500.org/rankings/companies/mission-newenergy-limited) biodiesel through a [pay-as-you-go scheme](https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/51278-86) released more than three years ago.<br>
+<br>Neighbouring farmers band together to buy the [irrigation](https://forest500.org/rankings/companies/mission-newenergy-limited) system - which consists of the biodiesel pump, 12 metres of pipes and 10 litres of biodiesel - at costs starting from 32,000 shillings, depending on the size of the pump.<br>
+<br>The farmers make a preliminary payment, then pay interest-free regular monthly instalments till the total is settled. They buy the  to run the pumps from Zaynagro at 80 [shillings](https://www.zonebourse.com/cours/action/MISSION-NEWENERGY-LIMITED-8557641/) a litre.<br>
+<br>Farmer Alex Babu Kitheka, 39, stated the [biodiesel](https://biodieselmagazine.com/articles/felda-global-buys-missions-kuantan-port-plant-for-11-5-million-9053) pump permitted him to water a larger portion of his one-acre plot, where he grows a variety of vegetables including 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," said 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 point to the plan as a major benefit in helping enhance their output.<br>
+<br>"The instalment scheme is good. Most farmers do not have the cash and can not easily 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 scheme like this assists us a lot. Our yields are great which indicates we can settle the expense of the pump slowly in percentages, and have cash left over to pay the school charges."<br>
+<br>Zaynagro's effort is still in its early phases, with couple of farmers having actually repaid the full expense of the pumps.<br>
+<br>But such [biofuel](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1463471/000165495419013063/R31.htm) schemes are appealing since they produce a circular economy by turning waste to [biofuel](https://stocktwits.com/symbol/MNEL) for profit, said Sanjoy Sanyal, senior partner for Clean Energy Finance at the World Resources Institute.<br>
+<br>The simplicity of the design - easy-to-use, robust innovation, guaranteed supply of biodiesel integrated with a pay-as-you-go scheme - might help energize rural Africa, he said.<br>
+<br>"There is a mosaic of sustainable energy options in the world. The key problem is evaluating concepts and approaches in a collective style," said Sanyal.<br>
+<br>"Other cotton ginning factories in the region must attempt and gain from this experiment. Financial organizations need to start 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, females's and LGBT+ rights, human trafficking, property rights and climate modification. Visit http://news.trust.org)<br>