Add Cotton Waste Biofuel Powers Farmers to Fight Drought In Kenya
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<br>By Nita Bhalla<br>
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<br>KITUI, Kenya, June 6 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Kenyan farmer Abel Mutie Mathoka believed it must be a joke when he was informed he could water his drought-hit crops more inexpensively, cleanly and effectively utilizing a pump fuelled by cotton waste.<br>
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<br>"Who could think it's possible to make a fuel better than diesel from cotton seeds? I didn't!" chuckled Mathoka, crouching down to inspect the watermelons on his 10-acre (four-hectare) shared plot in Ituri village in Kenya's southeast Kitui county.<br>
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<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 assisted me get greater yields, particularly throughout dry spell periods."<br>
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<br>Mathoka said his earnings had actually doubled in the 2 years he has actually been pumping water utilizing biodiesel, which is both more [effective](https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/company/MNELF:US) and 20 shillings ($0.20) per litre cheaper than regular diesel.<br>
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<br>The biodiesel he is [utilizing](https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/company/MNELF:US) is not [simply excellent](https://www.abnnewswire.net/companies/en/31347/%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%A9%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%97-Mission-NewEnergy-%E0%B8%88%E0%B8%B3%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%94.html/4) news for him - it is likewise good news for the world.<br>
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<br>Unlike the [majority](https://stocktwits.com/symbol/MNEL) of biofuels, which are originated from crops such as maize, sugarcane, soybean, rapeseed and [jatropha](https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/51278-86), it is made from a byproduct of the cotton-making procedure.<br>
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<br>That suggests that along with being cleaner and less expensive than regular fuel, it is more sustainable than other biofuels since no extra land is needed to produce it.<br>
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<br>From Brazil to Indonesia, the rush to cultivate [biofuel](https://www.energy-xprt.com/companies/mission-newenergy-limited-36048) crops has driven forest communities off their land and pushed farmers to change from crops-for-food to more lucrative crops-for-fuel - worsening food shortages.<br>
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<br>"Our biodiesel comes from squashing cotton seeds left over as waste after ginning - the procedure of separating the seeds from raw cotton," stated Taher Zavery, handling director of Zaynagro Industries Ltd, the Kitui-based [business producing](https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/mission-newenergy) the biodiesel.<br>
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<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>
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<br>More than 1,200 farmers in Kitui have actually so far invested in [biodiesel](https://biodieselmagazine.com/articles/felda-global-buys-missions-kuantan-port-plant-for-11-5-million-9053) pumps for [watering](https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/company/MNELF:US) as part of an effort launched by Zaynagro in 2015, said Zavery.<br>
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<br>DRY RIVER BEDS<br>
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<br>Climate change is taking a toll throughout east Africa and significantly erratic weather condition is becoming commonplace in countries such as Kenya, Somalia, Uganda and Ethiopia, resulting in lower rains.<br>
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<br>The recurring dry spells are destroying crops and pastures and are starving animals - pushing countless individuals in the Horn of Africa to the edge of extreme cravings.<br>
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<br>The number of Kenyans in requirement of food help in March rose by practically 70 percent over a duration of eight months to 1.1 million, largely due to poor rains, according to federal government [figures](https://forest500.org/rankings/companies/mission-newenergy-limited).<br>
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<br>With nearly half Kenya's 47 [counties](https://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/159352/mission-newenergy-debt-free-focused-on-biofuel-joint-venture-60797.html) stated to have a serious scarcity of rain, [humanitarian companies](https://www.zoominfo.com/c/mission-newenergy/346542889) are alerting of in the months ahead.<br>
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<br>"Only light rainfall is forecast through June ... and this is not anticipated to reduce dry spell in impacted locations of Kenya and Somalia," said the Famine Early Warning Systems Network in its newest report.<br>
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<br>"Well below-average crop production, bad livestock body conditions, and increased regional food costs are anticipated, which will decrease bad homes' access to food."<br>
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<br>In Kitui's Kyuso area, the signs are currently [apparent](https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/company/MNELF:US).<br>
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<br>Rivers, [water pans](https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/MISSION-NEWENERGY-LIMITED-178469/company/) and dams are drying up as an outcome of the prolonged drought.<br>
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<br>Villagers suffer trekking longer ranges - in some cases more than 10 km (6 miles) with their donkeys packed with empty jerry cans looking for water.<br>
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<br>Small-scale farmers, the majority of whom depend on rain-fed agriculture, go over plans to sell their goats to make ends fulfill if the harvest is bad.<br>
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<br>BATTLING DROUGHT WITH [BIODIESEL](https://biodieselmagazine.com/articles/felda-global-buys-missions-kuantan-port-plant-for-11-5-million-9053)<br>
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<br>But not all Kitui's farmers are stressed.<br>
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<br>A small however growing number are shedding their concern of reliance on the weather - and purchasing watering systems powered by Zaynagro's cotton seed biodiesel through a pay-as-you-go scheme introduced more than three years back.<br>
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<br>Neighbouring farmers unite to purchase the irrigation system - which consists of the [biodiesel](https://biodieselmagazine.com/articles/felda-global-buys-missions-kuantan-port-plant-for-11-5-million-9053) pump, 12 metres of pipelines and 10 litres of biodiesel - at expenses beginning with 32,000 shillings, depending upon the size of the pump.<br>
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<br>The farmers make an initial payment, then pay interest-free monthly instalments up until the total is paid off. They purchase the biodiesel to run the pumps from Zaynagro at 80 shillings a litre.<br>
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<br>[Farmer Alex](https://www.proactiveinvestors.com.au/ASX:MBT/Mission-NewEnergy-Ltd) Babu Kitheka, 39, stated the biodiesel pump enabled him to water a larger portion of his one-acre plot, where he grows a range of veggies including maize, tomatoes, spinach and [sweet potatoes](https://www.investing.com/equities/mission-newenergy-ltd-company-profile).<br>
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<br>"With a diesel pump, maize yields were lower and I would get 15,000 shillings in 3 months. With the [biodiesel](https://biodieselmagazine.com/articles/felda-global-buys-missions-kuantan-port-plant-for-11-5-million-9053) pump, I can make 45,000 shillings," stated Alex Babu Kitheka, standing near his plot in Ilangilo village, 40 km (25 miles) from Kitui town.<br>
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<br>CIRCULAR ECONOMY<br>
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<br>Other farmers indicate the plan as a significant benefit in assisting enhance their output.<br>
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<br>"The instalment scheme is excellent. Most farmers do not have the cash and can not easily get a loan to purchase a pump like this," said Maurice Kitheka Munyoki, 41, as he stood next to his blue biodiesel pump.<br>
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<br>"Having a plan like this helps us a lot. Our yields are excellent which means we can settle the cost of the pump slowly in percentages, and have money left over to pay the school charges."<br>
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<br>Zaynagro's effort is still in its early stages, with couple of farmers having actually paid back the complete cost of the pumps.<br>
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<br>But such [biofuel](https://www.businessnews.com.au/Company/Mission-NewEnergy) schemes are promising due to the fact that they produce a circular economy by turning waste to [biofuel](https://www.investing.com/equities/mission-newenergy-ltd-company-profile) for revenue, said Sanjoy Sanyal, senior partner for Clean Energy Finance at the World Resources Institute.<br>
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<br>The simpleness of the model - easy-to-use, robust technology, assured supply of biodiesel integrated with a pay-as-you-go plan - could help amaze rural Africa, he said.<br>
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<br>"There is a mosaic of sustainable energy alternatives worldwide. The crucial problem is evaluating concepts and methods in a collaborative style," said Sanyal.<br>
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<br>"Other cotton ginning factories in the region ought to attempt and gain from this experiment. Banks ought to start try out loans to groups of farmers. International donors and financiers require to support experimentation."<br>
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<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, home rights and environment change. Visit http://news.trust.org)<br>
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