Leveraging remote sensing and ICT to facilitate yield maximisation, structured trading and inclusive value chain participation for smallholder staple grain farmers in Kenya

小米是一种超级食物，含有至少9%的蛋白质和良好的氨基酸平衡。它是钙、铁、锰和蛋氨酸的极好膳食来源，而蛋氨酸是数亿以木薯、大蕉、精米和玉米粉等淀粉类食物为食的穷人饮食中缺乏的一种氨基酸。它是一种用途广泛的食品，可用作全粉、碎粉或磨碎的面粉；面团;或者像大米这样的谷物。由于其钙和铁含量高，它受到母乳喂养母亲的青睐，并被推荐给母乳喂养的母亲，而且经常与其他谷物一起强化，作为婴儿的补充食品。因此，全国对小米粉的需求超过了产量。在过去十年中，肯尼亚的消费量一直停滞在每头6公斤，主要原因是产量下降。此外，产量从1500 -3000公斤/英亩的潜力下降到200公斤/英亩，而不可靠的供应导致磨坊主失去了兴趣。该项目寻求在长雨季为边缘农业地区的农民引进小米作为经济作物，在短雨季引进大豆、花生或芝麻等轮作作物，以最大限度地提高产量，使农民能够维持生计。我们将通过专门建造的精准农业平台，为农民提供关键支持，包括获得投入物、农艺支持、数据驱动的建议和机械化。此外，通过远期合同，USOMI将保证购买所获得的全部作物。我们已经有了小米的市场，必须提高产量来维持供应。还将采用蛋鸡和肉鸡高产的家禽养殖（适应当地条件），不仅作为减轻风险战略，而且作为补充收入来源。家禽将利用环境中任何质量较低的谷物和其他饲料来源。将潜在的废弃谷物回收利用为高营养蛋白质将确保农业系统的长期可持续性。这两家互补性企业的存在将确保社会经济、营养和粮食安全需求得到适当满足。考虑到肯尼亚农村的大多数饮食依赖高淀粉食物，缺乏均衡的营养成分，该项目将增加高营养动物源食品的摄入量，同时增加小米这种超级食物的摄入量。该项目的成果将对缓解肯尼亚农村地区普遍存在的农民饥饿现象产生重大影响。

Finger millet grain is a super-food, containing at least 9% protein and a good balance of amino acids. It is an excellent dietary source of calcium, iron, manganese, and methionine, an amino acid lacking in the diets of hundreds of millions of poor who live on starchy foods such as cassava, plantain, polished rice and maize meal. It is a versatile foodstuff used as whole, cracked, or ground flour; a dough; or a grain like rice. It is favoured by and recommended to breastfeeding mothers, given its high calcium and iron content and is often fortified with other grain as a supplementary food for infants. As such, there is high demand for millet flour outstripping production across the country.Over the last decade, consumption in Kenya has stagnated at 6kg/head, mostly owing to declining production. Additionally, yields have declined to a lowly 200kg/acre against a potential of 1,500-3000kg/acre, while unreliable supplies have led to the loss of interest by millers. This project seeks to introduce finger millet as a cash crop for farmers in marginal agricultural areas during the long rain season, and a rotation crop such as soybean, groundnut, or sesame in the short rain season, to maximise yield and allow farmers to operate beyond subsistence.We will provide farmers with critical support including access to inputs, agronomic support, data driven advice and mechanisation through a purpose-built precision farming platform. Additionally, USOMI, through use of forward contracting, will guarantee the purchase of the whole crop obtained. We already have market for the finger millet and must increase yield to sustain supplies.Poultry farming using chickens with higher egg and meat production (adapted to local conditions) will also be introduced not only as a risk mitigation strategy but also as a complementary income source. The poultry will utilise any lower quality grain and other feed sources available in the environment. The recycling of potential waste grain into highly nutritious protein will ensure long term sustainability of the farming system.Availability of these two complementary enterprises will ensure that socioeconomic, nutritional and food security needs are properly met. Considering most diets in rural Kenya rely on high starch foods lacking balanced nutritional content, this project will increase intake of highly nutritious animal source foods alongside millet, a super-food.The outcomes of this project will have a high impact on alleviating the paradox of hungry farmers so prevalent in rural Kenya.