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

指小米是一种超级食品，蛋白质含量至少为9%，氨基酸平衡良好。它是钙、铁、锰和蛋氨酸的极好饮食来源，蛋氨酸是数亿以木薯、车前草、精米和玉米粉等淀粉类食物为生的穷人饮食中缺乏的一种氨基酸。它是一种用途广泛的食物，用作整体、碎面粉或磨碎的面粉；面团；或像大米一样的谷物。由于其钙和铁的含量很高，并经常与其他谷物一起强化作为婴儿的补充食物，它受到母乳喂养母亲的青睐和推荐。因此，全国对小米粉的需求超过了产量。在过去的十年里，肯尼亚的消费量停滞不前，主要是由于产量下降。此外，产量已降至200公斤/英亩的低水平，而潜在的产量为1500至3000公斤/英亩，而不可靠的供应已导致磨坊失去兴趣。该项目旨在为边际农业区的农民在雨季较长的时候引入指谷作为经济作物，在雨季较短的季节引入大豆、花生或芝麻等轮作作物，以最大限度地提高产量，使农民能够超支经营。我们将通过专门构建的精准农业平台为农民提供关键支持，包括获取投入、农学支持、数据驱动的建议和机械化。此外，USOMI通过使用远期合同，将保证购买所获得的全部作物。我们已经有了指谷的市场，必须提高产量才能维持供应。我们还将推出使用鸡蛋和肉类产量较高的鸡(适应当地情况)的家禽养殖，这不仅是一种风险缓解策略，也是一种补充收入来源。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为高营养蛋白质将确保耕作系统的长期可持续性。这两个互补企业的可用性将确保适当地满足社会经济、营养和粮食安全需求。考虑到肯尼亚农村的大多数饮食依赖于缺乏均衡营养成分的高淀粉食物，该项目将增加高营养动物源食品的摄入量，同时增加超级食品小米的摄入量。该项目的结果将对缓解肯尼亚农村普遍存在的农民饥饿的悖论产生很大影响。

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.