The management team of Chemusian Farm in Nakuruare are among farmers who have embraced mechanization. [Photo/e-tinga.com]The need to boost crop yields to feed Kenyans is becoming a priority and some of the ways of achieving this goal are to mechanize farming, use quality seeds and appropriate fertilizers.
Such support for farmers with small and large acreages are the surest ways of improving and increasing food production.
The management team of Chemusian Farm in Nakuruare are among farmers who have embraced mechanization.
Recently they took delivery of a Massey Ferguson 9108 planter from FMD East Africa, a leading farm machinery distributor which offers a one stop shop for Massy Ferguson tractors, planters and harvesters.
Lucy Mukuru, the FMD Sales Manager, explained, “The MF 9108 planterplants row crops likemaize, beans, soya beans, sunflowers, cotton, sorghum and peanuts. It opens a trench, singulates and drops seeds at anintended spacing and depth and closes the trench. It has 28 different seed plates to plant six, or eight rows of crops which providean outstanding seed placement in conditions that range from conventional through to no-till seeding. It is also engineered to handle a wide variety of optional tillage and fertilizer attachments.”
“This machine is built to help farmers achieve and maintain high levelof accuracy and precise seed placement. Its design allows seed to move efficiently and uninterrupted from hopper to placement. This means the planter will cover roughly 26,400 feet in an hour, or 440 feet per minute. With six inch seed spacing, 14 seeds are inserted in the ground each second per row. A 24-row planter will place 350 seeds in one second.”
“Realizing that emerging farmers lack experience with planters, tractors and implements, FMD has in place training as part of the package for the new owner. This aims to show buyers how to maximize the use of their machinery to produce the best results. When a planter, or a tractor is delivered our trained field technical staff show the owner how to operate the machine and carry out basic preventive maintenance which helps avoid breakdowns.”
“To help the owners of Massey Ferguson tractors, implements and planters, we hold Xtra Care Clinics throughout Kenya. These sessions feature free inspections and advice on maintenance of these farming equipment and to show farmers how to boost their food production by using mechanization,” concluded Lucy Mukuru.
Other products sold by FMD East Africa include Baldan, Jacto, Grimme, Nogueira and Enorossi implements.
In addition the Company provides dependable after sales service and stocks genuine spare parts at branches in Eldoret, Nakuru, Nairobi, and Arusha and has dealers throughout agricultural areas.