Add Cotton Waste Biofuel Powers Farmers to Fight Drought In Kenya

Cotton-Waste-Biofuel-Powers-Farmers-to-Fight-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 thought it should be a joke when he was told he might irrigate his drought-hit crops more cheaply, cleanly and efficiently using a pump sustained by [cotton waste](https://stocktwits.com/symbol/MNEL).<br>
+<br>"Who could believe it's possible to make a fuel better than diesel from cotton seeds? I didn't!" [chuckled](https://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/159352/mission-newenergy-debt-free-focused-on-biofuel-joint-venture-60797.html) Mathoka, [bending](https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/mission-newenergy) down to inspect the watermelons on his 10-acre (four-hectare) shared plot in Ituri town in Kenya's southeast Kitui county.<br>
+<br>"But it works," he stated, walking over to a close-by tree and plucking a big green pawpaw. "Irrigation with this biodiesel water pump has assisted me get greater yields, particularly during drought periods."<br>
+<br>Mathoka said his earnings had actually doubled in the 2 years he has been pumping water using biodiesel, which is both more efficient and 20 shillings ($0.20) per litre cheaper than regular diesel.<br>
+<br>The [biodiesel](https://www.proactiveinvestors.com.au/ASX:MBT/Mission-NewEnergy-Ltd) he is utilizing is not just great news for him - it is also excellent news for the world.<br>
+<br>Unlike the majority of biofuels, which are derived from crops such as maize, sugarcane, soybean, rapeseed and [jatropha curcas](https://www.zonebourse.com/cours/action/MISSION-NEWENERGY-LIMITED-8557641/), it is made from a by-product of the [cotton-making process](https://www.investing.com/equities/mission-newenergy-ltd-company-profile).<br>
+<br>That implies that as well as being cleaner and less expensive than regular fuel, it is more sustainable than other biofuels because no additional land is [required](https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/51278-86) to produce it.<br>
+<br>From Brazil to Indonesia, the rush to cultivate [biofuel](https://www.zonebourse.com/cours/action/MISSION-NEWENERGY-LIMITED-8557641/) crops has actually driven forest neighborhoods off their land and pressed farmers to change from crops-for-food to more successful crops-for-fuel - worsening food scarcities.<br>
+<br>"Our biodiesel originates from squashing cotton seeds left over as waste after ginning - the process of separating the seeds from raw cotton," said Taher Zavery, handling director of Zaynagro Industries Ltd, the Kitui-based business producing the biodiesel.<br>
+<br>"We began producing and utilizing it to power our cotton ginning factory in 2011. With increased production, we now utilize it for our trucks, offer it to the United Nations to run some of their buses - and also to local farmers for irrigation."<br>
+<br>More than 1,200 farmers in Kitui have actually up until now invested in biodiesel pumps for watering as part of an effort introduced by Zaynagro in 2015, said Zavery.<br>
+<br>DRY RIVER BEDS<br>
+<br>Climate modification is taking a toll throughout east Africa and increasingly irregular weather condition is becoming commonplace in countries such as Kenya, Somalia, Uganda and Ethiopia, leading to lower rainfall.<br>
+<br>The recurring dry spells are ruining crops and pastures and are starving animals - pushing millions of individuals in the Horn of Africa to the edge of severe appetite.<br>
+<br>The number of Kenyans in requirement of food aid in March surged by nearly 70 percent over a period of eight months to 1.1 million, mostly due to poor rains, according to government figures.<br>
+<br>With nearly half Kenya's 47 counties stated to have a serious lack of rain, humanitarian companies are alerting of [increased cravings](https://www.businessnews.com.au/Company/Mission-NewEnergy) in the months ahead.<br>
+<br>"Only light rainfall is forecast through June ... and this is not expected to minimize dry spell in impacted locations of Kenya and Somalia," said the Famine Early Warning Systems Network in its latest report.<br>
+<br>"Well below-average crop production, poor animals body conditions, and increased regional food prices are expected, which will reduce bad homes' access to food."<br>
+<br>In Kitui's Kyuso area, the indications are already apparent.<br>
+<br>Rivers, [water pans](https://www.zoominfo.com/c/mission-newenergy/346542889) and dams are drying up as a result of the prolonged drought.<br>
+<br>Villagers suffer trekking longer distances - often more than 10 km (6 miles) with their [donkeys loaded](https://www.proactiveinvestors.com.au/ASX:MBT/Mission-NewEnergy-Ltd) with empty jerry cans searching for water.<br>
+<br>Small-scale farmers, the majority of whom depend on rain-fed farming, go over plans to offer their goats to make ends fulfill if the harvest is poor.<br>
+<br>BATTLING DROUGHT WITH [BIODIESEL](https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/mission-newenergy)<br>
+<br>But not all Kitui's [farmers](https://forest500.org/rankings/companies/mission-newenergy-limited) are stressed.<br>
+<br>A little however growing number are shedding their problem of dependence on the weather - and buying irrigation systems powered by Zaynagro's cotton seed biodiesel through a pay-as-you-go scheme introduced more than three years ago.<br>
+<br>Neighbouring farmers unite to invest in the irrigation system - which includes the biodiesel pump, 12 metres of pipes and 10 litres of biodiesel - at expenses starting from 32,000 shillings, depending upon the size of the pump.<br>
+<br>The farmers make an initial payment, then pay interest-free regular monthly instalments till the total is paid off. They purchase the [biodiesel](https://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/159352/mission-newenergy-debt-free-focused-on-biofuel-joint-venture-60797.html) to run the pumps from Zaynagro at 80 shillings a litre.<br>
+<br>Farmer Alex Babu Kitheka, 39, stated the biodiesel pump permitted him to irrigate a larger portion of his one-acre plot, where he grows a variety of vegetables consisting of 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," stated Alex Babu Kitheka, standing near his plot in [Ilangilo](https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/51278-86) town, 40 km (25 miles) from Kitui town.<br>
+<br>CIRCULAR ECONOMY<br>
+<br>Other farmers point to the scheme as a major advantage in [helping enhance](https://www.investing.com/equities/mission-newenergy-ltd-company-profile) their output.<br>
+<br>"The instalment scheme is good. Most farmers don't have the cash and can not easily get a loan to buy a pump like this," said Maurice Kitheka Munyoki, 41, as he stood next to his blue biodiesel pump.<br>
+<br>"Having a plan like this helps us a lot. Our yields are excellent which implies 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 few [farmers](https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/MISSION-NEWENERGY-LIMITED-178469/company/) having paid back the complete cost of the pumps.<br>
+<br>But such [biofuel](https://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/159346/mission-newenergy-delivers-maiden-biodiesel-production-to-global-oil-major-24476.html) schemes are appealing since they create a circular economy by turning waste to [biofuel](https://stocktwits.com/symbol/MNEL) for profit, stated Sanjoy Sanyal, senior partner for Clean Energy Finance at the World Resources Institute.<br>
+<br>The simpleness of the model - easy-to-use, robust technology, guaranteed supply of [biodiesel](https://www.investing.com/equities/mission-newenergy-ltd-company-profile) integrated with a pay-as-you-go scheme - could assist energize rural Africa, he stated.<br>
+<br>"There is a mosaic of sustainable energy options on the planet. The essential problem is evaluating concepts and methods in a collaborative style," said Sanyal.<br>
+<br>"Other cotton ginning factories in the region should attempt and learn from this experiment. Financial organizations should begin explore loans to groups of farmers. International donors and financiers require to support experimentation."<br>
+<br>($1 = 101.3000 Kenyan shillings) (Reporting by Nita Bhalla @nitabhalla, [Editing](https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/mission-newenergy) by Claire Cozens. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of  Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, ladies's and LGBT+ rights, human trafficking, property rights and climate modification. Visit http://news.trust.org)<br>