As institutions of higher learning decry limited financial resources to run programmes, Sang’alo Institute of Science and Technology (SIST) in Kanduyi Constituency, Bungoma County has embarked on smart farming to mint revenue.
Speaking exclusively to Education News in her office Principal Dr. Rosebella Chukwu said that the Institute has embarked on smart farming to increase value addition in their farm activities.
She noted that the college has a huge piece of land which they decided to utilize by taking part in sunflower growing, rabbit keeping, apiculture, vegetable production, poultry farming (both for meat and eggs), dairy farming, maize and beans production, peanut production and passion farming among others.
Dr. Chukwu said that they have invested heavily in peanut and sunflower production where they process them after harvest to produce peanut butter and oil.
Some of the products are used within the school while surplus is sold to the neighbouring community.
She said that SIST works in partnership with GIZ who donated machinery worth Ksh20 million being used to process raw materials into final products, the Kenya Seed Company, Mumias Sugar Company, and College and Institute of Canada which also donated equipment worth Ksh15 million for agriculture students to learn and process the two flagship products.
“Currently, our smart farming has been boosted by partners we brought on board. The Institute can now process honey, peanut butter and oil from Sunflower grown locally to final products,” she added.
Dr. Chukwu noted that they have currently planted 60 acres of sunflower that will be ready in two weeks’ time.
She disclosed that grand plans are underway to ensure their products are on the supermarkets shelves are just waiting for Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) certification.
“We applied for KEBS certification which we are eagerly waiting for,” she told Education News.
She said that apiculture is also a major focus with current honey production in the school and surrounding community, with expansion expected to satisfy the growing demand.
Poultry farming is also contributing to their revenue as they sell 3-month-old chicks to poultry rearing firms in addition to a recent donation of an incubator that hatches 200 trays of eggs.
SIST also rears fish in its ponds and sold at the institution’s Hospitality Department.
Dr. Chukwu said that the money generated from sale of the farm products is used to run development programmes and extra cash is used to pay fees for students from humble backgrounds.
Earlier this week, Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka said that plans are underway to elevate the Institute to a National Polytechnic.
The Principal welcomed the move saying that they has all requirements befitting a National Polytechnic.
Chukwu revealed that the school has a population of about 7,000 students an improvement from 4,000 in last year adding that it has 86 trainers on TSC and 108 on the Board of management.
Sang’alo Institute, started in 1924 as a veterinary multi-purpose center in the region, has been upgraded and gradually grown into a full-fledged institution of Science and Technology.
Currently, the Institute has 54 courses divided into 42 technical courses and 12 business courses.
It currently has a population of about 7,000 students, an improvement from 4,000 in 2022; and 86 TSC trainers and other 108 trainers hired by college’s Board of Management (BoM).
By Our Reporter
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