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<br>By Nita Bhalla<br> |
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<br>KITUI, Kenya, June 6 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Kenyan farmer Abel Mutie Mathoka thought it must be a joke when he was informed he could water his drought-hit crops more cheaply, easily and effectively utilizing a pump sustained by cotton waste.<br> |
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<br>"Who could believe it's possible to make a fuel better than diesel from cotton seeds? I didn't!" chuckled Mathoka, bending down to inspect the watermelons on his 10-acre (four-hectare) shared plot in Ituri town in Kenya's southeast Kitui county.<br> |
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<br>"But it works," he said, walking over to a close-by tree and plucking a large green pawpaw. "Irrigation with this [biodiesel](https://biodieselmagazine.com/articles/felda-global-buys-missions-kuantan-port-plant-for-11-5-million-9053) water pump has helped me get higher yields, especially throughout drought periods."<br> |
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<br>Mathoka stated his [earnings](https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/company/MNELF:US) had doubled in the two years he has actually been pumping water utilizing biodiesel, which is both more effective and 20 shillings ($0.20) per litre less expensive than regular diesel.<br> |
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<br>The biodiesel he is utilizing is not simply great news for him - it is also great news for the world.<br> |
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<br>Unlike the majority of biofuels, which are originated from crops such as maize, sugarcane, soybean, rapeseed and [jatropha curcas](https://www.abnnewswire.net/companies/en/31347/%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%A9%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%97-Mission-NewEnergy-%E0%B8%88%E0%B8%B3%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%94.html/4), it is made from a byproduct of the cotton-making procedure.<br> |
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<br>That suggests that in addition to being cleaner and less expensive than regular fuel, it is more sustainable than other [biofuels](https://www.energy-xprt.com/companies/mission-newenergy-limited-36048) due to the fact that no extra land is required to [produce](https://www.zoominfo.com/c/mission-newenergy/346542889) it.<br> |
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<br>From Brazil to Indonesia, the rush to cultivate [biofuel](https://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/159346/mission-newenergy-delivers-maiden-biodiesel-production-to-global-oil-major-24476.html) crops has actually driven forest communities off their land and pressed farmers to change from crops-for-food to more profitable crops-for-fuel - worsening food lacks.<br> |
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<br>"Our biodiesel originates from squashing cotton seeds left over as waste after ginning - the process of separating the seeds from raw cotton," stated Taher Zavery, managing director of Zaynagro Industries Ltd, the Kitui-based business producing the biodiesel.<br> |
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<br>"We started producing and using 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 a few of their buses - and also to local farmers for watering."<br> |
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<br>More than 1,200 farmers in Kitui have so far bought [biodiesel](https://www.abnnewswire.net/companies/en/31347/%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%A9%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%97-Mission-NewEnergy-%E0%B8%88%E0%B8%B3%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%94.html/4) pumps for irrigation as part of an initiative introduced by Zaynagro in 2015, stated Zavery.<br> |
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<br>DRY RIVER BEDS<br> |
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<br>Climate change is taking a toll across east Africa and [progressively irregular](https://www.proactiveinvestors.com.au/ASX:MBT/Mission-NewEnergy-Ltd) weather condition is ending up being commonplace in [nations](https://www.nasdaq.com/market-activity/ipos/overview?dealId=804419-65608) such as Kenya, Somalia, Uganda and Ethiopia, resulting in lower rains.<br> |
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<br>The recurring droughts are destroying crops and pastures and are starving animals - pushing millions of people in the Horn of Africa to the brink of severe appetite.<br> |
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<br>The number of in need of food aid in March surged by [practically](https://www.intelligentinvestor.com.au/shares/asx-mbt/mission-newenergy-limited/share-price) 70 percent over a duration of 8 months to 1.1 million, mainly due to poor rains, according to [federal government](https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/MISSION-NEWENERGY-LIMITED-178469/company/) figures.<br> |
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<br>With almost half Kenya's 47 counties declared to have a severe lack of rain, humanitarian agencies are warning of increased appetite in the months ahead.<br> |
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<br>"Only light rains is forecast through June ... and this is not expected to relieve drought in affected areas of Kenya and Somalia," stated the Famine Early Warning Systems Network in its newest report.<br> |
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<br>"Well below-average crop production, poor livestock body conditions, and increased regional food costs are expected, which will reduce bad households' access to food."<br> |
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<br>In Kitui's Kyuso area, the indications are currently obvious.<br> |
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<br>Rivers, water pans and dams are drying up as a result of the [extended drought](https://www.pinterest.com.au/missionnewenergy/).<br> |
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<br>[Villagers complain](https://www.businessnews.com.au/Company/Mission-NewEnergy) of travelling longer ranges - often more than 10 km (6 miles) with their donkeys laden with empty jerry cans looking for water.<br> |
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<br>Small-scale farmers, many of whom are reliant on rain-fed agriculture, talk about plans to sell their goats to make ends satisfy if the harvest is bad.<br> |
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<br>[BATTLING DROUGHT](https://www.energy-xprt.com/companies/mission-newenergy-limited-36048) WITH [BIODIESEL](https://www.energy-xprt.com/companies/mission-newenergy-limited-36048)<br> |
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<br>But not all Kitui's farmers are stressed.<br> |
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<br>A small however growing number are shedding their burden of dependence on the [weather condition](https://www.investing.com/equities/mission-newenergy-ltd-company-profile) - and purchasing watering systems powered by Zaynagro's cotton seed [biodiesel](https://biodieselmagazine.com/articles/felda-global-buys-missions-kuantan-port-plant-for-11-5-million-9053) through a pay-as-you-go plan introduced more than 3 years back.<br> |
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<br>Neighbouring farmers band together to invest in the [watering](https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/51278-86) system - that includes the biodiesel pump, 12 metres of pipelines and 10 litres of biodiesel - at costs beginning with 32,000 shillings, depending on the size of the pump.<br> |
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<br>The farmers make an initial payment, then pay interest-free month-to-month instalments until the overall is paid off. They purchase the [biodiesel](https://www.abnnewswire.net/companies/en/31347/%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%A9%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%97-Mission-NewEnergy-%E0%B8%88%E0%B8%B3%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%94.html/4) to run the pumps from Zaynagro at 80 shillings a litre.<br> |
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<br>Farmer Alex Babu Kitheka, 39, said the biodiesel pump permitted him to irrigate a larger part of his one-acre plot, where he grows a range of vegetables including maize, tomatoes, spinach and sweet potatoes.<br> |
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<br>"With a diesel pump, maize yields were lower and I would get 15,000 shillings in three months. With the biodiesel pump, I can earn 45,000 shillings," stated Alex Babu Kitheka, standing near his plot in Ilangilo town, 40 km (25 miles) from Kitui town.<br> |
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<br>CIRCULAR ECONOMY<br> |
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<br>Other farmers point to the plan as a significant benefit in helping enhance their output.<br> |
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<br>"The instalment scheme is great. Most farmers do not have the cash and can not quickly get a loan to buy a pump like this," said Maurice Kitheka Munyoki, 41, as he stood next to his blue biodiesel pump.<br> |
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<br>"Having a plan like this helps us a lot. Our yields are good which suggests we can settle the expense of the pump gradually in small quantities, and have cash left over to pay the school fees."<br> |
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<br>Zaynagro's effort is still in its early stages, with few farmers having actually paid back the complete expense of the pumps.<br> |
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<br>But such biofuel schemes are [promising](https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/mission-newenergy) because they produce a circular economy by turning waste to [biofuel](https://stocktwits.com/symbol/MNEL) for earnings, stated Sanjoy Sanyal, senior partner for Clean Energy Finance at the World Resources Institute.<br> |
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<br>The simpleness of the design - user friendly, robust innovation, guaranteed supply of biodiesel combined with a pay-as-you-go plan - might help energize rural Africa, he stated.<br> |
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<br>"There is a mosaic of sustainable energy options in the world. The crucial concern is evaluating concepts and methods in a collective style," stated Sanyal.<br> |
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<br>"Other cotton ginning factories in the area ought to try and gain from this experiment. Banks must begin try out loans to groups of farmers. International donors and financiers require to support experimentation."<br> |
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<br>($1 = 101.3000 Kenyan shillings) (Reporting by Nita Bhalla @nitabhalla, Editing by Claire Cozens. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, ladies's and LGBT+ rights, human trafficking, residential or commercial property rights and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org)<br> |
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