We are delighted to be among the participants of the Kitui Agricultural Show and Trade Fair 2023 which was held at the Ithookwe Showground. The theme for the year was, Promoting Climate Smart Agriculture and Trade Initiatives for Sustainable Food and Nutrition Security and Economic Growth. Some of our staff and students enthusiastically participated in this annual event. Dr. Harun, Kiruki, Mr. Benard Mweu and Mr. Danson Kioko, all members of staff, were showcasing products made from bamboo, seedlings that thrive in semi-arid land and tree seedelings best forsemi-arid land respectively. Farming using Artificial intelligence (AI) is now possible thanks to one of our students, Mr. Enock N. Katiku. Using cameras, sensors and actuators, Mr. Katiku developed a revolutionary invention that enables one to farm and monitor their plants from the comfort of their mobile devices.
Mr. Fredrick M. Maina was showcasing the cooking gel-like fuel is derived from maize or sorghum giving distilers grain as a byproduct. The production of the alcohol based fuel-gel involves breaking down the starch present in dry maize flour/sorghum into simple sugars, feeding these sugars to yeast and a fermentation takes place. Mr. Erick Nyokabi and Mr. Cobtic Sovit were showcasing compressed feed blocks are cost- effective food supplements that are used in preserving high moisture agro-industrial by-products. The general formula of feed blocks includes binders, a preservative, a mixture of ingredients that contain the desired nutrients (nitrogen, minerals, vitamins) and one of many energy rich agro- industrial by-products, such as molasses.