Kenya: East African Breweries Limited commercializes Africana barley variety

East African Breweries Limited (EABL) has announced that they have commercialized the Aliciana barley variety a year after it was launched, Kahawa Tungu reported on December 12.

EABL made the announcement during the annual Field Day in Mau Narok following trials of the barley variety with farmers who have reported higher yields and greater resistance to water lodging.

The Field Day, an annual event that brings together stakeholders within the barley value chain, is an event where stakeholders converge to learn, share experiences and showcase their products and innovations. Barley is the main raw material for EABL’s beers.

EABL continues to invest in research in an effort to offer production solutions to barley growers through its subsidiary East African Malting (EAML).

EABL also launched the 8th edition of the Barley Growing Handbook as part of farmer capability building during the Field Day.

The Barley Growing Handbook summarizes the current recommendations on the barley varieties to be cultivated by farmers, seed rates, fertilizer usage, recommended insecticides, fungicides, herbicides to be used on barley and seed dressers. The recommendations in the Handbook are based on research data generated by the EAML research department and her partners.

This year, the event brought together hundreds of farmers and other partners including Syngenta East Africa Ltd, Bayer, BASF, OCP, Mascon and CMC. In addition, EAML’s research partners such as University of Eldoret, who were instrumental in developing the handbook, were present. The farmers were treated to a demonstration on crop rotation, special fertilizer blends and showcase of barley varieties.

In addition to launching the handbook, EABL donated a KSH 1.5 million to the Purko Trust to go towards afforestation of 1000 acres in the Mau region with the aim of planting 100,000 tree seedlings next year.

During the event, Sylvester Ndeda, EAML Research and Liaison Manager and Jack Kilundo, Financial Service Manager were feted after having served the farmers for more than 25 years.

Annually, EABL sources 50,000 metric tonnes of barley from close to 1000 farmers in five counties of Narok, Nakuru, Usain Gishu and Meru for its production of beer.

15 December, 2019