FEATURE
farming in Kenya
By Nita Karume
B
utterfly farming for commercial
purposes has proven to be an
appealing business venture. This
is especially when you consider the
fact that the returns start from Ksh.70
and Ksh.30 for an active pupae and a
dormant one, respectively.
According to the butterfly manager at
Kakamega Environmental Education
Programme (KEEP), Bernard Muhalia,
one butterfly can lay up from
300 eggs. However, this is highly
dependent on its species. Be that is
as it may, one butterfly could very well
lay up to 1000 eggs in its lifetime.
In Kakamega, the butterfly farming
project is conducted by KEEP and has
been equipping residents in the area
with skills on how to rear butterflies.
Kipepeo Project
Most of the butterflies are rared for
export purposes. For these, the pupae
are sent to Arabuko Sokoke Forest
Kilifi County. Here there are over 300
species of butterfly in the forests. 75%
of these are found in Arabuko Sokoke.
Currently, most butterfly farmers
are clustered in one particular area
and therefore there are seasons with
limited yield and others where there
is saturation. One of the pioneers of
butterfly breeding in Kenya’s Watamu
says having people in different parts of
the country farming butterflies, in different
seasons, would boost the business by
giving better yields all year round.
High returns
It is estimated that the farmers will
start earning US $ 428,425 from
the project, which receives pupae
from over 700 farmers. According
to Mombasa Butterfly House Project
manager Mr Anthony Githitho, the
project will provide a local sustainable
market for farmers and also reduces
costs of shipping and air freight
charges that were incurred for exports.
Media reports also indicate that the
project also provides and alternative
market for the buyers over and beyond
the European and American markets.
However, investing in the business
right now would end you up the quail
way, a lot of pupae in the market but
nowhere to sell. This is considering the fact
that the market is already saturated as it is.
Breeding Butterflies
The butterfly rearing process starts
with farmers catching a few female
butterflies and transferring them to an
enclosure where they can lay eggs on
host plants. The room or enclosure
must be temperate and humid, fully
dedicated to raising the insects.
For export purposes, the breeding
house, is assessed by KWS to gauge
how many butterflies it can hold and if
it meets all the necessary specifications
before a go ahead is granted.
Once the breeding house is set up and
the butterflies have laid their eggs,
the farmers wait form them to hatch.
The caterpillars that emerge are placed
on new plants. These must be regularly
replaced to satisfy their appetites where
the butterflies continue to feed until they
pupate, and are ready to be transported
November - December 2018 | 35