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 <br>By Nita Bhalla<br>
 <br>KITUI, Kenya, June 6 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Kenyan farmer Abel Mutie Mathoka believed it must be a joke when he was informed he could irrigate his drought-hit crops more inexpensively, cleanly and efficiently using a pump sustained by cotton waste.<br>
 <br>"Who could believe it's possible to make a fuel much better than diesel from cotton seeds? I didn't!" laughed Mathoka, crouching down to examine the watermelons on his 10-acre (four-hectare) shared plot in Ituri village in Kenya's southeast Kitui county.<br>
 <br>"But it works," he stated, strolling over to a [nearby tree](https://forest500.org/rankings/companies/mission-newenergy-limited) and plucking a large green pawpaw. "Irrigation with this biodiesel water pump has helped me get greater yields, specifically throughout dry spell periods."<br>
 <br>Mathoka said his profits had actually doubled in the 2 years he has been pumping water utilizing biodiesel, which is both more efficient and 20 shillings ($0.20) per litre less expensive than routine diesel.<br>
 <br>The biodiesel he is using is not simply good news for him - it is likewise excellent news for the world.<br>
 <br>Unlike most biofuels, which are stemmed from crops such as maize, sugarcane, soybean, rapeseed and [jatropha](https://www.zoominfo.com/c/mission-newenergy/346542889), it is made from a by-product of the cotton-making process.<br>
 <br>That indicates that as well as being cleaner and less expensive than routine fuel, it is more sustainable than other biofuels due to the fact that no additional land is needed to produce it.<br>
 <br>From Brazil to Indonesia, the rush to cultivate [biofuel](https://www.google.com/search?kgmid=/m/0cqd_rb) crops has driven forest neighborhoods off their land and pressed farmers to change from crops-for-food to more lucrative crops-for-fuel - exacerbating food shortages.<br>
 <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, [handling director](https://www.investing.com/equities/mission-newenergy-ltd-company-profile) of Zaynagro Industries Ltd, the Kitui-based business producing the [biodiesel](https://www.investing.com/equities/mission-newenergy-ltd-company-profile).<br>
 <br>"We began producing and utilizing 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 regional farmers for irrigation."<br>
 <br>More than 1,200 farmers in Kitui have actually up until now purchased biodiesel pumps for [irrigation](https://www.energy-xprt.com/companies/mission-newenergy-limited-36048) as part of an effort introduced by Zaynagro in 2015, [stated Zavery](https://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/159352/mission-newenergy-debt-free-focused-on-biofuel-joint-venture-60797.html).<br>
 <br>DRY RIVER BEDS<br>
 <br>Climate modification is taking a toll throughout east Africa and increasingly irregular weather is becoming commonplace in countries such as Kenya, Somalia, Uganda and Ethiopia, resulting in lower rainfall.<br>
 <br>The recurring droughts are destroying crops and pastures and are starving animals - pressing  of people in the Horn of Africa to the verge of extreme hunger.<br>
 <br>The number of Kenyans in need of food help in March surged by practically 70 percent over a period of eight months to 1.1 million, largely due to poor rains, according to federal government figures.<br>
 <br>With practically half Kenya's 47 counties stated to have a serious scarcity of rain, humanitarian firms are alerting of increased appetite in the months ahead.<br>
 <br>"Only light rainfall is forecast through June ... and this is not anticipated to relieve drought in impacted locations of Kenya and Somalia," stated the Famine Early Warning Systems Network in its latest report.<br>
 <br>"Well below-average crop production, bad animals body conditions, and increased regional food rates are anticipated, which will reduce poor families' access to food."<br>
 <br>In Kitui's Kyuso area, the signs are already apparent.<br>
 <br>Rivers, [water pans](https://forest500.org/rankings/companies/mission-newenergy-limited) and dams are drying up as a result of the prolonged dry spell.<br>
 <br>Villagers suffer travelling longer ranges - often more than 10 km (6 miles) with their donkeys loaded with empty jerry cans in search of water.<br>
 <br>Small-scale farmers, most of whom are dependent on [rain-fed](https://www.pinterest.com.au/missionnewenergy/) agriculture, talk about plans to offer their goats to make ends meet if the harvest is bad.<br>
 <br>BATTLING DROUGHT WITH [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)<br>
 <br>But not all Kitui's farmers are worried.<br>
 <br>A small however growing number are shedding their burden of dependence on the weather condition - and purchasing irrigation systems powered by Zaynagro's cotton seed biodiesel through a pay-as-you-go scheme launched more than 3 years ago.<br>
 <br>Neighbouring farmers unite to invest in the irrigation system - which includes the [biodiesel](https://www.intelligentinvestor.com.au/shares/asx-mbt/mission-newenergy-limited/share-price) pump, 12 metres of pipelines and 10 litres of [biodiesel](https://www.pinterest.com.au/missionnewenergy/) - at [costs starting](https://www.zoominfo.com/c/mission-newenergy/346542889) from 32,000 shillings, depending upon the size of the pump.<br>
 <br>The farmers make an initial payment, then pay interest-free month-to-month instalments up until the overall is paid off. They buy the biodiesel to run the pumps from Zaynagro at 80 shillings a litre.<br>
 <br>Farmer Alex Babu Kitheka, 39, stated the biodiesel pump enabled him to water a bigger part of his one-acre plot, where he grows a variety of veggies including maize, tomatoes, spinach and sweet potatoes.<br>
 <br>"With a diesel pump, maize yields were lower and I would get 15,000 shillings in three months. With the [biodiesel](https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/MISSION-NEWENERGY-LIMITED-178469/company/) pump, I can make 45,000 shillings," said Alex Babu Kitheka, standing near his plot in Ilangilo town, 40 km (25 miles) from Kitui town.<br>
 <br>CIRCULAR ECONOMY<br>
 <br>Other farmers indicate the scheme as a major advantage in helping improve their output.<br>
 <br>"The instalment plan is good. Most farmers do not have the cash and can not easily get a loan to buy a pump like this," said Maurice Kitheka Munyoki, 41, as he stood next to his blue biodiesel pump.<br>
 <br>"Having a plan like this helps us a lot. Our yields are great which suggests we can pay off the expense of the pump gradually in small quantities, and have money left over to pay the school charges."<br>
 <br>Zaynagro's initiative is still in its early stages, with couple of farmers having actually paid back the complete cost of the pumps.<br>
 <br>But such [biofuel](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) plans are appealing due to the fact that they create a circular economy by turning waste to [biofuel](https://www.zoominfo.com/c/mission-newenergy/346542889) for profit, [stated Sanjoy](https://www.energy-xprt.com/companies/mission-newenergy-limited-36048) Sanyal, senior partner for Clean Energy Finance at the World Resources Institute.<br>
 <br>The simplicity of the model - user friendly, robust technology, assured supply of biodiesel integrated with a [pay-as-you-go](https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/51278-86) plan - might help [electrify rural](https://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/159352/mission-newenergy-debt-free-focused-on-biofuel-joint-venture-60797.html) Africa, he said.<br>
 <br>"There is a mosaic of sustainable energy options in the world. The crucial problem is testing ideas and approaches in a collaborative fashion," said Sanyal.<br>
 <br>"Other cotton ginning factories in the area must try and gain from this experiment. Financial organizations ought to start exploring with loans to groups of farmers. International donors and investors need to support experimentation."<br>
 <br>($1 = 101.3000 Kenyan shillings) (Reporting by Nita Bhalla @nitabhalla, Editing by [Claire Cozens](https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/company/MNELF:US). Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, [females's](https://www.pinterest.com.au/missionnewenergy/) and LGBT+ rights, human trafficking, home rights and environment modification. Visit http://news.trust.org)<br>