African Kenaf Development Project

African Kenaf Development Project
Kenaf originated in Africa and is being grown even today as a backyard crop. But the SPW Ecojustice Center has created a special project for African entrepreneurs who would like to get involved inn growing, harvesting , processing and marketing kenaf. Kenaf Could Change the World If We All Got Involved In Planting It And Using It. Here's What Kenaf Can Do:
1. Sequester More Carbon Per Acre Than Any Other Plant
2. Be Food For Humans Anywhere In The World Where There Is Hunger
3. Make Excellent Feed For Livestock including Backyard Fish Ponds
4. The Stalks Can Be Used As Firewood
5. Make Biochar For Fertilizing The Earth Organically
6. Make Beautiful Cloth That Can Be Used For Clothing And Industrial Use
7. Make Biocomposites That Can Be Used For Car Interiors
8. Be Used To Generate Electricity
9. Make A Better Quality Paper Than Pine Trees And Be Ready For Use In 6 Months Instead Of Years
10. Have Seeds That Can Be Made Into Gluten Free Flour
11. Have Seeds That Can Be Made Into A Cosmetic Oil
12. Have Leaves That Make Excellent Potherbs
13. Can Be Cut Back Many Times And When It Regrows It Produces More Food Or Feed
14. Grows Faster Than Just about Any Plant
15. Does Not Use A Lot Of Water - It Grows In Somalia
16. BioChar Made From Kenaf Can Treat Human Wastes And Turn It Into Fertilizer
17. The Inner Core Is Excellent For Animal Bedding
Without Dust
18. Many Kinds Of Building Materials Can Be Made From The Bast Fiber
19. The Inner Core Fiber Can Be Made Into A Filler For A Lightweight Cement Block
20.Extracted Kenaf seed oil can be used as a bio-fuel for Diesel engines
This plant could feed people in poor countries. This plant could sequester more carbon everywhere in the world. This plant could provide biological fertilizers. And the plant has so many uses.
Kenaf is presently being used by Toyota in car interiors. I have requests for kenaf fiber from Malaysia for this purpose. Another exciting close to the horizon profit center will be to incorporate kenaf into fully recyclable materials that can replace glass-reinforced plastics and fiberglass in the construction, motor and electronics industries. An extremely large scale market is the use of kenaf for production of fiber cement. I have received letters requesting support for developing a project to produce kenaf for fiber cement from Asia.
One of the keys to successful development of kenaf in Africa is to target the countries that have an interest in green fibers.
There are several types of markets that can be profitable for African kenaf growers
a) Markets for livestock feed in Africa to increase livestock feed production
Kenaf Livestock Feed Consultant package $995
b) Markets in the Middle East for high protein livestock feed for cut and carry programs
Cut and Carry Program $25,000 include small scale chopper and consultancy
High Protein livestock feed including small scale livestock feed plant $150000
c) Markets for drilling mud and other kenaf products for the Middle East
Plant for manufacturing kenaf powder $125,000
d) Markets for biomass energy from kenaf based fuel briquettes in Africa to prevent further deforestation
Small scale Fuel briquette manufacturing plant $80,000
e) Markets for biomass energy to export to European countries with mandated energy neutral fuel requirements
Large scale Fuel briquette manufacturing plant
$250,000 up
f) Markets in many countries for kenaf fiber for automobile interiors and biocomposites
Biocomposite manufacturing line $400,000 up
g) Markets for kenaf based artisan projects such as handmade paper or fiber crafts
Handmade paper plant $100,000
Consultancy without machinery
Type of Consult
online Delivery Through Webpage
Consult 1 -How And Why To Grow Kenaf
US$895
Consult 2 -Growing Kenaf For Livestock Feed
US$1295
Consult 3 - Harvesting and Processing Kenaf
US$1195
Consult 4 - Tree Free Paper
US$1895
Consult 5 - Sustainable development for cooperative, non profits and development organizations
US$795
Consult 6 - Kenaf for Fiber
US$1095
Consult 7 - creating A Kenaf based Rural Agroindustrial Center
Send for proposal
Other servicesSeed procurementEquipment consultancymarketing services
When I taught at Howard University I met many young African entrepreneurs who noted that their families had land but there was no way they knew how to make these lands profitable. The good thing about kenaf is that it can be profitable at very small levels of production. For example one acre of kenaf can be profitable because the farmer can feed the green chopped feed (which can be harvested with a machete or hand held machine) and fed to animals in a cut and carry approach. This field can then grow back and a second harvest made for fiber for making handicrafts such as handmade paper and fiber based crafts for export. The seeds can be harvested, exported or can be made into a high protein flour for use in household food. The roots of the kenaf can be burned to make an excellent fertilizer called biochar. This can be profitable at the very smallest level of production.
For those with more land and resources kenaf projects can be developed at many levels and with many end uses. SPW Ecojustice Center will support African entrepreneurs in creating kenaf projects. We offer seeds, kenaf production machinery, equipment for retting fiber, equipment for processing kenaf as well as marketing the end products of African producers.
Dr. Carol Cross is ready, willing and able to assist African entrepreneurs, groups, and governments in developing kenaf as an environmental entrepreneurial economic development engine.