Introducing rearing crickets (gryllids) at household levels: adoption, processing and nutritional values

Edible insects, particularly crickets, are becoming popular due to their nutritional value and efficiency in food conversion. An increasing number of farmers in Kenya are seeking information on rearing crickets ( Orthoptera: Gryllidae) for food and feed. The locals are gradually embracing Acheta domesticus and Gryllus bimiculatus as the species of choice. This paper discusses how cricket farming was introduced to farmers in Bondo and Kabondo in Kenya. The initial crickets were picked from their natural habitat and carefully selected for domestication. The selected crickets were fed on vegetables and chicken mash and bulked in plastic cages. The insects were carefully nurtured to lay eggs and a large colony was formed for multiplication purposes. Upon maturity, proximate analysis was done to determine their nutritional value. Some were processed into different dishes for human consumption. Products were subjected to microbial tests at the Kenya Bureau of Standards to verify safety for human consumption. Consumers were invited to taste the processed products. After 3 years into the project, about 50 farmers have embraced cricket farming around the Lake Victoria region. A. domesticus proved easy for rearing at household level conditions. Food nutrients identified on dry weight were: 47% protein, 10% carbohydrates, and 25% fat. Minerals included sodium ( 8,502 mu g/g), copper (29.4 mu g/g), calcium (3,147.7 mu g/g), potassium (9,797.5 mu g/g), iron (51.8 mu g/g), phosphorus (331.3 mu g/g), manganese (58.7 mu g/g) and zinc (21.8 mu g/g). Vitamins included vitamin A (retinol; 0.35 mu g/g), vitamin B2 (riboflavin; 6.3 mu g/g), vitamin B1 (thiamine; 15.2 mu g/g), and vitamin E (331 mu g/g). Children were particularly attracted to biscuits and the fried foods such as fritters, samosa and pancakes. Cricket farming can be embraced as a mini-livestock by farmers in varied agro-ecological conditions in the lake region in Kenya. However, increased consumption of crickets to ensure food security is yet to be observed.