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Image: George Murage
The World Bank has committed Sh3.5 billion towards increasing the number of farmers from subsistence to commercial farming.
The National Agricultural Value Chain Development (NAVCPD) project will be implemented by the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (Kalro).
Kalro director general Dr Eliud Kireger said the five-year-project will be undertaken in 33 counties in select value chains.
Kireger said the 16 value chains selected will support the pillars of food and nutrition security, growing exports and reducing imports.
The value chains include dairy, chicken, apiculture, coffee, cotton, pyrethrum, cashew nuts, avocado, mango, banana, potato, tomato, rice, green gram, garden pea and local vegetables.
“The project's overall development objective is to increase market participation and value addition for targeted farmers in select value chains across the 33 counties,” he said.
Speaking during the launch of the project in Kalro farm, Naivasha, Kireger said 50 per cent of the beneficiaries are women who were involved in farming.
He said their key mandate was to develop, validate and disseminate innovations to support resilience, productivity, value addition and commercialisation of the crops and livestock value.
“Kalro will facilitate timely, accurate and equitable access to data, information and knowledge by different actors in the agricultural sector,” he said.
Kireger said with an increase in the number of farmers moving to commercial farming, the organisation expects an increase in demand for seedlings and livestock breeds.
“As the farmers transition from subsistence to commercial farming, we expect a rise in demand for seedlings and livestock breeds, and we are already working on this,” he said.
For smooth implementation, he said Kalro has put in place a coordination office, technical steering and the management committees to facilitate the project operations.
“We have appointed value chain leaders who will work closely with the counties and value chain platforms, and this will foster collaboration and partnership within the project,” he said.
Kalro crops deputy director Dr Felistus Makini said they are working with private companies in seed multiplication.
She admitted that availability of certified seeds remains a challenge to farmers across the country.
“The NAVCPD project will help increase food production, reduce imports of farm produce and household levels as women will be some of the major beneficiaries,” she said.