Pilot farm inputs project causes raised yields in Kenya

Stephen Ngwalla’s family has been practising maize farming in Kenya for decades, yet his 20 hectare family farm has at no time produced enough harvest to feed the extended family of 30 people and give surplus for sale.

But this reality has never been a concern to the family until two years ago when the same land produced five times the original amount of maize. The increased production enabled the family to meet its food needs in addition to a surplus that it sold to the National Cereals Board. “I remember most of the money the family received from relatives abroad would be used to meet our food needs, but now we use it to do family projects,” said Mr. Ngwalla.

The family is a beneficiary of a farming programme that is causing a quiet revolution in parts of the country because of its ability to improve maize production for small holder farmers. The system involves providing farmers with farm inputs and advice on what, when and how to plant hybrid maize seeds. Agro-dealers in major towns are also trained on how to handle farmers and supported financially to have enough stocks to ensure farmers have adequate supply.

The programme, in its pilot phase, has benefited about 8,000 farmers across the country, mainly in Western Kenya. Farmers receive a Sh6,000 ($90) voucher from the government, which enables them to acquire various farm inputs like seeds, fertilisers, stock borer dust and post-harvest pesticides. The government also offers supervision services to ensure that farmers adhere to the maize growing requirements and recommends which inputs are better for specific areas.

Agro-dealers are, on the other hand, benefit from business management training and credit support through the programme that is implemented through a Sh294 million ($4.5 million) grant by Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).

The programme ... is being made sustainable by compelling farmers to give about five bags of the harvest to the village programme coordinator. This surplus is collectively sold and used to buy inputs for the next planting season. It means beneficiaries may in future miss out on the voucher as new farmers benefit. Farmers who meet ... to discuss farming issues also deposit about Sh10 per day each. The money is deposited with an agro-dealer and used to purchase inputs when the planting season arrives.

These initiative has been tried in Malawi, where it helped raise maize production levels. Malawi experienced serious droughts in the 2001/2002 and 2004/2005 growing seasons. The Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee estimated that close to 4.2 million people would need food assistance in the 2005/2006 season. But a project similar to the one described above was initiated to help Malawian farmers purchase agricultural inputs for the 2005/2006 season, with government support.

Last week the World Food Programme announced that it was importing maize from Malawi for its emergency operations in Liberia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

According to a survey done by AGRA, one of the major shortcomings in Africa’s push towards food sustainability has been failure by farmers to access the latest technology, especially improved seed variety and fertilisers. Most farmers opt to plant seeds from the previous season’s harvest, which has a germination rate of less than 50 per cent.

The programme includes a component of training agro-dealers in business management and public relations to improve their engagement with farmers. It is geared towards imparting knowledge on the use of farm inputs as the main success point in solving the problem of food security.

Dr Silas Chuchu, an agro-dealer based in Embu town, is one of the beneficiaries of the training programme. “We have improved on the way we take stock, how we engage with farmers and have learnt the value of using information technology in our business,” he said. He said that while farmers are aware of what they want, the main challenge is inability to afford inputs. For instance, the price of fertiliser keeps rising, which affects proper use of fertilisers. But the voucher system has made things easier.

The voucher programme has helped in various ways. It has helped agro-dealers to guarantee suppliers of payment even in the event of credit advance because the dealers are able to predict the type of stock they want based on the number of vouchers issued to farmers. Vouchers also help the dealers to stock early because they are sure that farmers will need the stocks. Stocking late would affect the planting pattern, which has an overall bearing on harvest volumes and quality.

Chuchu said the voucher system has also created bonding with farmers, which is important because it facilitates free exchange of information. According to a study, 60 per cent of new agro-dealer businesses collapse in the first two years because they fail to make profits. This is because profit margins are low.

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