Farming key to unlocking counties’ wealth

  NICHOLAS DANIELS, Posted  Thursday, April 18   2013 at  20:46

IN SUMMARY

• The majority of Kenya’s farmers are smallholders with limited access to inputs, finance, training and markets. Investing in these small scale enterprises is the only way Kenya’s agricultural sector can realise its goal of farming as a business.

Kenyans have every reason to be excited about the economy this year. County governments have been created, and they hold much promise.

With greater accountability and improved service delivery now a right for Kenyans, expectations are high.

County governments hold the key to driving renewed growth in Kenya’s rural economy. Vision 2030 outlines ambitious targets for national economic growth, and the best way for counties to help achieve those targets is to prioritise agriculture.

Governors and their administrations have key responsibilities over crops and livestock, and farmers hope this will make the agricultural sector more responsive to their needs.

For example, counties are able to invest in the agricultural value chains for which they have a comparative advantage, making the most of Kenya’s high potential conditions for greater economic growth.

To this end, county governments should be encouraged to enter into partnerships with private sector players as a first step towards improving agricultural service delivery.

For many years, Kenya’s public extension system has done an admirable job with limited resources. Now, with stronger local institutions working together with an innovative private sector, major changes can be expected.

The private sector is well-placed to deliver improved services to Kenya’s farmers, bringing new investment to high-performing counties that will create jobs and radically improve yields.

Agricultural service providers like the organisation I work for regard smallholder farmers as clients.

Research shows that providing credit for fertiliser increases its application rate per acre. However, if a farmer is not close to an extension service provider, the fertiliser application rate decreases.

Combining the distribution of inputs with credit and training is, therefore, necessary for sustainable improvements in smallholder farmer productivity. A bundled approach permits the distribution of vital products and services to some of the most remote areas of the country.

With simple interventions delivered to smallholder farmers in a targeted way, intractable problems hindering Kenya’s rural economy could be easily addressed.

The majority of Kenya’s farmers are smallholders with limited access to inputs, finance, training and markets. Investing in these small scale enterprises is the only way Kenya’s agricultural sector can realise its goal of farming as a business.

Hendricus Okoth enrolled in One Acre Fund this year in his home town of Ugunja, Siaya County. In previous years he grew maize, but without the appropriate skills and quality inputs. This led to persistently low yields, and his farm was unable to support his family with adequate food and money for school fees.

Last month, he turned to One Acre Fund to help him make his farm more productive. In this long rains season, Hendricus will plant using improved techniques. When he receives a bumper harvest later this year, he will be one step closer to affording quality education for his children.

With access to credit, inputs, training, and markets, Hendricus and many more like him could ensure that their families become food secure and economically productive.

The role of the national government should be to invest more in research and development while county governments should meet the needs of the smallholder farmer by promoting innovative agricultural services.

Nicholas Daniels is One Acre Fund’s government relations analyst in Kenya (nicholas.daniels@oneacrefund.org)