Why you should grow millet, sorghum

The fourth African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF), which ended yesterday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, was the most significant gathering after the Malabo Declaration in June during which African Heads of State committed to doubling food productivity by 2025. Julius Sigei spoke to
Jane Karuku, the President of Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), the convenors of AGRF, on the sidelines of the conference.

How important is this forum to the smallholder farmer?

AGRF 2014, which brought together 1,000 leaders from farmers’ associations, agribusiness companies, research institutions, youth and women groups and African governments, is about exploring ways to boost productivity throughout the value chain. The smallholder farmers, who are the bulk of African farmers, are at the centre of this.

But the 2014 status report, which has just been launched, paints a rather grim picture for farmers. What needs to be done to cushion the smallholder farmer from the stress of global warming and other vagaries of weather?

The report (which warns of reduced land productivity because of rising global warming) is not supposed to be negative. It is a good reality check. We are developing seeds, which are drought-resistant and fast maturing.

Intercropping and other climate-friendly farming practices are key. To further cushion themselves, farmers should diversify into the “forgotten crops” like sorghum, millet and cassava, which can withstand harsher climatic conditions and are fast-maturing.

There has been infiltration of poor quality seeds and other inputs into the market wreaking suffering on farmers.

First we should have proper regulation, then a strict supervision of implementation. Within AGRA, we have a programme where agro-dealers advise farmers on what seeds are good for their regions. It is all about education and extension.

Re-energised investment in agriculture has seen maize in countries such as Tanzania go to waste, leading to huge losses for the farmers. What are the lessons from the situation?

You know agriculture in Tanzania is driven from the highest level - by the president himself. And they are just starting to see the benefits of using good seeds and having good policies.

What is missing is a good value chain approach. They need to improve their marketing within and outside Tanzania. They also need to look at the alternative uses of maize. In Kenya, for instance, human consumption of maize competes with livestock feeds. This way, the crop brings much more value. This is a lesson for all our farmers as well.

AGRA recently signed a Risk Sharing Facility Agreement that allows three commercial banks to extend loans to farmers. What has been your experience so far?

When farmers access finance, they are able to get good inputs, improve their productivity and can add value to their produce by processing, transporting to better markets or stocking to wait for higher prices.

The default rate, particularly in Kenya, is low. The one we did with the Government of Kenya and Equity Bank had near zero default rate.

That is why the government has scaled it up to bring in more farmers.

We help farmers’ access capital in partnership with the government, the International Fund for Agricultural Development and Agricultural Finance Corporation.