Mechanisation of smallholder farming will raise productivity

Agriculture mechanisation reduces the drudgery associated with traditional farming methods and attract the youth towards farming. FILE PHOTO | NMG

What you need to know:

  • Mechanisation will reduce the drudgery associated with traditional farming methods and attract the youth towards agriculture.
  • To address this challenge, we must develop an integrated programme to provide financing and training support for smallholder farmers, farmer groups and agribusinesses.
  • We must bring together specific expertise in appropriate agricultural technology, finance, training and facilitate access to appropriate agricultural machinery and other value-added technologies, necessary to help farmers improve their livelihoods.
  • Expanded economic development and employment due to broad impact of wealth generated by our smallholder farms would improve the household income and reduce the importation of food and in turn have a constructive effect on the country’s economy.

Agriculture contributes to 25 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, 65 percent of total national exports, 18 percent of formal and 70 percent of informal employment and about 70 percent of the rural population depends on the sector for their livelihoods.

Despite this importance, agricultural productivity has remained largely stagnant. Besides, 30 to 40 percent of agricultural produce is lost owing to poor post-harvest handling, storage and processing methods.

Therefore, there is high potential for lateral expansion of the sector across the value chain. Studies reveal that while the current level of mechanisation is very low, it has the potential to revolutionise agriculture both in terms of quantity and quality of products grown and processed.

Mechanisation will reduce the drudgery associated with traditional farming methods and attract the youth towards agriculture.

Agricultural mechanisation contributes to increased land productivity, reduces cost of production, enhances timely preparation of land and employment of youth. However, technology alone will not do the trick.

Technology must be bundled with affordable financing and technical knowhow that will help smallholder farmers become commercially successful.

To address this challenge, we must develop an integrated programme to provide financing and training support for smallholder farmers, farmer groups and agribusinesses.

By combining the capabilities of established organisations in the field, an integrated approach will help in solving one of the basic challenges of transitioning farmers from the prevalent subsistence models to small-scale commercial models.

We must bring together specific expertise in appropriate agricultural technology, finance, training and facilitate access to appropriate agricultural machinery and other value-added technologies, necessary to help farmers improve their livelihoods.

The resources provided must benefit smallholder farmers in numerous ways, including: Improving access to quality seeds of appropriate varieties and complementary inputs; facilitating on-farm mechanisation, which increases the land under cultivation and production; providing innovative financing and improving local markets by aggregating reliable quantity and quality production.

Lastly, expanding post-harvest value addition through storage and local processing and transportation services.
Indirect benefits include: Improved quality-of-life for women and children through reduced drudgery; expanded opportunities for rural youth in farming and agribusiness; improved family incomes, nutrition, education, and health services and increased prosperity of the community created by increased farmer incomes.

Expanded economic development and employment due to broad impact of wealth generated by our smallholder farms would improve the household income and reduce the importation of food and in turn have a constructive effect on the country’s economy.

Kenya can feed the rest of horn of Africa and the sub-Saharan region if we can invest in suitable modern farming technologies. Kenyan soil has untapped potential.

Article by experts at SimbaCorp