Bag of goodies lined up for farmers in 2020

After the ups and downs of 2019, a new year finally dawns with bundles of promises for farmers.

Over the past few years, the agricultural sector has encountered a number of threats from unpredictable weather that resulted in massive crop failure and loss of livestock, crumbling cane farming in western Kenya following the collapse of milling factories, to collapsed fertiliser subsidy programme due to corruption.

All these factors and many others have made farming profitless and unattractive amid joblessness and rising cost of living.

But despite the challenge, dozens of technologies and initiatives have been lined up for the new year to not only improve the sector, but to also make farming more appealing to the youth.

1. Crop insurance for smallholder farmers

Smallholder crop farmers across 33 counties are set to benefit from the government’s ambitious crop insurance programme, which rolls out at the beginning of this year.

The Ministry of Agriculture says the programme will cover farm sizes ranging from 0.25 to 20 acres.

Agriculture Research Principal Secretary Hamadi Boga told Nation that the government has developed a comprehensive crop insurance programme covering a number of crop enterprises, starting with the main food crops namely maize, pulses and Irish potatoes.

He noted that farmers’ compensation during a failed season is not only critical for stabilising their incomes, but also in building their resilience, thus leading to overall agricultural growth and development.

Speaking recently during AgriFI Kenya Challenge Fund, Prof Boga said that the government will cover 50 per cent of the insurance premium subsidy for every farmer taking up the insurance, while the farmer is expected to pay the remaining 50 per cent.

CLIMATE CHANGE

Agricultural insurance is part of a broader risk management framework that the government is now adopting as a key strategy to derisk the sector, which has recently been hard hit by rising impacts of climate change.

The programme covers loss due to natural hazards such as weather, pests and diseases.

“The programme is a collaboration between the national and county governments. We register farmers and hire insurance companies to underwrite the cover,” he said, adding that more than 450,000 farmers had been insured in the past one year.

Under the arrangement, the government will work with insurance companies responsible for developing products and selling crop insurance to farmers.

The crop insurance will cover 33 counties, namely, Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo Marakwet, Migori, Homabay, Bomet, Kisumu, Kwale, Kitui, Taita Taveta, Narok, Kakamega, Bungoma, Vihiga, Nyandarua, Kiambu, Nyeri, Kilifi, Kisii, Meru, and Laikipia among others.

The subsidy is based on first-come-first-served basis and once the subsidy limit is reached, the sale window is closed, the ministry said.

The department indicated that it will work with counties to identify the targeted beneficiaries as well as insured crops.

2. Electronic vouchers for cheap fertiliser

The Ministry of Agriculture has set aside Sh2 billion for farmers to acquire fertiliser using e-vouchers from agro-vet shops in a bid to curb corruption and offer growers quality inputs.

The government had earlier planned to rollout the e-voucher programme in 2019 but the plan failed.

Under this scheme, the ministry had indicated that farmers would buy e-vouchers from agricultural offices in their counties and later redeem them at agro-shops for the subsidised fertilisers.

The e-voucher could also curb graft linked to the selling of subsidised fertiliser to non-farmers by NCPB officials.

The government has also extended the number of crops to be covered under the subsidy programme to include Irish potatoes, coffee, and rice alongside maize, which has been enjoying the largest share of the cheap fertiliser.

Prof Boga said part of the funds would be used in soil testing and provision of lime to correct acidity, which is blamed for declining production.

Prof Boga said the planned supply model would also provide zones with fertiliser type that matches their soil profile in a bid to deal with declining fertility.

“We’re rolling out the issuance of e-vouchers to farmers in the next planting season to ensure that the fertiliser benefits farmers and that they get the type that suits their soils,” he said.

3. Farming of genetically modified cotton

The government recently approved the commercialisation of Bt Cotton after years of waiting.

Bt Cotton, which is a genetically modified cotton variety that is resistant to bollworm, can yield up to three times as much as their conventional counterparts, making it a good deal for farmers, according to biotech experts.

Farming of the crop is set to begin in April during the long rains after the completion of environmental social impact assessment in cotton growing areas and farm demonstrations.

Commercialisation of the new crop offers new hope to local cotton farmers and struggling textile factories such as Rivatex that has been underperforming due to scarce raw materials despite being recently revamped.

Livestock Principal Secretary Harry Kimtai observes that Bt cotton farming will significantly benefit the livestock feed sector, which is currently struggling due to drought and climate change.

Cotton seeds are a popular animal feed ingredient.

HIGH PRODUCTIVITY

Cotton farming collapsed in the mid '90s following massive bollworm attacks and high production cost. This made conventional cotton farming unprofitable.

Lack of quality seeds and low productivity of the crop resulted in the decline of raw materials for local ginneries hence reduced operations and closure.

Dr Margaret Karembu, director of International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications, said the farm demonstrations are done with a selection of lead farmers with large tracks of land in every region.

“The demo farms will also act as training grounds for smallholder farmers,” she added.

The crop does well in semi-arid areas with black cotton soils.

Dr Karembu also noted that farmers can invest in Bt cotton seed multiplication, which is more profitable than farming the crop.

However, she cautioned that while there is a lot of excitement about cotton farming, the crop should be planted in cotton growing zones.

4. Revival of Mumias Sugar

Mumias Sugar Factory is expected to roar back to life after two years of silence following the appointment of a new manager.

The factory, which sank into insolvency to the tune of Sh6 billion after making heavy losses, was taken over by Kenya Commercial Bank in November last year.

Revival of the giant miller is not only expected to revive cane farming in Western Kenya, but is also set to restore the livelihoods of locals and dozens of cane farmers, whose mainstay depended on the factory.

Mr Ponangapalli Venkata Ramana Rao, the receiver manager, said they are working on a revival strategy that will ensure that milling operations resume after carrying out repairs and maintenance of the factory.

The revival plan involves restarting ethanol production to generate revenue to sustain operations in the next one month after maintenance and repair of milling equipment.

It also entails preparation of 1,500 acres at the nucleus estate to plant cane within the next six months for supply of raw material to the factory.