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Kenya

Country Profile

Agricultural extension in Kenya dates back to the early 1900s, but its only notable success was in the dissemination of hybrid maize technology in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The government through its Ministry of Agriculture provided the bulk of extension services to both small scale farmers and commercial producers. After the implementation of structural adjustment programs (SAPs) in the 1980s, the Kenyan government came under considerable pressure to scale down its dominant role in national economy (FAO 1997). Kenya’s agricultural extension budget together with extension staff numbers has plummeted significantly. At the same time, the performance of the public agricultural extension service in Kenya was questioned and its effectiveness became a very controversial subject (Gautam and Anderson 1999). The traditional public extension system was perceived as outdated, top-down, paternalistic, uniform (one-sizefits-all), inflexible, subject to bureaucratic inefficiencies and therefore unable to cope with the dynamic demands of modern agriculture. For a full report on the pluralistic agricultural extension system in Kenya click HERE

Public Sector





Newsworthy


Small-scale farmers benefit from growth of financial services in Kenya AfricaInvestor online, Wednesday, 19 Jan 2011

Examples of Micro Finance lending to farmers:
  • Kenya Livestock Finance Trust (K-Lift) micro finance credit for the livestock sector
  • Equity Bank, Kilimo Biashara project (in partnership with the NGO Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, AGRA, and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). Kilimo Biashara is prepared to finance 2.5 million farmers and 15,000 agricultural input retail businesses in rural areas in Kenya.


Agricultural Research


ASTI Agricultural Research and Development investments and capacity in Kenya: http://www.asti.cgiar.org/kenya


Examples of ICTin Exension Related Initiatives

  • infonet biovision,www.infonet-biovision.org is a web-based information platform offering trainers, extension workers and farmers in East Africa a quick access to up-to-date and locally relevant information in order to optimise their livelihoods in a safe, effective, sustainable and ecologically sound way.
  • The infonet biovision partner project is "The Organic Farmer" (TOF) an independent and sustainable publication of relevant, reliable and ecologically sound information which is both appropriate and applicable for farmers in East Africa. The magazine is distributed free of charge to interested farmer groups in Kenya. 180'000 farmers already receive concrete guidance and practical tips on securing and increasing their harvests through simple, environmentally friendly means.www.organicfarmermagazine.org






Public Sector

Governmental or Ministry-based Extension

Ministry of Agriculture

The role of the Ministry of Agriculture is to stimulate and bring about an increase in food production, expansion of agricultural employment and exports, and conservation of resources. To increase export earnings, the Ministry specifically concentrates on promoting coffee, tea, horticultural products and other high value crops by increasing yields per acre. It works with other ministries to formulate and implement policies and programmes that that enable markets function coherently efficiently. The Ministry provides marketing advice to producers and consumers. (retrieved 5/17/2011)

One of the technical departments of the MoA is:

The Division is responsible for:

  1. Implementation of the Ministry's Strategic plan with respect to extension services;
  2. Participation in the development of Extension Service policy;
  3. Dissemination of agricultural information to extension staff, farmers and other stake holders;
  4. Coordination of the development and management of agricultural training centres ;
  5. Harmonization of extension related activities within the various directorates for smooth implementation of extension  services;
  6. Coordination of mainstreaming cross cutting issues;
  7. Development of extension service projects in liaison with the department of Policy and Agricultural Development  Coordination;
  8. Participation in monitoring and evaluation of extension services;
  9. Coordination of field days, exhibitions, shows and trade fairs;
  10. Staff Performance Appraisal;
  11. Preparation of  work plans and budgets, performance contracts and periodic reports;
    (retrieved 5/17/2011)


Also relevant to extension services:
  • Agricultural Sector Coordination Unit, MoA
  • Horticultural Crops Development Authority
Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources:
  • KEFRI, Kenya Forestry Research Institute, www.kefri.org, among other activities:
  • centralizing research activities to facilitate improved interaction and linkages with the local users;
  • Decentralizing dissemination of research findings and seed distribution.

Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development

Ministry of Planning and National Development
  • Poverty Eradication Commission, MoS



Public Research Institution with Extension Unit

Ministry of Agriculture:

  • KARI, Kenya Agricultural Research Institute
  • KEPHIS, Kenya Health Plant Inspectorate Service
  • Center for Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development, Kenyatta University

International Organizations

  • International Livestock Research Institute
  • GIZ- Promotion of Private Sector Development in Agriculture


Non-Governmental Organizations

  • Action in Community Environment in Africa
    (6 extension staff in 2009)
  • African Information Tillage Network
  • Catholic Relief Services
  • Partners Worldwide
  • Africa Harvest
(according to M. Johnson at CNFA, these organizations provide extension services, personal communication, Feb. 2011)

Farmer Based Organization



KENFAP, Kenya National Federation of Agricultural Producer

www.kenfap.org





Private sector organization or firm

  • MONSANTO imagine
  • Wilmar Agro Ltd (12 extension staff in 2009)

Outgrower Schemes (examples)

The Outgrower Development Services (ODS) at Mumias Sugar Company. ODS delivers extension services for the 66,000 farmers contracted to Mumias Sugar.  

The Mumias Information & Welfare Advances (MIWA) project is currently (2011) testing the effectiveness of cell phone messages to a subset of these farmers on recommended agronomic practices such as weeding, trash lining, and gapping.




Resources on Linking Farmers to Markets

  • Organizing, Training and Linking Rural Poor Communities in Kenya to an Emerging Niche Market for Dairy Goats and Goat Related Products Case Study Presentation Click here to view video presentation by Peter Maigua, Farm Africa, Kenya



References Pertaining to Agricultural and Rural Extension and Advisory Services in Kenya

Karungu, W. 2006. An assessment of the effects of technology transfer on gender roles within a community: The development of tea and coffee production among smallholder farmers in Kiambu. African Technology Policy Studies NetworkWorking Paper Series 44. Nairobi, Kenya. Retrieved on November 1, 2011 from
www.Atpsnet.Org/Pubs/Workingpaper/Working%20paper%20series%2044.Pdf?Pno=862

FAO. 1997. Agricultural Operations Technology For Small Farmers In Eastern And Southern Africa: Project Findings And Recommendations. Africa Region: Kenya, Lesotho, The United Republic Of Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe. Report prepared for the participating governments by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, 1997. Retrieved on November 1, 2011 from http://www.fao.org/docrep/field/381305.htm

World Bank. 1999. Agricultural Extension :The Kenya Experience. Précis World Bank Operations Evaluation Department. Number 198. Retrieved on November 1, 2011 from: http://lnweb90.worldbank.org/oed/oeddoclib.nsf/docunidviewforjavasearch/b728d887fc2b754d852568bd005a8c19/$file/198precis.pdf

Davis, K. and N. Place. 2003. Current concepts and approaches in agricultural extension in Kenya. Proceedings of the 19th Annual Conference of AIAEE. Raleigh, North Carolina, U.SA: 745 – 756.
 
Madukwe, M. C. 2006. Delivery of Agricultural Extension Services to Farmers in Developing Countries. CTA. Knowledge for Development. Observatory for Science and Technology. Retrieved on November 1, 2011 from http://knowledge.cta.int/en/content/view/full/3009

Related Publications


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IDKenya-MinistryofAgriculture-372.pdf
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Andrea Bohn,
07/06/2011 02:43