Agriculture & Microenterprise Development

Success Story

Farmers Increase Income By Planting Improved Varieties

Many poor farmers in Kenya's low and medium potential agricultural areas are growing higher-yielding crops and increasing their incomes from the sale of farm products. Thanks to assistance from USAID Kenya's Agribusiness Development Support Project, they now have enough to eat and are better able to support their families.

Access to improved seed varieties that are drought tolerant and can produce greater yields is key to successful farming. Yet many Kenyan farmers live in remote areas where these seeds, along with the attendant agricultural inputs such as tools and fertilizers, are difficult to obtain. Furthermore, even when these seeds and inputs are available, many farmers do not know how to use them or have access to the cash or credit to purchase them.

The Agribusiness Development Support Project is working with local farmers, as well as private seed producers and farm product distributors, to meet these challenges. The project is supported by USAID Kenya's Economic Growth program through its Private Sector Technology Transfer System component. Implementation is carried out under the leadership of Winrock International, in cooperation with Lagrotech Consultants and Technoserve, Inc.

With technical assistance, some 245 small-scale seed growers are proving that they can produce seed varieties that meet inspection and certification standards set by the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services. Despite their greater cost, these improved varieties yield 50 to 80 percent greater harvests compared to traditional seeds.

Currently, 2,000 participating farmers are planting improved varieties and using new farm practices to demonstrate firsthand the benefits to other farmers. These efforts are creating greater awareness among farmers and increasing market demand for certified seeds. Local certified seed production is giving farmers access to improved varieties closer to home and reducing marketing and transportation costs, with 150 individual seed distributors currently passing on these savings to farmers through reduced prices. Winrock International estimates that seed growers, distributors, and farmers have increased their incomes 30 to 40 percent over the past 12 months.

The project has trained more than 10,000 rural farmers, nearly half of whom are women, to increase their harvests and strengthen their marketing and business skills by using improved seeds and fertilizers. The project has also worked with partners, distributors, and community organizations to improve collaboration, trade, and marketing of agricultural inputs and farm products.

Winrock has laid the groundwork to continue activities long after the project is completed in 2003. Twelve community organizations and farm suppliers are getting the technical assistance and training they need to carry progress forward.

Meg Brown, Chief of USAID/Kenya's Agriculture, Business and Environment Office cuts a tape to launch Kyeko Seed Growers Enterprise  

One such organization is the Kyeko Self Help Farmers Group, a successful seed enterprise of 114 men and 77 women that has integrated seed production, processing, and marketing into its operations. Since 2001, Kyeko has worked with project staff, the Catholic Church, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute on seed multiplication, crop production practices, gender issues, and environmental concerns. The results of this collaboration have been dramatic.

Dr. Frank Tugwell, President of Winrock International with Kyeko farmers

In the October to March 2002 growing season, Kyeko farmers increased seed production from 1,985 Kg to 19,800 Kg and grew new varieties of maize and beans. Income from the sale of certified seed varieties also increased from $2,036 in 2001 to $14,077 in 2002. These gains show that the farmers are putting their new knowledge to work, improving their households' security in the process. Farmers report that greater incomes have enabled them to purchase additional livestock, improve their houses, and pay school fees for their children.

Success of the Kyeko farmers has led to more advances. Through a cost sharing arrangement with Winrock, the group is moving ahead with seed processing and marketing activities. Seed is being processed and packaged to local farmers and suppliers, as well as to other organizations and agencies, increasing the economic returns to the community. In addition, some 55 percent of the participants have already adopted appropriate gender and environmental practices.

Dr. Pierre Antoine, ADSP Program Director, Mr. Wambua, Kyeko Farmers Group Chairman and Meg Brown of USAID at Kyeko Stores,in the background are processed KAT56 beans

This is just one outstanding example of how the Agribusiness Development Support Project is making a significant contribution to the lives of rural Kenyan farmers and communities.