NAIROBI: The Ministry of Agriculture has introduced an agripreneur model aimed at leveraging digital technology to enhance agricultural extension services at the local level. This initiative, in collaboration with county governments, seeks to engage the youth in delivering up-to-date farming techniques and information to farmers.
According to Kenya News Agency, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Dr. Andrew Karanja emphasized the importance of technology and digitization in closing service delivery gaps to farmers. He noted the need to collectively devise innovative ways to reach agricultural producers and reduce the country’s substantial food importation costs, which currently stand at Sh500 billion annually.
Dr. Karanja highlighted plans to launch an extension module under the Kenya Integrated Agricultural Management Information System (KIAMIS) to enhance access to these services. With a database of 6.45 million farmers, KIAMIS aims to deliver services such as input subsidi
es, market information, and advisories on crops and livestock.
To ensure effective coordination, the Ministry has developed the Kenya Agricultural Sector Extension Policy (KASEP) along with new guidelines and standards for extension service providers. Dr. Karanja also pointed out the resumption of Public Private Dialogues to address challenges in accessing agricultural information and services, which are crucial for boosting productivity and market access.
The Cabinet Secretary stressed the importance of strengthening connections between research, academia, extension, and private sectors to enhance the adoption of Technologies, Innovations, and Management Practices (TIMPS). He also called for efficient use of the Sh150 billion in donor-funded programs to prevent resource wastage.
Dr. Karanja urged county governments to increase their agriculture budget allocations to stimulate economic growth, noting that most counties rely heavily on agriculture. He cited the Maputo Declaration’s recommendation of a 10 pe
rcent budget allocation for agriculture, contrasting it with Kenya’s current 4-5 percent allocation.
KeFAAS CEO Peter Gitika supported the emphasis on digital technology, sharing insights from their 2nd Agricultural Extension Symposium. Gitika revealed that trained digital connectors in Murang’a County have helped increase farmers’ incomes by 30 percent through their agripreneur model.
Gitika also mentioned ongoing efforts with counties to strengthen cooperative societies’ capacity, focusing on governance and institutionalizing extension activities.