How technology is transforming Kenya’s agriculture

Dark side of Kenya’s agricultural challenges is becoming increasingly visible as climate change, water shortages, rising production costs and unstable markets continue to put pressure on farmers across the country.

The challenges are forcing the government and development partners to rethink how agricultural knowledge is delivered, with greater emphasis now being placed on technology, climate-smart production, market access and agribusiness.

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has said the adoption of modern technology and stronger market linkages will be critical to transforming Kenya’s agricultural sector and helping farmers increase productivity, reduce losses and improve their incomes.

“The future of agriculture depends on our ability to embrace technology and knowledge and put them in the hands of farmers,” Mudavadi said as per KNA.

Mudavadi spoke at Kaimosi Agricultural Training Centre in Nandi County during a field day where a new Food and Agriculture Organization-backed agricultural curriculum was launched. The programme is designed to promote technological innovation, climate-smart farming and agribusiness among smallholder farmers and young people.

New agricultural curriculum targets technology and skills

The launch brought together Mudavadi, Head of Public Service Felix Koskei, Nandi Governor Stephen Sang, agricultural experts, development partners, farmers and other stakeholders involved in Kenya’s agricultural sector.

The new curriculum seeks to move agricultural training beyond conventional approaches by giving farmers practical skills that can help them make better decisions and respond to changing conditions.

Among the areas covered are precision agriculture, climate-smart production, post-harvest management, market access and agribusiness.

Mudavadi said Kenya’s future food security and economic prosperity would depend heavily on the country’s ability to harness technology and knowledge and make them accessible to farmers.

The curriculum has been developed through collaboration between the Food and Agriculture Organization, local universities and industry partners. It focuses on emerging agricultural technologies and business practices aimed at improving productivity while strengthening farmers’ resilience to climate change.

Precision agriculture is among the approaches being promoted through the programme.

The concept allows farmers to use data and technology to make more targeted decisions on crop production, fertiliser application and irrigation. Instead of treating an entire farm in the same way, farmers can use information about soil and crops to determine where resources are most needed.

A live demonstration of drone-based soil health assessment was one of the highlights of the Kaimosi field day.

The technology uses multispectral data to provide information that can help farmers determine where fertiliser should be applied and how irrigation can be managed more efficiently.

For smallholder farmers facing high input costs, such technology could potentially help reduce waste while improving the use of scarce resources.

Drip irrigation is also included in the curriculum as part of efforts to promote efficient water use. According to programme organisers, the technology can reduce water consumption by up to 40 per cent.

Water scarcity has become an increasingly important issue for agricultural producers, particularly as changing weather patterns make rainfall less predictable.

The promotion of climate-smart agriculture is therefore intended to help farmers maintain production while adapting to environmental changes.

The curriculum also places emphasis on post-harvest management, an area that remains critical to farmers’ incomes.

Training will cover improved storage, grading and packaging methods designed to reduce food losses and improve the quality and value of agricultural produce.

Poor post-harvest handling can reduce the value of farm produce even after farmers have successfully completed the production cycle.

By improving storage and packaging, farmers can potentially preserve the quality of their produce for longer and improve their bargaining position when accessing markets.

Market access and youth farming take centre stage

The programme also recognises that increasing agricultural production alone may not be enough to improve farmers’ livelihoods.

Agribusiness training will equip farmers and emerging entrepreneurs with skills in developing supply chains, negotiating contracts, accessing finance and identifying profitable markets.

Mudavadi said market linkages were a central part of the programme, with cooperatives and private companies being brought on board to strengthen supply chains and give farmers access to reliable market information.

“By reducing transaction costs and improving market information, we aim to increase farmers’ profit margins and stabilise food prices,” he said.

Better market information can help farmers understand demand, prices and opportunities before deciding what and how much to produce.

For smallholder farmers, stronger connections with buyers could also reduce some of the uncertainty associated with selling agricultural products.

Nandi Governor Stephen Sang said the county had historically played an important role in Kenya’s agricultural production and that the new curriculum would strengthen farmers’ capacity to compete in an increasingly demanding market.

He urged communities to embrace technological change, arguing that improved farming methods could create new income opportunities while reducing post-harvest losses.

The governor also placed particular emphasis on young people, saying agriculture should increasingly be viewed as a business rather than simply a traditional livelihood.

“Our young people are the future of agriculture,” he said, adding that the programme would give them the confidence and skills needed to become farmers, entrepreneurs and innovators.

The focus on young people comes at a time when agriculture is increasingly being presented as a sector capable of creating opportunities beyond conventional farming.

Technology can create new roles in areas such as agricultural data, drone operations, irrigation management, logistics, food processing and digital marketing.

At Kaimosi Agricultural Training Centre, a Youth Farming Initiative will provide mentorship, microloans and entrepreneurship workshops to help young people establish and expand agricultural enterprises.

Sang also proposed transforming the training centre into an agricultural innovation hub equipped with modern facilities for training, research and technology demonstration.

Such a hub could provide a platform where farmers, students, researchers and businesses interact and test technologies before they are adopted more widely.

Head of Public Service Felix Koskei said governance and support systems would be essential if the new curriculum was to translate into measurable improvements for farmers.

“We are committed to providing the necessary support structures, extension services, regulatory frameworks and data systems to make this curriculum a reality on the ground,” he said.

Koskei added that the public service would monitor implementation, identify bottlenecks and ensure interventions reached farmers, particularly those in vulnerable communities.

The emphasis on extension services is significant because access to technology does not automatically guarantee adoption.

Farmers need training and practical support to understand how technologies work, determine whether they are suitable for their farms and use them effectively.

The field day also gave non-governmental organisations and community groups an opportunity to showcase initiatives supporting agricultural transformation.

The Nandi Agricultural Development Association presented projects focused on improving post-harvest handling among women and promoting climate-resilient crop varieties to reduce losses during dry spells.

Stakeholders also discussed some of the challenges that continue to affect farmers, including climate change, water scarcity and unstable markets.

These challenges are interconnected.

Changing weather patterns can affect yields, while inadequate water can limit production. At the same time, farmers may struggle to secure profitable markets even after harvesting their crops.

Technology alone cannot solve all these challenges, but stakeholders believe it can become an important part of a wider strategy that combines knowledge, infrastructure, financing, market access and policy support.

For Kenya, the challenge will now be turning the new curriculum from a training programme into practical change on farms.

That will require continued investment in agricultural extension services, affordable technology, research, farmer training and reliable market systems.

Mudavadi said the difficulties facing farmers should instead encourage greater innovation and the adoption of technologies capable of helping agricultural communities adapt to changing climatic conditions.

“The climate crisis demands that we rethink how we farm. Our new curriculum equips farmers with the resilience they need to adapt and thrive,” he said.

The success of the initiative will ultimately depend on how effectively the knowledge reaches farmers beyond training centres and demonstration fields.

If implemented effectively, the approach could help Kenya build a more technology-driven agricultural sector in which farmers have better access to information, use resources more efficiently, reduce post-harvest losses and connect with markets more effectively.

The focus on young people could also help reshape perceptions of agriculture and encourage a new generation to see farming as an enterprise that can incorporate technology, innovation and entrepreneurship.

With climate pressures expected to remain a major challenge, Kenya’s agricultural future will increasingly depend on the ability of farmers to adapt.

The Kaimosi initiative represents an attempt to put technology, skills and market knowledge at the centre of that transition, while giving farmers the tools needed to produce more efficiently and build more resilient businesses.