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Selecting the best technologies for food security and incomes
Services designed to address the important crops and livestock in their farming systems.
Common bean
Common beans are a staple in Kenyan with high consumption nationwide. Rich in protein, fiber, and essential nutrients, they feature prominently in dishes like githeri and muthokoi. They are important as a food security crop, but there is a market for excess capacity – but price can be volatile. As a legume, beans produce around 16 kg of nitrogen per acre which can boost cereal production in subsequent years.
Production is constrained by: Bean diseases such as bean rust and pests like aphids can significantly reduce yields and weevils can attach beans in storage – adding to post-harvest losses.
Where FIPS is supporting bean production:
Western Kenya [Bungoma, Busia and Kakamega counties]
Coastal Kenya [Kilifi and Kwale counties]
Cowpea
The Cowpea is an important crop in semi-arid areas, and is grown for its leaves (for vegetables), and grain. The crop is tolerant to drought and poor soils. Cowpea is grown in Kenya for both domestic production and export to East Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.
Production is constrained by: Diseases such as powdery mildew and pests like aphids and pod borers can significantly reduce yields and weevils can attach cowpea in storage – adding to post-harvest losses.
Eastern Kenya [Kitui, Machakos, Makueni counties]
Green gram
Green grams have become an important cash crop in semi-arid Eastern Kenya.
Production is constrained by: Diseases, lack of access to improved varieties, and poor post-harvest management practices.
What FIPS Village-based advisors are doing:
Farmers in Machakos and Makueni counties are benefiting from the early-maturing, and high-yielding N26 variety, sourced from KALRO-Katumani. The N26 variety matures in only 80 days.
FIPS impact on smallholder farmers: Farmers are tripling their green gram production after receiving advice from their village-based advisors, with a farmer who used to harvest 20kgs now harvesting 60kgs of green gram.
Where FIPS is supporting green gram production:
Coastal Kenya [Kilifi and Kwale counties]
Eastern Kenya [Kitui, Machakos, Makueni counties]
Maize is the preferred food security crop for most smallholders in farmers in Kenya.
Production is constrained by:
What FIPS Village-based advisors are doing:
FIPS impact on smallholder farmers:
Farmers who normally harvest 3-4 (90 kg) bags of maize per acre, after receiving advice from their village-based advisors, recorded yields to up to 15 (90 kg) bags per acre, even in seasons of below average rainfall.
Where FIPS is supporting maize production:
Coastal Kenya [Kilifi and Kwale counties]
Eastern Kenya [Kitui, Machakos, Makueni counties]
Rift Valley [Nakuru and Nandi counties]
Western Kenya [Bungoma, Busia and Kakamega counties]
Pigeon pea is a useful crop for Eastern Kenya. It is tolerant to drought, and to poor soil fertility.
Production is constrained by: The low-yielding, late-maturing local varieties often grown by farmers and and poor agronomic practices.
What FIPS Village-based advisors are doing:
FIPS-Africa is promoting the high-yielding Mbaazi2 variety, and encouraging farmers to plant in rows ploughed using the Spring Plough, and to plant as a mono-crop.
Where FIPS is supporting pigeon pea production
Coastal Kenya [Kilifi and Kwale counties]
Eastern Kenya [Kitui, Machakos, Makueni counties]
Arrowroot
Arrowroot is a staple food in many regions, and there’s a growing demand for it both domestically and internationally. It is a perennial crop, and once established, it can produce tubers for several years. Under optimal conditions, smallholder farmers in Kenya can expect yields ranging from 6 to 10 tons per acre. It can grow in various soil types, including marginal lands
Production is constrained by:
Smallholder farmers often face challenges accessing high-quality planting materials and improved arrowroot varieties, which can affect productivity and yield. While arrowroot is relatively resistant to pests and diseases, there are still threats such as nematodes, arrowroot scale, and fungal infections that can affect yields if not managed properly. Arrowroot has a short shelf life and can deteriorate rapidly after harvesting if not properly handled and stored. Lack of appropriate post-harvest infrastructure and techniques can lead to significant losses for smallholder farmers.
Where FIPS is supporting arrowroot production:
Western Kenya [Bungoma, Busia & Kakamega counties]
Cassava
Cassava is an important food security crop because it is tolerant to drought and poor soil fertility.
Production is constrained by:
The major constraint to cassava production in the Region is the cassava mosaic virus (CMV), which has affected local varieties. The virus may result in complete loss of yield. New varieties have been developed which are tolerant to CMV, but they are not accessible to most farmers.
What FIPS Village-based advisors are doing:
FIPS-Africa promotes high-yielding varieties which are tolerant to the cassava mosaic virus. These varieties have been developed by KALRO.
Village-based Advisors establish multiplication sites of these improved varieties. From these multiplication sites, they benefit from sales of tubers, and they disseminate the planting materials to all farmers in their Villages.
Tajirika variety: farmers have liked it as it matures in 8 months and with bigger tubers. Next is partnering Nyuani Farm for bulking of the stems.
Where FIPS is supporting arrowroot production:
Western Kenya (Bungoma, Busia, and Kakamega counties) Coastal Kenya [Kilifi and Kwale counties]
Potatoes can be a lucrative cash crop for small-scale farmers. The relatively short growing cycle means they can be harvested multiple times a year, providing farmers with regular income and food security. They can be grown in diverse agroecological zones across Kenya, from highland areas to lowland regions. This adaptability enables small-scale farmers to cultivate potatoes in a wide range of environments, increasing the resilience of their farming systems. Demand for potatoes is high.
Production is constrained by:
Potato yields are constrained by poor agronomy and the use of recycled planting material/ seed which increases the risk of disease. One of the key obstacles identified by the FIPS potato hub was the need for clean planting materials.
What FIPS VBAs are doing:
Six members of the VBA network have been supported to become seed merchants producing from rooted apical cuttings as Decentralized Seed Multipliers. FIPS is working to have the rooted apical cuttings declared as source materials for Quality Declared Seed (QDS). This suggestion will be reviewed by the National Economic Impact Assessment, then goes to parliament of successful.
In the first season
Ongoing
FIPS impact on smallholder farmers:
Farmers who are accessing clean seed from VBAs and are practising positive seed selection are increasing their yields from 2 tonnes to 10 tonnes per acre.
Where FIPS is supporting potato production:
Rift Valley [Nakuru and Nandi Counties]
Sweet potato is an important food security crop in Western Kenya. It is well-adapted to the poor soils in the Region, and because the Region receives well-distributed rainfall, planting materials can be easily conserved and multiplied.
What FIPS Village-based advisors are doing:
FIPS-Africa is promoting improved varieties (developed by KALRO-Kakamega) that are high-yielding, early-maturing, and they include orange-flesh varieties.
FIPS-Africa impact on smallholder farmers: Farmers are doubling sweet potato production enabling them to produce surplus sweet potatoes to earn income for investment in their children’s education.
Where FIPS is supporting sweet potato production:
Western Kenya [Bungoma, Busia and Kakamega counties]
Avocado
Avocado is a high value crop with strong demand.
Production is constrained by: A lack access to high-quality seeds, or saplings and fertilizers. Avocado trees are susceptible to various pests and diseases, such as avocado root rot, thrips, and avocado fruit borer. Smallholder farmers may lack access to effective pest and disease management strategies or pesticides needed for avocado cultivation
What FIPS village-based advisors are doing:
FIPS impact on smallholder farmers:
Where FIPS is supporting avocado production:
Western Kenya [Bungoma, Busia and Kakamega counties]
Banana
Banana has become an important cash crop in Kenya. New varieties have been developed that overcome the challenges of productivity and diseases.
Production is constrained by:
What FIPS village-based advisors are doing:
Coastal Kenya [Kilifi and Kwale counties]
Cashew nuts
Production is constrained by: diseases, poor pricing and adverse weather conditions.
Where FIPS is supporting cashew nut production:
Coastal Kenya [Kilifi and Kwale counties]
Coconut
FIPS-Africa works to rehabilitate coconut trees in the coastal area. We are also distributing improved coconut varieties and also train farmers on coconut management practices.
What FIPS village-based advisors are doing:
FIPS impact on smallholder farmers:
FIPS is working to engage the wine juice harvesters in the rehabilitation model. The aim is for juice harvester to train farmers and set trials with 80 farmers in each village.
Where FIPS is supporting coconut production:
Coastal Kenya [Kilifi and Kwale counties]
Production is constrained by: disease, insect pests, bird damage, poor seed quality and lack of access to improved mango varieties, limited knowledge on mango management, and high input price.
What FIPS Village-based advisors are doing: Training farmers on mango management through pruning, mulching, use of fertilisers, pesticides, and fungicides. VBAs also provide pruning and spraying services to farmers at a commission.
FIPS impact on smallholder farmers: Smallholder farmers are doubling the number of fruits they harvest from mango trees.
Where FIPS is supporting mango production:
Eastern Kenya [Kitui, Machakos, Makueni counties]
Papaya [or PawPaw]
New varieties of papaya have been developed. Malkia F1 is a semi-dwarf variety with high yield potential. It starts to bear fruit from around 65 cm. Under the right agronomic practices, it can produce 40-50 x 1.5 – 2kgs fruits per season. The fruit, has a long shelf life, ideal for long distance transportation.
Production is constrained by: Smallholder farmers in Kenya have struggled to access information on papaya cultivation techniques and pest management strategies. Papaya ringspot virus and fruit flies can significantly reduce yields if not managed effectively. Seed and other inputs can be hard to access. For example, there is a limited supply of Malkia F1 seed – which FIPS considers to be the best.
What FIPS Village-based advisors are doing:
Where FIPS is supporting pawpaw production:
Coastal Kenya [Kilifi and Kwale counties]
Chickens
CHICKENS are the most important livestock kept by smallholders in East Africa. Most women in rural areas keep a few indigenous chickens. the chickens are tasty and carry a price premium over most improved varieties.
Production is constrained by: Indigenous breeds grow slowly and produce fewer eggs than improved varieties. Traditionally these birds have suffered from high mortality from the Newcastle disease, and predation.
What FIPS Village-based advisors are doing:
In early 2024 the promotion of day-old chicks was being offered by 536 village-based advisors resulting in sales of 11,172 chicks over a four-month period. As the scale of poultry production increases, FIPS can explore formal off-taking models
Success observed after the small pack chicks distributed; 32,000 chicks demonstrated among 6,000 farmers. This created a lot of demand. Within 4 months, FIPS had supplied 30,000 chicks – which was the maximum it could produce.
In December 2023 the Makueni County Government launched the feed production of the Mama Feeds brand. It bought a pickup for feed distribution.
FIPS impact on smallholder farmers of more chickens and eggs being produced:
Where FIPS is supporting chicken production:
Coastal Kenya [Kilifi and Kwale counties]
Eastern Kenya [Kitui, Machakos, Makueni counties]
Dairy cattle are often kept in small zero graze units. This means that farmers need to be able to access fodder crops. Improved nutrition to the cattle will produce good manure that can enhance soil organic matter which aids water retention – it also boosts the nitrogen content in the soil.
Production is constrained by: Smallholder dairy keepers in Kenya encounter numerous challenges The local breeds of cattle often produce only small quantities of milk.
Farmers also have limited access to quality animal feeds fodder and supplements. Farmers can’t access veterinary services and disease outbreaks, exacerbated by climate variability, threaten livestock health and productivity.
What FIPS Village-based advisors are doing:
Where FIPS is supporting milk production:
Western Kenya [Bungoma, Busia & Kakamega counties]
Fodder crops: Brachiaria, calliandra and napier grass
Horticulture:
Amaranth, Chinese cabbage, kale, onions, pumpkin, tomatoes, watermelons
Where FIPS is supporting horticulture production:
Coastal Kenya [Kilifi and Kwale counties]
Eastern Kenya [Kitui, Machakos, Makueni counties]
Western Kenya [Bungoma, Busia and Kakamega counties
Deep tillage
What FIPS Village-based advisors are doing:
Where agronomically necessary FIPS advocates deep tillage. FIPS has a design for a deep tillage plough which can be attached to a tractor to take the drudgery out of field preparation.
FIPS typically goes out to the tactor owners to encourage the get locally fabricated deep tillage ploughs, whilst FIPS work with farmers to increase awareness and build demand for the service.
Where FIPS is supporting improved soil fertility:
Coastal Kenya [Kilifi and Kwale counties]
Eastern Kenya [Kitui, Machakos, Makueni counties]
This has led to deep tillage being a priority technology in XX counties in Kenya. To further boost supply in Kitui County FIPS is partnering with a Feed the Future project USAID STAWI to deliver deep tillage. Whilst Kilifi County procured 20 tractors in seeking partnership with FIPS on deep tillage. Awareness and demand for deep tillage ploughing is now resulting in ‘crowding in’. In early 2024 three local tactor owners approached the fabricator to be included in the program.