By Dickson Mwiti
For years, agriculture has been associated with hard labour, low returns and an ageing generation of farmers. But at Kairuni Stadium in Maara Constituency, a group of young innovators, farmers, researchers and agricultural service providers gathered with a different message: farming can be a source of employment, innovation and prosperity for the youth.
The first Kilimo Kraft Innovations Africa Agricultural Expo brought together farmers from across Tharaka-Nithi County and exhibitors dealing in seeds, livestock breeding, agricultural technology, value addition and other farm services.
For the organisers, the event was not simply an agricultural exhibition. It was an attempt to change the mindset of young people towards farming and encourage them to view agriculture as a viable enterprise.
Chris Kimathi, the founding director of Kilimo Kraft Innovations Africa, said the company was established by young people with a vision of encouraging more youth to take up agriculture.
“We had a dream of recruiting as many young people into farming as possible to grow enough food,” he said.
Kimathi, a civil engineer by profession and a beekeeper, said agriculture had opened doors for him, including opportunities to travel abroad and recognition from the Kenya Private Sector Alliance for his work.
He wants other young people to experience similar opportunities.
“I am a farmer and one of the biggest beekeepers in the country. Recently I won an award from the Kenya Private Sector Alliance and we want to trickle down the effect of such opportunities to the local community as part of giving back to society,” he said.
He challenged young people to abandon the perception that success can only be achieved through white-collar employment.
“Government cannot get enough money to employ everybody,” Kimathi said, urging young people to identify gaps in their communities, acquire relevant skills and use the knowledge to create opportunities.
He called on young people to make use of the land available to them, saying agricultural production should not be limited by perceptions about where farming can succeed.
“There is no dry place; dryness is in our perception,” he said.
The timing of the expo was deliberate, coming as farmers prepare for the rainy season and seek information on seeds and production practices suitable for changing weather patterns.
Kimathi said farmers were able to interact with companies producing different varieties of seeds and learn about agricultural practices that could help them make informed decisions.
The expo also brought together public institutions and private agricultural companies, providing farmers with an opportunity to access information under one roof.
Among the institutions represented was the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), whose teams from the headquarters and Embu regional office interacted with more than 200 farmers at its stand.
Farmers were taken through seed certification, plant health services and laboratory testing of agricultural inputs and produce.
Seed certification helps ensure that seed sold to farmers meets required quality standards, while plant health services support the prevention and management of pests and diseases.
For KEPHIS, direct interaction with farmers also provides an opportunity to understand challenges experienced in the field while strengthening collaboration on plant health, quality agricultural inputs, food security and safe trade.
Agronomists at the expo also cautioned farmers against counterfeit agricultural inputs and encouraged them to purchase certified seeds.
Denis Munene, a sales agronomist with Bayer East Africa, said farmers were being trained on how to identify certified seeds and select varieties according to their growing conditions.
He said digital applications were also helping farmers select seeds based on factors such as altitude, rainfall and their agricultural zones.
Timothy Thuranira of Agribase Bio Science International said the company was sensitising farmers on the selection and planting of quality seeds, including maize, beans and kunde.
He said farmers were also being trained on proper planting techniques and the appropriate use of pesticides.
Livestock production was another major focus of the expo.
Nyamu Denis, a veterinary officer with the Tharaka-Nithi County Government, said the county was providing subsidised artificial insemination services to make improved breeding accessible to more farmers.
He said the programme goes beyond simply offering artificial insemination by helping farmers select breeds suited to different ecological zones.
“We follow up with farmers and try to change their breeds depending on the eco-zone,” he said.
The officer also urged farmers to prepare for periods when pasture may become scarce by harvesting and preserving fodder through silage.
He noted that when rains are plentiful, farmers may not have time to search for fodder later, making preservation an important part of livestock management.
Chuka University was also represented at the expo, highlighting the role of institutions of higher learning in connecting academic knowledge with farming communities.
Pamela Apuko said the university collaborates with local farmers by giving students opportunities for practical learning while exposing farmers to new knowledge and technologies.
The university offers various agriculture-related courses and seeks to equip students with skills that can contribute to employment creation and food security.
Climate change is also part of the institution’s research and training agenda, with the university hosting platforms where researchers and stakeholders discuss its effects on agriculture, gender and the wider environment.
Apuko said the university was particularly interested in promoting organic farming, arguing that agricultural production should also take into account the health and wellbeing of consumers.
She encouraged both national and county governments to support agricultural exhibitions because they provide farmers with skills, networks and exposure to innovations beyond their immediate communities.
For some exhibitors and farmers, the expo was also about demonstrating that agricultural waste can become an economic resource.
A local initiative showcased the production of sanitary pads from banana fibre, seeking to turn what is often regarded as waste into a valuable product.
The approach could create additional income for farmers while encouraging banana production and contributing to food security.
Rodah Mugambi, a farmer involved in banana value addition, said her group had been interested in producing sanitary pads from banana fibres but lacked the knowledge on where to begin.
She said interaction with Chuka University during the expo had given them new insights into the process.
“We have seen value addition sponsored by MSEA. I have a group doing value addition on bananas and we had an intention of making sanitary pads from banana fibres. We didn’t know where to start but Chuka University has given us an insight into the same,” she said.
Mugambi described the expo as a major learning opportunity and called for similar events to be held regularly to reach more farmers.
For farmers attending the expo, the event provided an opportunity to move beyond traditional farming methods.
Dorothy Marangu said she was particularly interested in learning about silage preparation and grain storage.
She also represented a disability group that uses modern energy-efficient jikos and expressed hope that the group would receive further support from the Micro and Small Enterprises Authority.
“We are grateful to Kilimo Kraft Innovations Africa for organising the expo which has given us great insights into farming,” she said.
Marangu said the farmers intended to put the knowledge acquired into practice to improve their livelihoods.
Mugambi similarly said the event had demonstrated the potential of agriculture when farmers are connected to the right knowledge, markets, institutions and technologies.
For Kimathi, however, the biggest challenge remains attracting a younger generation into farming.
He said the average age of farmers was worrying and that more young people needed to take up the responsibility of producing food.
“The gap we have identified is that the average farmer is around 70 years and therefore we want to recruit more young people to take up the mantle,” he said.
He believes the transformation can begin when young people stop viewing agriculture simply as subsistence farming and start approaching it as a business and a profession.
The expo, he said, is intended to become an annual event through which farmers can continuously interact with stakeholders, acquire new skills and apply them on their farms.
For the organisers, the Kairuni gathering was therefore more than an exhibition.
It was a meeting point between farmers and the institutions, companies and innovators seeking to shape the future of agriculture.
And as young people walked through the exhibition stands, learning about improved seeds, livestock breeding, climate-smart farming, value addition and agricultural technology which can be supported by the government through MSEA and KJET program, one message stood out: the future of farming may depend on whether a new generation is willing to see agriculture not as a last resort, but as an opportunity.
