CABE in conjunction with Tegemeo Institute is organizing a two-day workshop on Strengthening Seed Systems and Market Development.
Seed systems in Africa south of the Sahara have been a central topic in the public discourse as part of wider conversations on policy options for agriculture and rural development. Although seed systems in the region have followed different development trajectories, they do seem to be affected by political economy, farming system, agroecological, and market development factors that policymakers and stakeholders must address if the systems are to thrive. Political economy issues appear to shape the debate, including limited support for agricultural research, restrictive regulations and inadequate capacity of regulatory agencies, and weak vertical and horizontal coordination among different key actors. Political economy refers to actors and coalitions of actors with competing perspectives, interests, and resources shaping seed policy change processes in each country and for each crop (see Hassena et al. (2016) and Alemu (2011) on Ethiopia). Policy and regulatory reforms are purported to facilitate increased production, delivery, and uptake of improved seeds and technologies. Influencing government agencies to initiate the review of existing and enact new policies involves many stakeholders including a range of seed industry players such as regulatory agencies, parliament, agricultural technical groups, government policy directorates, public and private research agencies and seed associations.
Tegemeo Institute of Agricultural Policy and Development of Egerton University and Centre for African Bio-Entrepreneurship (CABE) in partnership with International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) conducted a study between June and October 2019 to assess the pace and dynamics of policy change and the factors that affect the development of maize and potato seed systems and of markets in Kenya. The study involved a review of key policy, regulatory, and strategy documents relevant to seed system and market development in the country, with a focus on the progress made in strengthening maize and potato seed systems and markets and political economy factors that have influenced policy adoption and outcomes. The review was augmented with information from key informant interviews and focus group discussions with a wide range of actors in the respective seed systems.
The workshop will be at Sarova Panafric Hotel, Nairobi on 19th and 20th July 2022
The Centre for African Bio-entrepreneurship (CABE) on behalf of the Utafiti Sera Consortium convened a workshop to explore employment opportunities for youth in agribusiness along Kenya’s mango value chain.
The workshop which was held from 26th – 27th July 2021 brought together the projects’ funding organization Partnership for African Social & Governance Research (PASGR) and implementing partners CABE and Alternatives Africa, and representatives from National and County governments, the youth, and other stakeholders to further the use of evidence to inform youth employment policies.
Participants listen to Workshop proceedings
The workshop, held at Travellers Beach Hotel, Mombasa explored how the findings of a study conducted by the project can be domesticated to complement existing regulatory frameworks such as the Makueni County Development Action Plan and the Kenya youth agribusiness strategy.
This workshop will contribute to informed policymaking in agribusiness to increase youth employment in the agriculture sector.
Mango processing can create thousands of jobs for the youth in Kenya, potentially reducing the country’s youth unemployment rate of 7.27 percent (ILO, 2020). This statement is consistent with the findings of a study by the Centre for African Bio-Entrepreneurship (CABE) under the auspices of Utafiti Sera House III on Youth Employment Creation in Agribusiness and Agro-processing in Kenya. The urgent need for job opportunities along the mango value chain is timely in view of changing demographics and the increased number of Kenya’s health-conscious middle class.
Such changes can be seen for instance, in different urban and peri-urban eateries, supermarket shelves, and food markets which increasingly sell natural and processed juices. These lifestyle changes are projected to continue to drive the average growth in domestic demand for juice which the International Trade Centre reports (ITC, 2014) to be 49 percent per annum.
Demand for quality juice
To effectively meet this increased demand for juice, Kenya imports U$5,395,000 worth of mango pulp annually, further threatening to stagnate the domestic mango industry. If the industry is to meet the demand for quality juice, there is need to trace quality back to the very bottom of the mango value chain – the farmers. A farmer can only produce quality fruits by planting quality varieties using and recommended agronomic practices. Once the variety and quality of mango seedling is right, there is need to use appropriate processing technology, but this also faces various challenges which need to be addressed.
The major stumbling blocks
The study, conducted between December 2017 and 2020 confirmed ITC’s statement that ‘’… [O]ver a long time, the Country [Kenya] has relied on the traditional fresh market domestically and internationally with little attention given to processed products.’’ Production and marketing of mangoes also face various challenges such as use of poor-quality planting material and production practices, weak agricultural extension, high post-harvest losses, weak linkages with industry policies, marketing deficiencies and lack of finance. Cumulatively, these challenges lead to inadequate quality and quantity of mangoes for processing, forcing Kenya to import mango pulp for processing mango juice. This not only contributes to unemployment in the mango value chain but also leads to loss of national income which could otherwise be channeled to the development agenda of the mango sector and beyond.
A youth in a nursery in Makueni County photo credit: PASGR/CABE Photographer
Based on findings of Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with the youth in Makueni and West Pokot Counties, the study revealed that there are job opportunities for the youth in an integrated services provision comprising of tree seedlings, extension, mango orchard expansion (new trees), augmentation (grafting varieties) and gradually replacing old orchards of table or fresh mango varieties with varieties suitable for processing as good starting point in dealing with these challenges. In addition, the study confirmed that mango processing offers a solution to the high post-harvest losses experienced in the main production areas, provides a market for the second-grade fruits and can potentially drive the much-needed reforms in the value chain.
Why mango processing?
Processing will increase availability and consumption of locally-produced mango juice, reduce post-harvest losses, increase efficiency in the value chain and employ the youth in input supply, spraying, packing, aggregating and marketing.
The ensuing effective and efficient mango value chain will strengthen linkages between farmers and processors. As a result, farmers will benefit from price incentives, market and product diversification. In addition, most farmersin Kenya already recognize that ‘Ngowe’ mango variety is suitable for processing. As a result, cultivation of this variety offers potential for Kenya to undergo import substitution and source locally the required amount of mango juice. The subsequent benefits such as high quality and safety standardswill increase thescale and quality of mangoes produced. This could also create export opportunity for Kenya in regional markets such as Sudan, which currently imports mango juice from India (ITC, 2014)
What do we stand to lose if we do not process mangoes?
The magnitude of this question can be felt more now that we are in the peak of May-August mango season. During such seasons, markets across the country experience surplus in supply of mangoes which come with prices as low as less than Ksh 10 per fruit. In addition, most farmers suffer high post-harvest losses since mangoes are highly perishable. On a bigger scale, the opportunity cost of foreign exchange earnings spent on mango imports for juicing is U$ 5,395,000 per annum. It is projected that effective and efficient mango value chain will create 3, 200,000 jobs per year.
Ultimately, processing will increase domestic demand for ‘Ngowe’ mango varieties. Increased demand, will increase the prices of the fruit and consequently increase income for farmers who will in turn seek quality mango varieties. The spill-over of activities will work to streamline the entire value chain by strengthening extension service delivery in terms of personnel, messaging coordination in the production, processing and marketing activities. This calls for a need to strengthen linkages with industrial policies (agro-processing), improve markets of fresh and processed mangoes including investments in establishing aggregation, cold storage and transport infrastructure as well as improving access to finance for youth entrepreneurs to create jobs for themselves and others along the different segments of the mango value chain in the country.
Agro-pastoralist households living at Simailele village in Turkana County have been urged to utilize the 20-hectares of land set aside by the Drought Resilience and Sustainable Livelihoods Program(DRSLP) to commercially invest in pasture production and generate income.
The CEC for Agriculture, Pastoral Economy and Fisheries Philip Ebei Aemun has also urged farmers to use available infrastructure to increase crop productivity not only for home consumption but also surplus for sale. Citing the Nariemeto Pasture Production Group in Songot that has progressed through the sale of pasture, Aemun called on farmers to consider venturing into it noting that the changing climatic conditions were increasingly becoming a threat, and therefore called for diversification of livelihoods.
He was speaking when he presided over the distribution of goats procured by Rural Livelihoods Adaptation to Climate Change component under DRSLP. The aim is to socially support 100 vulnerable households for community resilience due to adverse effects of climate change at Katilu Ward of Turkana South Sub-County. The Beneficiaries who received three goats each were drawn from Kalemngorok, Kangirega, Namakat, Nabeye and Simailele villages.
On Livestock disease surveillance and control, the CEC asked herders to get in touch with Veterinary officers saying the department was committed to providing a ready market where traders and Agro-pastoralist can sell their products.
The Drought Resilience and Sustainable Livelihoods Project (DRSLP) activities aim at addressing the various impacts of climate change on rural livelihoods, by financing adaptation measures and associated services by leveraging on traditional knowledge of Agro-pastoral communities as well as sustainable technologies and practices. The project is being implemented by the National Government in partnership with the County Government through funding from GoK and African Development Bank.
There are plans to also restock for 375 families in Kapedo/Napeitom Ward who lost their animals to bandits. Similar programs have been lined up for other regions with the second phase which begins in July expected to target more households.
The Principal Secretary, State Department for Crop Development & Agricultural Research in the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives Prof. Hamadi Boga today flagged off a consignment of seeds, seedlings, and other related inputs worth Kshs 12.75 million to be distributed to SIVAP counties.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives through the State Department for Crop Development and Agricultural Research is implementing the Small Scale Irrigation and Value Addition Programme (SIVAP) funded by a loan from Africa Development Bank (AfDB), a grant from the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme (GAFSP) and the Government of Kenya.
SIVAP is operating in 11 counties namely: Makueni, Kajiado, Machakos, Bomet, Tharaka Nithi, Meru, Nyeri, Tana River, Murang’a, Nyandarua and Kitui.
The current on-going SIVAP projects include 12 irrigation schemes, 38 water pans, 17 bore holes, 8 shallow wells and sand dams, 5 grading shades, 4 Livestock Sale Yards and Rehabilitation of 65 KMs of rural roads which are at various stages of completion.
Drone technology is being used to collect and analyse data, and monitor irrigated areas, combat pests
At a special event highlighting the partnership between the African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) and Korea held on the sidelines of the Bank’s Annual Meetings, the role of drone technology to boost food productivity in Africa, was on full display.
