Busia: Egerton University has launched a significant initiative aimed at empowering smallholder farmers in the Rift Valley Region by equipping them with climate-smart farming techniques. The initiative seeks to enhance food and nutritional security while boosting household incomes among farmers in the area.
According to Kenya News Agency, the program is focused on promoting sustainable agricultural development and improving the resilience of rural communities against the adverse impacts of climate change on agriculture. An Agronomist from Egerton University’s Crops, Horticulture and Soils Department, Prof. Antony Kibe, highlighted that the initiative would involve farmer field days, research, training, and extension services. These efforts are designed to help farmers adapt to climate change impacts and build more resilient agricultural systems.
Prof. Kibe elaborated that Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) comprises strategies that sustainably increase productivity, enhance adaptation, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and align with national food security and development goals. Leading the Kenya Sustainable Potato Initiative (KSPI) project, he stressed the importance of irrigation and the cultivation of resilient crops like cassava and sweet potato as part of CSA.
The recent farmers’ field day at the institution’s Agro-Science Park, attended by over 500 smallholder farmers, extension officers, and agricultural stakeholders, aimed at empowering farmers from the South and Central Rift regions with practical CSA practices. Experts from various disciplines provided training on solutions for farming in a changing climate.
Prof. Kibe emphasized that the training aimed to promote CSA practices that not only increase productivity but also build resilience and protect the environment, which are crucial for food security amid unpredictable weather patterns, degraded soils, and water scarcity. The field day provided hands-on experience in growing climate-resilient crops such as potatoes and beans.
Highlighting sustainable farming practices, Prof. Kibe mentioned techniques like agroforestry, conservation tillage, and integrated soil fertility management. He noted that adopting drought-tolerant crops and water management techniques would enable farmers to better withstand droughts and floods.
To further promote CSA uptake, Egerton University is developing drought and heat-tolerant crop varieties, finding uses for waste products from harvested crops, and training farmers on crop insurance and post-harvest loss reduction. The initiative also supports the adoption of biological pesticides and conservation agriculture practices.
For pastoralism, CSA involves shifting herd composition and improving mobility for pasture and water access during dry seasons, supported by government initiatives like the Kenya Livestock Insurance Programme. In dairy farming, strategies include improving animal housing, feed supplementation, and biogas systems to reduce emissions from manure.
Aquaculture is another focus, with integrated systems utilizing waste from poultry in fish farming to reduce costs and maximize profits. The initiative promotes finger-pond technology, creating ponds in wetlands for natural fish stocking.
During the field day, farmers participated in a practical chisel ploughing session, a conservation agriculture technique that retains soil moisture and enhances carbon sequestration. They were also introduced to a solar-powered irrigation system, which provides a sustainable solution for water scarcity and unreliable power supply.
In partnership with the Farm to Market Alliance, Egerton University is supporting farmers with better technologies, training, and market connections to improve livelihoods. The university aims to expand access to CSA innovations through ongoing field demonstrations and training.
Experts demonstrated rapid seed multiplication techniques to enable farmers to generate early seed for planting, thus shortening the time to access quality planting material. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, climate-induced economic losses could reach up to three percent of Kenya’s GDP by 2030 and five percent by 2050 if climate impacts on food systems are not addressed.
Two years ago, the agricultural sector launched the 2022-2026 Climate Smart Agriculture Multi Stakeholder Platform strategic plan, spearheaded by the Ministry of Agriculture. The plan aims to equip farmers with adaptation practices to enhance food production and reduce food prices. Despite possessing 60 percent of the world’s arable land, Africa faces a food deficit. With the global population projected to exceed 9 billion by 2030, Prof. Kibe advised innovation in increasing food production to meet growing demands.
