Nairobi: The government is advancing plans to establish multi-value chain cooperatives in every ward nationwide, aiming to serve as hubs for delivering subsidized agricultural inputs.
According to Kenya News Agency, these innovative cooperatives will handle at least two commodities, contrasting with traditional cooperatives that focus on a single commodity. This multi-commodity approach seeks to reduce the need for members to join different cooperatives for varied services. The initiative was disclosed by Royford Murangiri, a facilitator, during a workshop on Monitoring, Evaluation, and Tracking of National Government Programmes and Presidential Directives in Olkalou, Nyandarua County.
Murangiri further emphasized that each ward cooperative will be empowered with a sacco. Plans are also underway to establish ward aggregation centres, which will serve as collection and value addition points for farm produce. Commodities not processed at these centres will be transferred to County Aggregation Industrial Parks (CAIPs) for further value addition and to connect farmers with buyers and processors.
The government is also prioritizing high-quality farm production by training agripreneurs. As Murangiri noted, 175 entrepreneurs in Nyandarua County have already undergone training, with more to be trained in various fields such as animal health. This initiative targets youth employment, linking young entrepreneurs with ward cooperatives to bolster farmer connections.
To mitigate risks from adverse climatic conditions, the government plans to introduce modern tools like crop and livestock insurance, utilizing satellite technology to monitor weather and guide farmers in preemptive measures. Additional risk management strategies include contract farming and guaranteed minimum returns, designed to protect farmers from potential losses.
Murangiri urged farmers to register with the Kenya Integrated Agriculture Management Information System (KIAMIS) to access farm input subsidies, livestock vaccines, extension services, affordable insurance, and reliable market linkages.
