Naivasha: The Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) has announced a move to establish new Agri-Parks that will consolidate all research and new technologies for farmers’ access. The move will see already-developed technologies and updated research on livestock breeds, seed varieties, animal feeds, and drought-resistant crops brought under one roof for easy access by farmers.
According to Kenya News Agency, KALRO has 53 research centres across the country, each specializing in various forms of livestock and crop research, but has lacked a consolidated centre hosting all the technologies. To address this gap, KALRO has been conducting free farmers’ exhibitions across its centres to raise awareness of newly developed varieties and encourage their adoption.
KALRO board chairman Dr Thuo Mathenge stated that the Agri-Parks would bring research conducted by the organization over the years closer to farmers and end users. Speaking during the groundbreaking of the Agri-park at the Naivasha-based research centre, Dr Mathenge noted that accelerated adoption of these technologies by farmers would boost local production and cut high import costs.
The initiative comes at a time when parts of the country are already experiencing drought, while fall armyworms have caused destruction in maize-growing regions. The chairman mentioned that KALRO had developed crop and seed varieties capable of withstanding the devastating effects of fall armyworms, but that farmers lacked awareness of them.
According to the organization, food baskets across the country have recorded crop failure due to climate change shocks and failed rainfall patterns. KALRO Director-General Dr Patrick Ketiem mentioned that the parks would help scale up farmers’ adoption of newly developed technologies in crops, livestock, and animal feeds to enhance production.
Dr Ketiem emphasized the organization’s collaboration with farmers on capacity building, the introduction of new drought-resistant crops, and encouraging the adoption of irrigation. He highlighted the challenges posed by climate change and poor maize performance due to depressed rainfall.
Plans are underway to open more Agri-Parks in Thika, Kipkelion, and Nyeri as part of efforts to bring KALRO’s services and products closer to farmers. The research Agri-Park is designed to bring researchers, farmers, and other partners into one space and to scale up some of the technologies and innovations developed over time.
Naivasha Deputy County Commissioner Josiah Odongo identified land grabbing as a major challenge facing KALRO, noting that the government had embarked on a process to reclaim the vast land. Odongo added that most parts of the sub-county have recorded crop failure, posing a threat to food security, and that farmers’ access to KALRO’s new research and technologies would address these challenges.
The Naivasha-based research centre continues to champion quality livestock breeds like the Sahiwal breeds for drought-stricken ASAL regions, highly productive pig breeds, goats, and kienyenji chicken to boost farmers’ earnings. Additionally, the centre has enhanced its fodder production capacity, providing highly nutritional and protein-rich fodder to farmers at affordable prices to enhance production.
