This archive report was first published on 10 October 2019.
Kenyan farmers are facing significant losses due to pest invasions, but a new technology is helping to mitigate the damage. In 2018/19, a survey conducted by the UK Space Agency found that smallholder farmers who received early satellite-backed pest detection alerts experienced a slight reduction in crop losses.
The survey, which was conducted in collaboration with the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (Kalro) and the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI), showed that farmers who received alerts reported 21 percent losses compared to 26 percent by their counterparts.
The technology, known as Pest Risk Information Service (PRISE), uses satellite data to track crop pests and sends text message alerts to local plant clinics, which then pass on the information to farmers.
“Extension workers will be better informed about pest threats so as to warn farmers early,” said British deputy high commissioner to Kenya Susie Kitchens during the official launch of PRISE in Kenya.
The launch comes at a time when Kenyan farmers are staring at losses due to pest invasion that potentially threatens the country’s food basket. PRISE currently operates in Malawi, Rwanda, and Zambia, and its introduction in Kenya is expected to have a significant impact on the country’s agricultural sector.
