This archive report was first published on 16 October 2019.
As the world grapples with the effects of global warming and environmental breakdown, Kenya's food security is under threat due to the use of outdated seeds that are not resilient to drought and temperature changes.
According to the UN's Food and Agricultural Organisation, Kenya has the capacity to deliver enough food for most of Africa, but it is already underperforming. The reasons are many, including poor soil fertility and a strange relationship with nitrogen-based fertilizer.
However, the main problem lies in the seed stock and nurseries. Despite the development of high-yield and drought-resistant seeds by the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (Kalro) and its predecessors, fewer than three per cent of all farmers use them.
Work your way up the supply chain, and the agrovets argue they don't stock high-yield seeds because farmers don't buy them. But farmers are willing to opt for higher-yielding seeds if they are made aware of the benefits.
So, what is the problem? I think it's one of communication. Farmers just don't know the names and types of the seed 'super models', and communicators don't think the fact that seeds can triple our national output makes them worth a story.
High-yield seeds could be called 'enough food for all', 'farmers, be richer', or 'Kenya rises'. But instead, we use jargon about climate change resilience and make sure no-one sees that the point is Sh200,000 extra per harvest for anyone who opens that door, even as the climate changes.
FILE PHOTO | NMG
