This archive report was first published on 19 October 2019.
Kenya, the largest agricultural country in East Africa, is struggling to increase production in its market. Small scale farmers, in particular, need help to move beyond subsistence farming and reap full economic benefits. Losses due to drought, floods, poor farming practices, and pests and diseases threaten the income of these farmers.
Enter DigiFarm, a digital solution aimed at enriching the lives of small scale farmers. Launched to digitize the entire agriculture value chain, DigiFarm offers farmers access to a suite of information and financial services, including discounted products, customized information on farming best practices, and access to credit and other financial facilities.
Since its launch, DigiFarm has registered one million farmers and conducted a pilot program in Makueni, providing high-quality seeds and fertilizers for green gram cultivation. Green gram is a drought-resistant crop that matures in about three months, requiring two heavy rains. The harvested crop is then sold back to DigiFarm.
John, a local small scale farmer, was contracted by DigiFarm last year. With 15 years of farming experience, he initially cultivated maize but switched to KS20 green grams due to low yields. He planted 5kg of green grams in an acre of land and harvested 65kgs, selling it to DigiFarm in early August. John's yield was the highest among farmers in Emali-Malala ward, where some rains were received, despite being insufficient.
Stella, another farmer in Makueni, was unfortunate to receive no yields. She joined DigiFarm in April this year and farms maize, cowpeas, and pigeon peas. However, the low rains and pests in her fields caused significant damage, resulting in a harvest of only 4kgs.
Steven, an unsatisfied farmer, expressed his disappointment with the season's yields. He requires a tractor or a way to facilitate farming, as he has more than 40 acres but can only farm about 10 acres. From the harvest, he got 4kgs per acre.
Beatrice, like her counterparts, received no yields this season. Despite being disappointed, she acknowledges the need for DigiFarm and its benefits, including soil testing and modern farming techniques. The concept of insurance, bundled with farm inputs, has also warmed farmers up to the idea of protecting their crops.
Published on October 19, 2019, this article highlights the challenges faced by small scale farmers in Kenya and the potential of digital solutions like DigiFarm to address these issues.
