This archive report was first published on 3 January 2020.
Published on January 3, 2020, by Rose Hassan, a renowned author, this article highlights the significance of farmer groups in rural Kenya.
These groups possess rare and indigenous skills that impart strong sociocultural bonds, cementing their kinships. They have acquired pass-me-down skills not tied to education, especially higher education related to jobs or employment.
Farmer groups offer a new opportunity for farmers to get ahead, drawing on collective effort and partnerships. They have a greater capacity to produce income and surplus that can be distributed to meet social ends.
With the benefit of incorporation and legal recognition, farmer groups can enter into binding contracts, have perpetual existence, acquire collective capital investments, and form partnerships.
The DaCCA Programme is an example of a strategic partnership between public benefits organisations, financial institutions, input suppliers, and devolved governments. It aims to achieve multiple Sustainable Development Goals, including food security, clean energy, and climate action.
The programme provides tailored loans to farmers, including credit life insurance, competitive interest rates, and advisory services. It also offers climate-resilient solar-powered irrigation technologies and agricultural inputs.
Farmer groups have unique economic models, such as the 'cobweb model', which captures the alternative cycles of boom and bust in agricultural production. Over-reliance on rain-fed agriculture contributes to this nature.
