Tea is the largest industry in Kenya, followed by tourism. Even so, most Kenyans (somewhere in the neighborhood of 70 percent) make their livelihood in agriculture. Maize and wheat are the dominant crops- perhaps due to the encouragement of cash crops during the colonial era that has continued into today's globalized economy. The intense focus on maize, however, hasn't transferred into a strong export economy, locally due to poor road infrastructure and low productivity. With nearly everyone producing corn, families are unable to sell all of their crop, and thus provide their children with a nutritious diet. Many families use "middlemen" to transport their goods to other markets or even government surplus silos, further decreasing their profit.
A middleman using his capital (bike) to transport neighbors' bags of corn to local market.
CWS is working with Farming Systems Kenya, based out of Nakuru, to increase farmers' crop variety, yield and access to markets. Introducing alternative crops will create new markets, and farmers can diversify their diet for better nutrition. Using affordable irrigation and organic farming techniques, families can improve crop production per acre. When farmers organize into groups, they can pool their resources together, making access to local markets cheaper and at the same time setting fairer prices for their crops.
No comments:
Post a Comment