HORTICULTURE STUDY TOUR TO KENYA BY SNV ETHIOPIA AND PARTNERS

16 – 20 January 2017

WHY THE TOUR? A delegation from SNV Ethiopia and Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources visited Kenya:

•To understand the Kenyan national experience in horticultural development.

•To learn from SNV Kenya experience in agricultural development in the horticulture sub-sector.

INSTITUTIONS VISITED

A total of 8 stakeholders –including

government regulatory, marketing,

research and inspection bodies,

farms, companies and cooperative

farmers associations were visited

during the 5 day tour.

KEY LESSONS… WHAT ETHIOPIA HAS LEARNT FROM KENYA

KEY LESSONS … WHAT ETHIOPIA HAS LEARNT FROM KENYA

A market led approach is key to the horticulture sector development.

Private sector plays a critical role in delivering efficient extension services in Kenya

Public private partnerships – Symbiotic relationships between all the stakeholders – ends up being a win-win for everybody.

Kenya has efficient regulatory frameworks and institutions – KEPHIS and HCD.

LESSONS CONT…

Kenya has strong phytosanitary systems and efficient

traceability mechanisms that make Kenya’s products

competitive at the global market. Efforts are being made to

apply the same for domestic markets.

Streamlining of various government institutions under one

authority [Agriculture and Food Authority] had ensured better

sector coordination and increased efficiency.

Developing a country focused horticulture strategy has given

the sector clear priority areas for development.

MORE LESSONS…

Cohesiveness and common interests of farmers at cooperatives level increases productivity and build trusts.

There is need for regional trade and branding of the African produce at the global market.

The role of women in the horticulture sector is critical to spur economic growth. Kenya has made progress, but more needs to be done especially at the local level to ensure women’s voices are heard at the cooperative and household level.

MORE LESSONS…

Key lesson in developing good business cases from the SNV Kenya programs will inform business case development within HortiLIFE program in Ethiopia.

Use of technology enhances value chain relationships –Mpesa payments of farmers enhances trust and reliability between farmers and processors.

AND A FEW MORE..

Government creates an enabling policy environment and complements the work of private sector e.g. providing produce handling facilities [HCD pack house], marketing.

Brokers play a strategic role in the value chain and need to be properly managed.

Development partners play a critical role in complementing government effort.

SNV KENYAINTRODUCTION TO SNV KENYA’S AGRICULTURE PORTFOLIO

Agriculture portfolio [in the context of the tour] :

1. Kenya Market led Horticulture Program

2. Kenya Market led Dairy Program

3. Smart Water for Agriculture

4. Mau-Mara Serengeti Sustainable Water Initiative

5. Others include: Drylands Development Programme and Voice for Change Partnership.

Ms. Mary Njuguna, Agriculture

Sector Lead, SNV Kenya

SNV KENYA KEY SUCCESS FACTORS

A market led approach to program design and implementation.

Strategic partnerships with private sector, farmer organisations,government and government institutions and agencies e.g. dairy traininginstitute.

Effective delivery mechanism of advisors and local capacity builders[LCBs] embedded in each of the programmes.

Centralized project control – managed by lead Consortium partner andwith clear articulation of roles between all members.

Multi-skilled and diverse teams that bring complementarity to theimplementation of the programs.

• The key lesson from what didn’t

work is that partnership

management with clear roles,

responsibilities, strengths and

expectations is critical from the

onset of designing the program

and its implementation.

• Enhance more experience sharing

and learning between programs,

institutions and sector players.

• The need for

real impact

assessments.

MORE LESSONS

• Need for synergies with other projects to reduce wastage of time, efforts and resources.

• Income is a good value proposition. The guarantee of increased revenue is a secure trigger for farmers to adopt technologies.

• Monitoring – develop standardized templates for all partners.

• Good contacts/networking (Public-private partnerships) and strong technical team are key ingredients to success.

EXPERIENCES FROM THE SECTOR STAKEHOLDERS

MEET MICHAEL , A HARDWORKING SMALLHOLDER FARMER IN LIMURU,

Designed his own greenhouse with support from technicians after training and demonstration by HortIMPACT.

Optimistic with the devolved system of government, which he believes will prioritize support to farmers, especially on extension services and credit facilities.

“There are two types of farmers –

hardworking and lazy farmers. The

hardworking ones are not limited by being

smallholder; rather they work with the little

support they get to grow their farms not just

for consumption produce, but as a business”

SUNRIPE LTD – OVER 40 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AS A PRODUCER,

PROCESSOR, EXPORTER AND MARKETER OF FRESH FRUITS, VEGETABLES AND FLOWERS.

Local & international footprint – 6 packhouses in Limuru, Nairobi, Naivasha, Mt. Kenya, Koka (Ethiopia) and Arusha (Tanzania)

Efficient land use management is critical in meeting food security objectives.

South-South trade should be supported by governments as they are a catalyst for West-South trade.

The market needs to be more organized to minimize food loses, as well as unsafe food (by illegal cartels) getting into the market.

The African youth will play a critical role in transforming the African horticulture if they are provided with the right training and incentives for farming.

Ethiopia could benefit immensely from horticulture by opening up its markets to local and international private sector investors.

ABOUT HORTICULTURAL CROPS DIRECTORATE [HCD] - UNDER THE

AGRICULTURE AND FOOD AUTHORITY (AFA) A MERGER OF 10 PARASTATALS TO ENSURE EFFICIENCY

AND EFFECTIVE DELIVERY OF SERVICE.

The largest growing sub-sector, horticulture contributes 25% of agricultural contribution to GDP.

2015 – Earned Kenya KSh. 91billion in international trade; 200billion domestic market. The sector is private sector-driven, but government facilitates and regulates.

HCD promotes cottage industries, value addition, contract farming and innovative technologies e.g. greenhouse technology, new seed varieties etc.

HCD manages its produce handling facility at JKIA, available for lease or hire. 99% of HCD’s funding is from the Government of Kenya.

Its roles and functions:

Regulating, promoting,

coordinating, developing

and facilitating operations

of the horticultural sub-

sector to ensure smooth

production and marketing

environment and to

advocate for policies that

favor investment and

enhanced performance of

the sub-sector.

WAMU INVESTMENTS -- 27 YEARS OF PRODUCING & EXPORTING FRESH FRUITS & VEGETABLES.

Founded by Peris Muriuki - operates

two pack houses at the Jomo Kenyatta

Airport.

80% of exports are packed vegetables

and main market is Europe, though it

occasionally exports mangoes to the

Middle East.

Works with 1,000 farmers across the

country and provide technical advice, in

line with stringent standards required

e.g. <10% maximum residue levels.

Produce: Baby corn, French beans,

broccoli,, green and yellow beans,

peas, avocadoes, mangoes

Regulated through KEPHIS and HCD,

provides farmer with certified seeds

through support by development like

SNV who meet certification costs.

Utilises mobile technology M-PESA to

pays farmers directly less Ksh 5

deducted for admin costs of the

cooperative/society.

The company emphasizes on quality

and high standards through the whole

process of grading, sorting, packing

and labeling facilitates traceability.

“TRUST IS KEY – A FARMER

IS INTERESTED IN A

COMPETITIVE PRICE AND

TIMELY PAYMENT OF DUES”

“It’s not easy to manage

farmer groups, hence

issues of side selling

and brokers pose a

challenge as it breaches

contractual agreements”

LINKING INDUSTRY WITH ACADEMIA - RESEARCH, EDUCATION &

TRAINING

Works with various stakeholders to ensure that education, research and trainings are relevant to the needs of the horticulture sector.

There is demand to roll out competency based training in Kenya as enshrined in the TVET Act.

Full private sector engagement in education, research and training can lead to an increased productivity by 30%.

KENYA AGRICULTURE & LIVESTOCK RESEARCH ORGANIZATION Conducts, promotes, co-ordinates and regulateresearch with objective to generate and disseminatecrop and livestock information, technologies,knowledge and services that respond to sectordemands, increased income and sustainablelivelihoods .

Encourages the generation of technologies toaccelerate productivity, value addition andenhancement of competitiveness in the horticulturesub-sector to meet the local demand and tapping intoregional and international market opportunities.

Does crop research to ensure effective application ofbiotechnological techniques for value addition, foodsafety and resolve biotic and abiotic stresses. In crophealth, it focuses on integrated pest management(IPM), including use of bio-control agents andestablishment of a repository for pests and diseases.

“Farmers are thirsty for

knowledge hence the need to

provide demand driven

information”

KENYA HORTICULTURE COUNCIL - KHC

Provides auditing services to producers and

exporters of horticulture products. 80% of KHC’s

costs are met by the members because they see value

in it and additional support from government and

NGOs. . There are 150 standards that need

harmonization and cascading.

Smallholder outgrower farmers benefit through

capacity building projects and trainings, lobbying

and involvement in expos and trade fairs. It also

encourages exporters to join associations to ensure

they abide by market standards and avoid the risk

of jeopardizing the country’s image.

KHC CONT…

Partnerships within the sector are key – e.g. KHC partnering with

HIVOS on sexual harassment issues in the farm. Government ensures

exporters have requisite knowledge of the specific international market

requirements.

There is need to look at where each country has a competitive edge at the international level, but encourage healthy competition at the company level.

KHC focuses on market access and has put common procedures and horticulture traceability systems to reduce interception at the airport

KENYA PLANT HEALTH INSPECTORATE – ENSURING PLANT HEALTH REGULATION

• Technology uptake is important – the institution manages

electronic based phytosanitary certification system, import

certification, seed automation processing (farmers just

send SMS to confirm authenticity of seeds) and integrated

pest information management system.

• KEPHIS houses national analytical chemistry laboratory to

analyze agrochemical formulations and residues in a wide

range of agricultural produce, soil, water and animal

tissues at a fee. This is part of ensuring food safety for

local consumption and international markets. KEPHIS laboratory

KEPHIS CONT…

KEPHIS also conducts trainings for regulatory bodies and business people who need to understand the value of standards and quality. It also registers agro-vets and seed merchants to facilitate traceability.

WRAP UP…DELEGATES APPRECIATED

• The importance of sharing and learning from each others

experiences and best practices.

• The relevance and suitability of the program [field

meetings, companies as well as government

representatives].

• A rich and diverse choice of stakeholders.

END…