Feature: Value addition on raw agricultural produce popular among Kenyan farmers

Adding value to raw agricultural produce is increasingly becoming popular among the rural farmers in Kenya.

Processed products not only draw good profits but outdo brokerage in the marketing of the raw produce, which in most times, disadvantages farmers who end up making either little or no returns.

From fish to potato, producing multiple products favourite to Kenyans increases the income avenues for the thousands of the small scale farmers who have shifted from the traditional methods of selling their produce to the modern ways of accessing a dynamic market.

John Kabiru could still be making 1.4 U.S. dollars for the 250 grams fish had he not started processing it into fish sausages, fish fingers, fish balls and fish burger.

The farmer from Bahati area, in the northern parts of Nakuru County, rears fish in two ponds. His earnings from the processed fish fetch more profit than those received from the sale of the whole fish.

"I make 5.7 dollars from the 250 grams fish when processed. But if I sell it as a whole it could go for 1.4 dollars," Kabiru said during an interview with Xinhua on Tuesday.

With the growing population and continuous change of the eating habits, the demand for the fish products is equally expanding, according to the farmer who has been rearing fish for 10 years.

"There is a high demand for fish and you cannot lack the market. But for the farmer making a profit is important," said the farmer who is also the chairman of the Aquacultural Association of Kenya, Nakuru County chapter.

He said the changing rainfall patterns and the harsh conditions for the growing of crops and rearing of fish and livestock affect their farming activities, thus the necessity of the farmers making good profits to cushion them during the unfavourable food production periods.

"There are seasons in which farmers do not harvest anything either due to prolonged drought or flooding. And if they were able to process what they had during a good season, it could be enough to pull them through the food scarcity season," noted Kabiru.

Mercy Kiruthi is another farmer from the Bahati area who is impressed with the earnings made from conversion of the raw potatoes into the crisps.

Kiruthi, who is vice chair of the Bahati based Mwangaza Self-Help Group of 14 members, said they make 250 pieces of the 100grams of the crisps and each sells at 0.48 dollars. With increased earnings, the rural small scale farmers can escape from poverty as Kiruthi observed.

Eliminating poverty is a development issue under continuous consideration across the globe. And improved agricultural activities resulting to increased household incomes is identified as a progressive propeller to ending poverty in the rural households.

Kenya is making steady efforts towards alleviating hunger and poverty among farmers through various rapid agricultural improvement projects, such as Kenya Agricultural Productivity and Agribusiness Project (KAPAP) and Njaa Marufuku Kenya (Eradication of Hunger in Kenya).

Under these projects, farmers are trained on agribusiness, value addition and assisted to acquire the machines for processing the agricultural produce.

Moreover, the private sector, like the non-governmental organizations (NGOs), is equally contributing to enhanced productivity among the small scale farmers.

Kabiru and Kiruthi agree to the fact that while value addition significantly increases farmers' earnings, acquiring the machines is a major hurdle to the small scale farmers.

Kabiru is a beneficiary of the state's KAPAP project while Kiruthi, a local NGO whose mission is to end poverty among the rural small scale farmers.

"It is after the training by KAPAP officials that I received a donation of a set of equipment for processing the fish. I could not have afforded all of them. They are expensive," he said.

It is important that agricultural stakeholders consolidate efforts to assist farmers' access low interest credit to purchase value addition machines since few NGOs can donate them, Kiruthi said.

According to Stanley Chepwony, Nakuru County's executive member for Agriculture, access to information is also important to unlock farmers' potential in improved agricultural productivity. Enditem