For increased agricultural production, the government has set up various parastatals and other agencies that offer services such as research, finance and marketing. The sector’s success depends on how these institutions deliver on their mandate. These institutions include:
Agriculture and Food Authority
The Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) brings together various regulatory institutions in the sector, which initially operated as independent directorates. AFA was formed under the Crops Act, 2013, which came into force on August 1, 2014. The institutions under it are:
- Tea Directorate
- Sugar Directorate
- Coffee Directorate
- Pyrethrum and other Crops Directorate
- Horticultural Crops Directorate
- Fibre Crops Directorate
- Fisheries Directorate
- Nuts and Oil Crops Directorate
- Food Crops Directorate
AFA’s mandate is to:
- Promote best practices and regulate the production, processing, marketing, grading, storage, collection, transportation and warehousing of agricultural and aquatic products excluding livestock products;
- Collect and collate data, maintain a database of agricultural and aquatic products, excluding livestock products, and to document and monitor agriculture through registration of players;
- Determine research priorities in agriculture and aquaculture;
- Advise the national and the county governments on agricultural and aquatic levies for purposes of planning and enhancing harmony and equity in the sector.
Horticultural Crops Directorate (HCD)
Initially known as the Horticultural Crops Development Authority (HCDA), the current Horticultural Crops Directorate’s (HCD) main goal is to promote, develop and co-ordinate the production and marketing of horticultural produce locally and abroad.HCD’s other roles and responsibilities include to advice the government and the industry on matters related to horticulture production and marketing; collect and collate data; maintain a database and disseminate information on horticultural activities for planning purposes; provide specialised horticulture extension services; and appoint agents for the implementation or performance of any functions of the institutions.
The institution further supports the establishment of fruit tree mother blocks, regulates the horticulture nurseries, production, post-harvest handling and marketing of horticultural crops.
It also imposes levies fees on producers, dealers and nursery operators and facilitates marketing of horticultural products in the local and international markets.
Sugar Directorate
The directorate was formed following the commencement of the Crops Act, 2013 on August 2014, which repealed the Sugar Act (No. 10 of 2001). It is mandated with the regulation, development, promotion and co-ordination of activities of the various players within the industry.
The directorate further facilitates equitable access to resources by stakeholders, who include millers, growers, transporters, importers, exporters and traders.
The Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) brings together various regulatory institutions in the sector, which initially operated as independent directorates
Coffee Directorate
This institution has three main functions categorised as regulation and compliance; marketing; and technical and advisory. It formulates policies and rules to regulate and develop the coffee industry in consultation with the Ministry of Agriculture.
It carries out registration and licensing of coffee nurseries, growers, pulping stations, millers, marketing agents, management agents, buyers, roasters, packers, warehousemen and auctioneers to ensure adherence to standards.
It provides advisory services related to coffee production and quality enhancement.
It collects, collates and analyses data, while maintaining a database on the coffee industry.
It documents and monitors the industry through registration of any persons dealing with coffee.
It represents the government in international fora in regard to coffee matters. It encourages environmentally friendly, ethical and hygienic coffee production, processing and marketing practices, in order to enhance quality of coffee and sustainability. It inspects licensed stakeholders to ensure compliance with set regulations and minimum standards.
Tea Directorate
The institution’s main mandate is to register buyers, brokers, packers, management agents and other persons dealing in the cash crop. It also license factories as well as promote Kenya’s tea both locally and internationally.
Nuts and Oil Directorate
Its mandate is to develop, promote and regulate the nuts and oil crops industry in Kenya. Before the enactment of AFFA Act 2013 and Crops Act 2013, the functions were largely amorphous. The former institution, Kenya Coconut Development Authority, was responsible for developing, promoting and regulating the coconut industry only. On the other hand, HCD handled the macadamia industry, while the Ministry of Agriculture managed the rest of the nuts and oil crops. Today, all these are under the Nuts and Oil Directorate, which regulates production, postharvest handling and marketing of all the nuts and oil crops and their by-products.
Pyrethrum and other Crops Directorate
The institution facilitates marketing of the pyrethrum products in Kenya and globally in partnership with public and private institutions as well as other stakeholders.
Fibre Crops Directorate
The institution promotes, coordinates, directs and regulates the production, processing and marketing of cotton and sisal. This is done by first creating an environment that is conducive for vibrant private sector participation in the development of the subsector.
Food Crops Directorate
The institution’s mandate is to regulate all food crops which are broadly categorised into three – cereals, legumes, and roots and tubers.
Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service
The Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service’s (KEPHIS) main responsibility is to assure agricultural inputs and produce are of good quality to prevent adverse impact on the economy, the environment and human health.
KEPHIS handles all matters relating to crop pests and disease control and has laboratories to monitor the quality and levels of toxic residues in plants as well as soils and produce.
It develops and implements standards on both imported and locally produced seeds and approves all importation licences for plants and seeds.
It grades and inspects plants and plant produce at the ports of entry and exit, ensuring that injurious foreign pests, diseases and noxious weeds are not introduced into the country.
KEPHIS is also mandated to implement the national policy on the introduction and use of genetically modified plant species, insects and microorganisms in Kenya. The institution further coordinates the release of superior and well-adapted varieties/cultivars to the farming community.
The Pest Control Products Board (PCPB)
The parastatal’s main mandate is to provide efficient and effective regulatory services for importation, exportation, manufacture, distribution, transportation, sale, disposal and safe use of pest control products. The institution is also mandated to mitigate any potential harm pest control efforts can have on the environment.
Kenya Veterinary Vaccines Production Institute (KEVEVAPI)
The Kenya Veterinary Vaccines Production Institute (KEVEVAPI) was set up in 1990 after the ending of a joint venture between the government and the United Kingdom’s Welcome Trust Foundation. Three different laboratories that were producing vaccines in Kenya were merged to create KEVAVAPI.
The three laboratories were Vaccine Production Laboratory in Embakasi; the vaccine production section at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation’s National Veterinary Research Centre in Muguga; and the vaccine section of Veterinary Research Laboratory at the Department of Veterinary Services Headquarter at Kabete.
The institution’s mandate is to produce safe, efficacious and affordable veterinary vaccines through research and provide information, marketing and distribution for improvement of the livestock industry.
National Irrigation Board (NIB)
The National Irrigation Agency (NIA) is mandated with management, control and improvement of irrigation schemes. The institution is currently managing seven national irrigation schemes namely Mwea, Perkerra, Hola, Ahero, West Kano, Bunyala and Bura. They are irrigated either through pumps (Ahero, Bunyala, West Kano, Bura and Hola) or gravity canal abstractions (Perkerra and Mwea). The agency is also currently running the Galana-Kulalu food security project in Tana River and Kilifi counties.
It also coordinates construction and rehabilitation of irrigation drainage infrastructure within the public schemes. It administrates land in the public schemes and provides technical advice to farmers. Additionally, it promotes marketing of crops and produce in national irrigation schemes in liaison with organisations responsible for marketing of agricultural produce. Further, it formulates and executes policy regarding national irrigation schemes in conjunction with the Water Resource Authority.
NIA conducts research and has demonstration farms in its research stations including Mwea Irrigation Agricultural Development Centre, Ahero Irrigation Research Station, Hola Irrigation Research Station and Bura Irrigation Research Station. The institution runs Mwea Rice Mills and Western Kenya Rice Mills, which process and package rice bought directly from farmers.
New Kenya Cooperative Creameries
The New Kenya Cooperative Creameries’ (NKCC) main business is to buy high quality raw milk from farmers, process, package and market the produce and its by-products. NKCC collects an average of 130 million litres of milk and pays farmers about Sh4 billion annually. The institution offers farmers extension services such as artificial insemination services, agro vet, financial products, cattle insurance, quality assurance, animal feeds, bio-digesters/biogas production and farmers’ training. It processes a wide range of products such as fresh milk, fermented milk (maziwa mala), butter, ghee, powder milk and yoghurt. Besides serving the local market, NKCC exports products to Uganda, Tanzania, Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Congo, Brazzaville, Malawi, Egypt, Syria, United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates.
100,000 – Kenya’s expected annual tea production by the end of 2020. Over the years, the institute has developed over 1,000 improved cultivars, out of which 53 have been selected for consistent superiority in yield and quality – and released for commercial growing
Tea Research Institute
It is is one of the 16 research institutes created under the Kenya Agricultural and Research Act and its main mandate is to promote research on tea and other related crops. It is also tasked with boosting husbandry, productivity, quality and suitability of land use in relation to tea farming. Kenya’s annual tea production has consistently increased from 1963 to date and the institute expects that it would hit 500,000 metric tonnes by the end of 2020.
Over the years, the institute has developed over 1,000 improved cultivars, out of which 53 have been selected for consistent superiority in yield and quality – and released for commercial growing.
Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO)
The organisation coordinates agricultural research in the country. Its mandate is to:
- Promote, streamline, coordinate and regulate research in crops, livestock, genetic resources and biotechnology;
- Coordinate and regulate research in crops and animal diseases;
- Expedite equitable access to research information and resources as well as promoting the application of the research findings and technology in the field of agriculture.
The following are the research organisations under KALRO.
- Epiculture Research Institute
- Arid and Range Lands Research Institute
- Beef Research Institute
- Coffee Research Institute
- Biotechnology Research Institute
- Veterinary Research Institute
- Sheep and Goat Research Institute
- Tea Research Institute
- Sugar Research Institute
- Non-Ruminant Research Institute
- Food Crops Research Institute
- Dairy Research Institute
- Industrial Crops Research Institute
- Horticultural Crops Research Institute
- Genetic Resources Research Institute
Nyayo Tea Zones Development Corporation
The institution works to protect forests against human encroachment by establishing tea bushes and trees that act as a buffer between local communities and forests.
Currently, the institution operates in 17 zones across the country and covers at least eight major forests including Mau, Mt Kenya and the Cherangani Hills. The corporation is also mandated to construct and maintain rural access roads, offices and green leaf collection centres.
Kenya Animal Genetics Resource Center (KAGRC)
Established by the Kenya Gazette Notice Number 557 of 19th June 1946, Kenya Animal Genetics Resource Center (KAGRC) was initially known as the Central Artificial Insemination Station (CAIS) and is situated in Kabete in Nairobi.
Its main objective is to promote optimum productivity of national livestock population through provision of high quality disease free animal germplasm and related breeding services for socio-economic development.
Kenya Dairy Board
The board’s main mandate is to regulate, develop and promote the dairy industry. It inspects and licenses milk handling premises. It also carries out surveillance on the quality and safety of milk and milk products along the dairy value chain, thus, protecting consumers and facilitating trade. All milk dealers must obtain relevant licenses and permits from the board.
Commodities Fund
The institution’s mandate is to provide sustainable and affordable credit and advances to the agricultural sector for farm improvement; farm inputs; farming operations; agricultural infrastructure development; agricultural value addition initiatives and price stabilisation.
Agricultural Development Corporation
The Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) is a government parastatal established in 1965 to facilitate the land transfer programme from European settlers to Kenyans following independence.
The institution assists in maintaining good quality livestock and continuity of the breeding programmes in the country. ADC is a provider of quality crop seeds in Kenya. It obtains seeds from Kenya Seed Company and other organisations and multiplies them for processing and growing by farmers.
Kenya Meat Commission
The Kenya Meat Commission (KMC) was formed in the 1950s to provide ready market for livestock farmers and produce high quality meat and meat products to consumers.
KMC, however, collapsed in 1990s and was re-opened in June, 2006 with the main goal of promoting both domestic and export markets for meat.
It procures livestock, processes and packs quality meat and meat products. It also markets meat and meat products as well as carry out research and development of its new products.
National Cereals and Produce Board
The National Cereals and Produce Board’s (NCPB) main goal is to procure from grains from farmers and manage the Strategic Food Reserve on behalf of the government.
The institution undertakes all aspects of grain trading, including importation/exportation, storage, handling, transportation, processing, packaging, preservation and any other associated role for the promotion of grain production
Agricultural Finance Corporation
This is a government development finance institution that provides credit to farmers and farming institutions with the purpose of developing agriculture.
The role is key given that agriculture is the mainstay of the economy with 80 per cent of the population engaged in the trade.
Catching them young…
Pupils of Kiamaina Primary School in Nakuru spend part of the time during their April, August and December holidays working on the institution’s 10-acre farm. The duty rota, which requires the pupils to work in shifts between 10am and 3pm every day, includes tending the various crops and looking after the livestock on the farm.
“They work with the teachers to get hands-on farming lessons,” says headmaster Samuel Nderitu. “The project is called Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and our aim is to turn the school into a centre for agriculture excellence and to give the pupils life skills.”
The ESD programme championed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) seeks to promote the teaching and learning of skills, values and behaviours needed for sustainable development in schools. The programme, developed in collaboration with Israel’s Institute for Education for Sustainable Development at the David Yellin Academic College of Education in Jerusalem, is jointly being implemented by the Ministry of Education, MASHAV, The Ofri International Training Center, and the Kenya Primary Schools Headteachers Association (KEPSHA).
The Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) brings together various regulatory institutions in the sector, which initially operated as
The programme’s success is linked to the inclusion of environmental studies in the country’s new basic education competence-based curriculum (CBC). The first ESD model project was implemented in 2013 at Kisumu’s Joel Omino Mixed Secondary School where students demonstrated their skills in science, technology, agriculture, and entrepreneurship by developing a water purification system, setting up a model organic vegetables farm and establishing a bakery. Pupils at Nakuru’s Kiamaina Primary School have an even longer experience in farming, the institution having started growing crops and keeping livestock back in 2012.