Agriculture

Makueni County continues to set the national benchmark in agricultural value addition, proving that when farmers, innovation, and visionary leadership align, agriculture becomes a thriving engine of economic transformation.

This leadership was on full display Wednesday as Murang’a County Assembly Committees on Agriculture and Trade undertook a benchmarking visit to the Kalamba Fruit Processing Plant, hosted by the Makueni County Fruit Development and Marketing Authority (MCFDMA). The visit reaffirmed Makueni’s position as a trailblazer in transforming the mango value chain from subsistence farming into a competitive agribusiness powerhouse.

Murang’a County’s benchmarking visit underscored the growing recognition of Makueni’s integrated approach to agricultural development. From farmer organization and extension services to processing, branding, and market access, Makueni has built an end-to-end value chain model that other counties are now eager to replicate.

The engagement provided an opportunity for knowledge exchange on governance frameworks, public-private partnerships, and sustainable agribusiness models-cementing Kalamba’s role as a national learning hub for fruit processing and value addition.

With an annual mango productionl estimated at over 200 million Kilograms, the Department of Agriculture is intensifying efforts to ensure farmers gain better returns from their produce.

On Friday, the Department of Agriculture hosted Ward Administrators from across the county to discuss practical approaches to improving mango offtake and market access.

During the forum, it emerged that the Makueni County Fruit Development and Marketing Authority (MCFDMA) has been allocated 860 metric tonnes for purchase this season, with more than 700 metric tonnes already off taken.

While attending the meeting, Agriculture CECM Elizabeth Muli emphasized the importance of organized farmer groups, noting that exporters and processors largely source mangoes through cooperatives.

Further, administrators were urged to mobilize farmers into joining cooperatives within their wards and actively link them to buyers.

The forum, attended by Governor’s Political Advisor Nzioki King’ola, Chief Officers Dr. Victoria Kyalo (Agriculture), Dr. Jossylyn Nzilani (Trade) and Japheth Kiminza (Livestock), and MCFDMA CEO Joseph Kioko, aimed at strengthening coordinated marketing to empower farmers and enhance household incomes.

The Makueni County Department of Agriculture on Thursday convened a forum to roll out the KCEP CRAL SOIL/ILSA programme aimed at enhancing soil health and promoting agroecology through mobile-based access to farm inputs.

The three-year initiative, set to run from 2026 to 2028, brings together county administration officials, agricultural officers, agro-dealers, agroecology service providers, and KALRO. The programme will initially be implemented in three sub-counties, with Sub-County and Ward Agricultural Officers playing a key role in its rollout.

Supported by the European Union, the programme builds on Makueni County’s strong performance during the first phase of KCEP-CRAL. It targets 2,700 farmers for agroecology e-voucher inputs, while an additional 6,500 farmers will benefit from agroecology training. The initiative seeks to increase farm productivity, expand access to subsidized inputs, strengthen county agroecology systems, and improve food and nutrition security.

Speaking during the forum, CECM for Agriculture Elizabeth Muli said the initiative demonstrates the county government’s commitment to improving soil health, promoting sustainable agroecology practices, and empowering farmers through innovative, mobile-based input access.

On his part, KCEP-CRAL Eastern Region Coordinator Patrick Hinga said Makueni’s exemplary performance in earlier programme phases informed its selection, noting that the initiative will enhance farmer resilience, scale up agroecology adoption, and strengthen institutional capacity within the county.

In the face of unpredictable climate patterns affecting Makueni County, KALRO Kiboko and the Cereal Growers Association CGA) brought regulators, scientists and academia together to witness how science can strengthen food security.

The Wednesday high-level stakeholder engagement focused on Trecepta, a biotechnology jointly developed by KALRO and Bayer Crop Science to protect maize from above-ground insect pests while controlling weeds.

The forum, dubbed “Stawisha Mazao: A Tale of Two Harvests,” followed a Science Meets Policy Roundtable and featured an immersive field visit to a smallholder farmer’s plot and the KALRO Kiboko Confined Field Trial site.

Participants compared the realities farmers face when access to technology is delayed against the proven benefits of science-led innovation. The visit concluded with an on-site dialogue bringing together farmers, researchers, policymakers, regulators, and the media.

Attending the forum, Agriculture CECM Liz Muli said modern agricultural technologies are critical in lowering production costs and building farmer resilience amid climate stress.

KALRO Biotechnology Research Institute Director Dr. Martin Mwirigi emphasized that Trecepta combines proven traits to offer comprehensive protection, helping farmers achieve better yields sustainably.

The engagement marked a deliberate shift from boardroom discussions to field-based evidence, strengthening fact-driven dialogue on agricultural biotechnology in Kenya.

Makueni County has launched a countywide Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccination program aimed at controlling outbreaks and improving livestock productivity.

The exercise, officially launched in Makiou, Kilome Sub-County, is being implemented using a digital e-voucher system that registers each head of cattle through a muzzle-based identification process. Farmers will pay a subsidized fee of Ksh. 50 per cow, with all payments conducted online.

Deputy Governor Lucy Mulili, who led the launch, said the program is intended to safeguard farmers’ livelihoods by preventing the spread of the highly contagious disease. She urged livestock farmers to participate fully in the exercise and work closely with their cooperatives to ensure timely vaccination.

The vaccination drive will be rolled out across all wards in the county and coordinated through 13 cooperatives and farmer societies to ensure effective coverage and implementation.

County Executive Committee Members Elizabeth Muli (Agriculture) and Nicholas Nzioka (Devolution), as well as members of the County Assembly Agriculture Committee, attended the launch.

The program is expected to significantly reduce FMD outbreaks and improve milk and meat production in Makueni County.

The Department of Agriculture and Livestock on Thursday concluded a two-day training on the e-voucher Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccination model, ahead of its rollout in the county.

The training brought together 40 Veterinary Surgeons(VS) and Veterinary Paraprofessionals (VPPs), alongside representatives from 13 Farmer Producer Organizations (VPOs) where participants were equipped with skills to implement the digital vaccination system smoothly.

Speaking during the closure of the training, CECM for Agriculture and Livestock, Liz Muli, urged Farmer Producer Organization leaders to take the lead in mobilizing farmers to embrace the new system.

She further noted that the digital approach will improve efficiency, transparency and disease control across the county, adding that strong collaboration between service providers and farmer groups is key to protecting livestock and improving productivity in Makueni.

During the registration exercise, farmers will be enrolled on the Mifugo 360 app using their national ID numbers and mobile phone contacts.

Upon successful registration, each farmer will receive an e-voucher worth KSh 50 per cow, issued according to the number of animals presented for vaccination.

The vaccination will be carried out through 13 cooperatives across the county, with farmers registering their livestock online at the nearest cooperative.

The Department of Agriculture on Wednesday held a consultative meeting with CDDC chairpersons, SACCO leaders, Mango lead farmers and the 7 Cooperatives supplying mangoes to the Makueni Fruit Processing Plant to review the mango marketing status of ward-based Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs).

The leaders were updated on the current season mango offtake totaling to over 8 million Metric Tonnes and valued at Kshs 260M through exporters, processors and both urban and rural fresh markets.

The forum, attended by County Secretary Dr. Justine Kyambi, focused on practical strategies to manage the ongoing bumper harvest while strengthening collective marketing to safeguard farmer incomes.

Addressing the meeting, Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperative Development CECM Liz Muli urged local leaders to mobilize farmers to join organized producer groups which would enable the County Government to negotiate better prices, secure stable markets, and deliver extension services more efficiently.

Dr. Kyambi reaffirmed the county’s commitment to protecting farmers from market exploitation and ensuring fair returns for their produce.

He further emphasized that the initiative aligns with Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr’s agenda of economically empowering households through structured, market-driven agriculture.

The county government will carry out a thorough audit into how savings and credit cooperative societies (Saccos) have been purchasing mangoes, Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. has said.

Speaking while addressing residents during the commissioning of the Ngaaka Health Centre in Makindu, the governor said the process will audit how the entire process was carried out and warned that anyone found culpable of irregularities in the mango procurement process would be dealt with in accordance with the law.

He said the Kalamba fruit processing plant cannot absorb all mangoes produced in the county, particularly during peak harvest seasons.

To address the gap, the county has deployed additional measures to support the mango value chain, including the use of cold storage facilities to reduce post-harvest losses.

Makueni Deputy Governor Lucy Mulili has announced that the county government will review the budget for the Makueni Fruit Processing Plant in the next financial year to ensure it continues supporting local farmers. Speaking on Wednesday during an official tour of the facility, Mulili assured farmers in the county that all mangoes collected at the plant are sourced from Makueni county.

She encouraged mango farmers to explore additional markets, including exports, which she said have significant potential for increased off-take.

The Deputy Governor made the remarks while meeting chairpersons of contracted cooperative societies responsible for purchasing mangoes from farmers at the plant.

The Plant has begun large-scale mango processing to create space for increased fruit intake during the peak harvest season. The move follows an overwhelming response from farmers across the county.

So far, the plant has received more than 250 metric tonnes of mangoes and is targeting to receive up to 580 metric tonnes, supported by an allocated budget of KSh 13.9 million.

According to the plant’s Chief Executive Officer, the facility is working with seven cooperative societies mandated to off-take mangoes from farmers across the county. Agriculture Executive Committee Member Elizabeth Muli said a thorough verification process is underway to ensure only genuine Makueni farmers benefit from the programme.

She added that aggressive marketing and farmer sensitisation have resulted in deliveries exceeding capacity at the ripening chambers. Processing is currently ongoing to free up space and allow continued intake, with more mango deliveries expected in the coming week.