By Kenya News Agency
The Cooperative University of Kenya (CUK) has launched a digital platform in Narok County to help farmers improve their productivity and improve market access.
Speaking in Narok town during the farmers’ forum, Professor Wycliffe Aluoch, a lecturer at CUK, said in the new programme, farmers will be expected to form cooperatives where they will be taught different value chains, depending on their produce.
Narok, Nakuru and Baringo Counties have been selected as pilot areas for the project, which is being funded by the African Development Bank (ADB).
Professor Aluoch hinted that the initiative will bring farmers, extension officers, value addition actors and the market in one digital platform, where they will interact directly.
“There are cases where farmers produce but do not reach the markets because of various reasons like impassable roads and distance to the markets. This makes the middle men exploit them,” he said.
The digital platform will also enable the farmers to access critical agricultural services and inputs as the system will incorporate agro-suppliers.
He reiterated the end result of the initiative will be in line with the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) as farmers who have been earning poorly from their produce will earn more income.
The initiative, he continued, will also help to improve food security in the country as the farmers are expected to produce more especially in maize, dairy and Irish potatoes farming.
“The initiative will improve the sustainability of the farmers’ cooperatives and value chain as the shared platform will make it easy for farmers to interact with input suppliers, financial institutions and markets. At the end of the day, the farmers will pocket more profits,” he said.
A Cooperative Officer in Narok County Ms. Hellen Surum lauded the initiative adding that the farmers’ groups that have been struggling will be empowered through training.
“I urge farmers to form or join cooperatives to benefit from this project. Farmers who are not in any group will not benefit,” said the officer.
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