Policy Briefs
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Item Brief on Aflasafe Modular Manufacturing Plant at KALRO-Katumani, Kenya(Kenya Agricultural and Research Organization, 2024) Kenya Agricultural and Research OrganizationAflatoxins are toxic compounds produced by the fungus Aspergillus flavus and other closely related fungi. The contamination process begins in the field and may continue throughout storage and until cosumption. Aflatoxins pose health risks to both humans and animals, even at low concentration. Over 25% of maize and groundnut produced in sub-Saharan Africa contains high aflatoxin levels. In Kenya, the aflatoxin threshold is 10 ppb but sometimes these crops contains more than 20,000 ppb total aflatoxins..Item Farmers Reaping Big After Being Trained on Handling Post-Harvest Losses(Kenya Agricultural and Research Organization (KALRO), 2021) Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research OrganizationDemand for fresh tomatoes in the country has been high both for domestic use and markets. However the post-harvest losses have been a threat forcing some farmers to abandon the plant altogether. Farmers in Kirinyaga County are despite this speaking another language as they are reaping big when it comes to their tomatoes even as many across the country are recording losses due to high level of post-harvest losses.Item Induction Program for Senior Managers at KALRO(Kenya Agicultural and Research Organization, 2023) Wangari, V.; Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research OrganizationThe inductees were taken through security matters, management of crops and livestock research, finance rules and regulations, audit and risk management, procurement regulations and asset management, corporate policies including man resource management, information communication technology, intellectual property and corporate communications and land matters.Item KALRO and Partners Improve Forage and Livestock Production in The ASALS(Kenya Agricultural and Livstock Research Organization (KALRO), 2024) Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research OrganziationThe goal of Integrated and Climate Smart Innovations for Agro-Pastoralists Economies and Landscapes (ICSIAPL) is to build a more resilient and market-based solutions to improve forage production and livestock husbandry. The technologies being transferred include natural pasture improvement, suitable grasses and fodder legumes for ASALS, seed bulking management practices and livestock supplementary feeding. So far partners 6,500 farmers have been trained, resulting to 40% adoption.Item Press Release: KALRO GMO Update(Kenya Agricultural and Research Organization (KALRO), 2022-10-18) Kenya Agricultural and Research OrganizationKenya Agricultural and Research Organization KALRO takes this opportunity to thank H. E. President Hon William Samoei Ruto following the lift of a 10- year ban on Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) importa and cultivation in Kenya.Item KALRO Mwea Trains Farmers On Quality Rice Seed Production(Kenya Agricultural and Research Organization (KALRO), 2022) Kenya Agricultural and Research OrganizationRice seed growers drawn from Kirinyaga, Muranga, Bura-Tana River, Taita Taveta, Migori, Busia, and Kisumu are beneficiaries of quality seed production training by scientists from KALRO Mwea. KALRO imparted the growers with information, knowledge and skills so that they may produce quality seed for increased productivity and production of rice in Kenya. The training was undertaken in KALRO Mwea on 22-23 December 2022.Item Statement from KALRO about the Gates Foundation on Continued Support through a New Commitment of $300M for Research and Development in Agriculture(Kenya Agricutural and Research Organization (KALRO), 2024) Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research OrganizationBill and Melinda Gate Foundation (BMGF) is guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives.Item KALRO Upscales Maize Value Chain in Uasin Gishu and Tana River Counties(Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), 2024) Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research OrganizationMaize contributes to about 65% of daily per capita cereal consumption, accounts for over 20% of the total agricultural production and 25% of employment in Kenya. Despite its importance as a staple food in Kenya, maize production has not kept pace with the population increase.Item Kenya to Host Joint International Grassland and Rangeland Congress(Kenya Agricultural and Research Organization (KALRO), 2024) Kenya Agricultural and Research OrganizationKenyan rangelands, especially the ASALs, are susceptible to these changes of weather and are characterized by high incidences of poverty and malnutrition requiring frequent relief assistance.Item Launch of Climate-Smart Dryland Crops and Grasses(Kenya Agricultural and Research Organization (KALRO), 2024) Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research OrganizationThe AgriFI Kenya Climate Smart Agricultural Productivity Project, co-funded by the EU and the Kenyan government, aims to support KALRO’s research on climate-smart agricultural technologies. Targeting 500,000 smallholder farmers and pastoralists, it strives to develop drought-resistant crops, enhance technology adoption, and foster market linkages. KALRO’s drylands research program has been instrumental, developing numerous crop varieties suited for ASALs. The AgriFI project enhances these efforts, addressing climate challenges head-on.Item Novel Technology to Reduce the Complexity of Maize Seed Production and Increase Maize Hybrid Yields in Farmer’s Fields(KALRO, 2024) Kenya Agricultural and Research OrganizationThe Seed Production Technology for Africa (SPTA) process enables production of non-pollen-producing inbred seed that can be used in a two-step multiplication process to produce commercial seed of hybrid varieties containing equal parts pollen producing and non-pollen producing plants. The pollen producing plants provide pollen for the entire field, while the non- pollen producing plants deliver additional grain since they save energy by not producing pollen and by reducing tassel size. Hybrids in which fifty percent of the plants are non-pollen producing have a significant grain yield advantage compared with their counterpart hybrids in which all plants produce pollen.Item Soil Acidity and Liming Handbook for Kenya(Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, 2024) Kitonga, B.; Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research OrganizationSoil acidity is a condition in which the soil pH is less than 7 because it contains more hydrogen and aluminum ions than the basic cations therefore reducing the availability of nutrients in the soil leading to poor plant growth. Most farmers across the country are unaware that soil acidity reduces crop yield by almost 50% regardless the amount of fertilizer you use. Soil acidity can occur naturally or overtime due to poor soil management practices by humans. It’s only through soil testing that a farmer is able to know the soil composition.Item Young Farmers Embracing Technology to Predict Rainfall and Weather(Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization., 2024) Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research OrganizationThe KAOP technology developed by the Kenya Agricultural Livestock and Research Organisation (KALRO)is an integrated online platform that uses geo-data from satellites to generate real-time and location specific agro-advisories to farmers enabling them to make more informed farming decisions.Item Brief on Aflasafe Modular Manufacturing Plant at KALRO-Katumani, Kenya(2023-06-06) KALRO; IITA; CGAIRAflasafe KE01™ for Safe Crops, Better Health, and Higher IncomeItem KARI Mtwapa Research Highlights 2005(Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, 2008) Kenya Agricultural Research InstituteKenya Agricultural Research Institute - Mtwapa (KARI Mtwapa) is situated 20 km north of Mombasa in Kilifi district, in coastal lowland zone three (CL3, coconut-cassava zone). The mandate of the Centre is to address agricultural constraints in farming specific to the agro-ecological and socio-economic conditions of coastal lowland Kenya. The mandate districts of the Centre are: Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale, Malindi, Lamu and South Tana River The six mandate districts cover about 66,368 km2 and have about 208,362 households and a human population of about 2.6m. The production figures indicate declining production for the major crops. Maize production declined from 592,000 bags in 2001 to 275,341 bags in 2004 while cassava decreased from 141,807 tons to 71, 529 tons for the same period. The maize yields range from one to eight bags ha-1 compared to the 40 bags potential with improved well managed varieties. Similarly coconut has shown a decreasing production trend from 67,301 tons in 1998 to 37,885 tons in 2004 (MoA). The production of cashew which has received a lot of attention from various stakeholders has increased from 7,576 tons in 2002 to 11, 323 tons in 2004. In 2004, the region had 1m cattle, 1m goats, 0.5m sheep, 2m indigenous chicken and 400,000 exotic chickens (MLFD, 2004). Milk production has increased in the last ten years from 30m litres (Staal and Mullins, 1996) to 63.9m litres in 2004 (MLFD, 2004).The C entre has a sub centre or testing site in all the mandate districts: Matuga (K wale), Msabaha (Malindi), Mariakani (Kilifi), Mpeketoni (Lamu), Bamba (Kilifi) and Ngao (Tana River) .Item Land Degradation in Kenya: A Framework for Policy and Planning(Commonwealth Secretariat, 1992) Kilewe, A.M. ; Thomas, D.B.In 1989 Division of Consultation the Food Production and Rural Development the Commonwealth Secretariat held a high level on Conservation for sustainable Agricultural Development in the Sudan-Sahel ian Region of Africa, at Banjul, The Gambia. As background material for this Consultation, commissioned studies were prepared for a number of countries. This volume for Kenya written by Dr Kilewe and Professor Thomas is the second report to be published, and complements the first compiled by Professor volume "Land Degradation in Ghana" G. Benneh and Dr. Agyepong, of the University of Ghana. These country reports are therefore part of a series, which includes (i) the Report of the Consultation published in both English and French, (ii) a volume of Technical papers, and (iii) a comprehensive review of Problems of Land Degradation in Commonwealth Africa, all of which resulted from the Gambia meeting. Details of all these publications are included at the end of the report.
