MICHAEL CASSAVA

Daily Nation Feature: Idea Turns Village Into Cassava Hub

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Story By Eunice Kilonzo

Most farms in the larger Murang’a County teem with bananas, potatoes and tomatoes.

These crops are grown widely because there is ready market in Nairobi, Nyeri and Kiambu.

But in Muthithi, a location in the county, things are different. Here, many farmers have given the three crops a wide berth.

Acres upon acres of cassava resplendent in their green canopy colours this sprawling village in the Yatta Plateau, which receives minimum rainfall.

“It started just as an idea but now it is growing into an industry,” Michael Murigi, 24, the brainchild behind this change, told Seeds of Gold in his farm this week.

Having seen his parents and other villagers grow different crops with little success, Murigi, a Master of Economics student at the University of Nairobi, swore to change things.

“I had learned at the university that cassava is a drought-resistant crop, and I realised that this is what we needed in Muthithi.”

But there was a problem, Murigi did not know where to get quality seeds and how to go about making farmers embrace the crop.

“In 2010 while at second year, I approached PathWays, an organisation which, at the time was paying my fees in campus, to assist with the cassava project. They liked my idea and leased two acres for Sh10,000 a year for me to grow the crop,” says Murigi.

It is these two acres that would become the source of the cuttings and a spring of hope to this sleepy village.

The farmer knew he could not go alone in the project and succeed. He reached out to his friends and together they formed Focus Wise Self Help Group.

“We were 15 members. Each one of us contributed Sh1,000 which we used to buy improved cassava variety nodes from Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (Kari).”

“After getting the cuttings, we cut them into three parts and planted a metre apart horizontally,” he adds.

Michael Murigi with cassava harvested from their farm in Murang’a. PHOTO | JENNIFER MUIRURI NATION MEDIA GROUP
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Research: Understanding Gender-Specific Constraints to Agricultural Technology in Cassava Farming in Kenya

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This is an ongoing partnership between FocusWise SHG and the University of California, Berkeley on Understanding Gender-Specific Constraints to Agricultural Technology in Cassava Farming in Kenya.

Study Context

In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), female farmers typically experience lower agricultural productivity compared to their male counterparts. Several key factors contribute to this gender disparity in the adoption of new agricultural technologies, which in turn hinders women’s agricultural productivity. These factors include:

1. Limited Access to Innovative Technologies: Women often face barriers that restrict their access to new and advanced agricultural technologies. This lack of access prevents them from leveraging modern tools and methods to enhance their farming practices.

2. Information Inequality: Another significant challenge is the gender-based information gap. Women frequently encounter difficulties in accessing critical agricultural information, which is vital for optimizing their farming techniques and improving yields.

3. Cultural Norms and Gender Biases: Deep-rooted cultural norms and gender biases can further exacerbate the disparity in technology adoption. These societal norms may hinder female farmers from seeking guidance or data from male-dominated agricultural extension services.

A Young Boy Carrying Cassava Stem Cuttings

A Young Boy Carrying Cassava Stem Cuttings: Photo by Workman House

Recognizing the crucial role that agricultural technology plays in boosting crop yields, especially in regions like Sub-Saharan Africa and across the developing world, it is imperative to investigate and address the reasons behind the differential adoption rates of agricultural technologies between women and men. Understanding these dynamics is essential for promoting gender equity in agriculture and ensuring that female farmers can fully harness the benefits of modern farming practices.

Check the results and lessons from this study here: The Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA).

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Farmers’ Outreach Activities

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Round the year, we distribute improved cassava seeds to farming communities across Kenya and beyond. We have so far hosted 29,711 farmers for training at our demo farm since we set it up. We attend agricultural shows and field days to sensitize and educate new farmers about the benefits of improved cassava farming. We have also hosted crop breeders and agronomists for research work at the farm in Murang’a.

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Improved Cassava for Youth in Eastern and Northern Kenya

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In collaboration with Comic Relief, a British charity, FocusWise will support 300 youthful farmers to start the farming of improved cassava for food security and poverty alleviation. The targeted areas are some of the driest and most drought- ravaged in Kenya. The beneficiaries will receive improved cassava seeds and training on cassava husbandry from FocusWise. The farmers will also supply their excess cassava produce to FocusWise’s cassava processing plant and earmarked fresh produce traders.