West Pokot launches new model to transform small scale farming

PARKLEA IVOR-KNA

West Pokot County has stepped up efforts to modernize its agricultural sector, unveiling 140 agripreneurs in a bold push to strengthen agribusiness and boost food system resilience.

Agriculture Principal Secretary Dr. Paul Rono and his Public Works counterpart, Joel Arumonyang, flanked by Deputy Governor Robert Komolle, attended the launch event, which brought together national and county leaders, development partners, and local stakeholders.

The Food Systems Resilience Project (FSRP), a six-year initiative running from January 2024 to August 2029, is funded by the World Bank through the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MoALD).

It aligns with the broader objectives of the World Bank-supported Food Systems Resilience Programme, which is being implemented across the 47 counties in Kenya to modernize agriculture and transition smallholder farmers from subsistence to commercial, climate-smart farming.

The initiative marks a significant milestone in the county’s journey to empower farmers, strengthen agribusiness enterprises, and expand economic opportunities for youth and women.

The Agripreneur Business Acceleration Model is built on a business-oriented approach to farming.

Rather than relying solely on traditional extension systems, the model nurtures independent agri-preneurs, who operate as private, sustainable enterprises offering fee-based or commission-based services to farmers. 

Through this structure, agripreneurs become crucial intermediaries within the agricultural ecosystem.

They provide advisory and training services on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and climate-smart technologies, connect farmers to quality inputs such as certified seeds and fertilizers and link producers to reliable markets to minimize post-harvest losses.

The model also integrates digital solutions including the Know Your Farmer (KYF) platform, which enables farmer registration, GPS mapping, data collection and production tracking.

This digital integration enhances transparency, planning, and response to emerging issues such as pests and diseases.

The programme targets key agricultural value chains that are critical to West Pokot’s economy including dairy, poultry, red meat, aquaculture, indigenous vegetables, potatoes, apiculture and drought-tolerant crops such as sorghum, green grams, and beans.

By accelerating value addition and improving productivity along these chains, the county is positioning agriculture as a sustainable driver of economic growth and resilience.

Agripreneurs are also trained to facilitate access to financial services, working closely with SACCOs and cooperatives to help farmers secure credit and loans necessary for expansion.

They also undergo intensive training in digital tools, business management and technical agricultural skills before deployment.

The initiative prioritizes youth and women, creating meaningful employment, while building a new generation of agribusiness leaders.

Unlike short-term support programs, the model is designed to be self-sustaining.