Kenya’s food production in the time of Coronavirus

At the time of writing this article, the number of active Covid-19 cases in Kenya have exceeded 300, while fatalities and recoveries stand at 14 and 67, respectively. Cases have also been reported across a wider geographical area. As the virus continues its unrelenting onslaught, it is leading to negative effects on various aspects of food production. This post presents perspectives from a cross-section of young Kenyan farmers and agricultural service providers on how the global pandemic is impacting their work and livelihoods.

Allan Migaili, 30, Director at Kings Agricultural Services, Nairobi County

The business has especially been hurt by travel restrictions and the ban on large public gatherings. Although these measures are understandable, they have crippled us because a significant portion of our work involves travelling into rural Kenya and training farmers, often in large groups. We were also set to sign contracts for two long-term projects in Isiolo and Makueni counties last month, but those are now in limbo indefinitely.

Seeing that effects of the virus may precipitate a severe food crisis within the next few months, I wish the government could have provided special permits and guidelines allowing inter-county travel for extension workers. Likewise, adoption of digital technologies by the counties could have enabled, for instance, virtual contract negotiations and signing. Such steps would ensure that service provision and hence production goes on.

Annie Nyaga, the Chief Administrative Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture has been giving positive signals so it still may be possible. In her recent pronouncements, she mentioned NARIGP, which is one of the projects we were set to work on, as one of the key priorities in the ministry in combating the looming food shortage.

Going forward, our organization will work on a comprehensive risk assessment so as to be better prepared to adapt to such situations in future. We will put in place risk mitigation measures, including diversifying our business portfolio, to avoid severe financial disruptions.

Maryann Wanja, 23, Production Manager at Insect Research Ltd, Kiambu County

We rear black soldier fly larvae for use as a protein component in animal feeds. It is a novel type of farming in Kenya, and most of our energy thus far has been concentrated in stabilizing production to commercially viable volumes. If things had gone according to plan, we could have made significant sales this month.

However, that is no longer the case due to low production. We have had to reduce the number of staff so as to avoid congestion in our confined space. Closure of open air markets and a lockdown of the Nairobi Metropolitan Area have limited our access to food waste, which is our main raw material. The lockdown has also prevented us from readily accessing markets outside the region.

We are adapting to the situation by feeding our larvae on less nutritious food sources, which lengthens the growth cycle. This is a coping mechanism to maintain the colony, with hopes that health practitioners will defeat the virus soon and allow us to go back to full production. We also intend to acquire bigger storage containers which will enable us to store huge amounts of waste. In this way, we will be better prepared to absorb future shocks.

Vincent Otieno, 25, a Fisherman on L. Victoria- Homa Bay County

I specialize in fishing of omena (silver cyprinids). This type of fish is popular among locals due to its relatively fair pricing and ease of preparation in comparison to the others such as mbuta (tilapia) and ngege (Nile perch). It is also transported upcountry for use as human food and in animal feeds.

The 7 PM to 5 AM curfew effectively bans us from working. This is because the best time to fish omena is late at night. Transporters are no longer sending as many trucks as before. I think they are scared of the virus, or it has something to do with the curfew.

Most of us are still operating at night, despite the curfew. It is scary though, because we risk being arrested and sent into the expensive mandatory quarantine facilities. We shouldn’t be going through this, it is dangerous enough fishing in the cold, dark and stormy lake! My only request is that the curfew be relaxed for fishermen.

Teresa Wambugu, 30, Business/Product Developer at Holland Greentech Kenya, Uasin Gishu County

Our organization provides horticultural products and services, mainly to smallholders. The outbreak of Covid-19 has made it difficult to reach farmers due to travel restrictions and stigmatization. Even before Nairobi was sealed off, some farmers were not as welcoming as they were before the virus. Most were afraid that our Nairobi-based field officers might be infected, and hence could spread it to them.

As the planting season started in February-March, sales increased by up to 70%. Unfortunately, the virus’ entry into Kenya triggered a massive slump, starting in late March. The situation has been complicated further due to late payments by some clients. We have been forced to take pay cuts, such as 40% in my case. Most of our farmers also lack markets, especially for crops with low local demand such as lettuce and cauliflower.

We continue providing digital extension services via social media and phone calls, while holding weekly meetings via Microsoft Teams, and distributing products through courier services. We are encouraging farmers to scale up production, as there is an imminent risk of a serious food shortage. I urge the government and financial institutions to offer farmers financial support once during this period and even once the virus has been contained.

Likewise, de-stigmatization campaigns will be essential. The farmers’ fears are legitimate and cannot be ignored. My suggestion is that once the coast is clear, the national government should launch a nation-wide sensitization campaign to allay fears. On the other hand, the County government health departments should work closely with agricultural providers to develop targeted material. These can be communicated to farmers in order to reduce stigma and, consequently, ensure that extension workers are welcomed back into farms.

Anthony Mutembei, 28, Proprietor at AMM Growers, Tharaka-Nithi County

At AMM Growers, we produce mangoes, avocados and pixie oranges for export to various Middle Eastern markets, located in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Qatar. However, our sales have been affected by limited trading activity due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Where we used to consistently supply around eight tons of produce each week, volumes have dropped to an average of two tons, due to reduced, and unpredictable, orders.

We have taken a number of measures to remain afloat. Unfortunately, this has included scaling down our labor force and rejecting supplies from some out-growers. We have also switched to supplying local markets. Even though it pays less, it prevents fruits from rotting in the farms, while also providing much-needed cash flow.

We have never faced a disruption of this magnitude and it has prompted us to consider value addition. Extending the shelf life of our products will help us to be better prepared for such eventualities in future. We are currently evaluating different value addition options and hope to start setting up by July, if the virus is contained soon enough.

Written by Atula Owade.

This article is part of Covid-19 Food/Future, an initiative under TMG ThinkTank for Sustainability’s SEWOH Lab project (https://www.tmg-thinktank.com/sewoh-lab). It aims at providing a unique and direct insight into the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on national and local food systems. Also follow @CovidFoodFuture, our Video Diaries From Nairobi, and @TMG_think on Twitter. Funding for this initiative is provided by BMZ, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.