SORGHUM VALUE CHAIN PROJECT

he Sorghum Value Chain Project titled “Disseminating a new white sorghum variety Kamani for food and with high malting quality in Kisumu, Homa-Bay and Siaya Counties” is a two-year project implemented in the 3 counties of Kisumu, Homa Bay and Siaya. The project is funded by the European Union through the Government of Kenya to Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) specifically AgriFi Climate Smart Agricultural Productivity Project (AgriFI CS APP).

The main project objective is to increase the adoption and production of improved sorghum varieties from KALRO, among smallholder farmers with outcomes like food security, employment creation, income generation and adoption of the technologies. STIPA works with relevant partners like the Department of Agriculture at county and sub-county levels, inputs service providers, private extension workers, financial service providers, organizations and market players to help farmers get higher produce and shift from subsistence sorghum production into commercialization. With increased productivity and acreage, it has been possible to lift many households from poverty to wealth creation through climate-smart agricultural production.

Key Achievements

• The project has reached 2,230 farmers (Males-823, Females-1099, Youths-308) within the implementation period and are adopting the new technology.
• The farmers within the lake region have been growing sorghum mainly for home consumption. However, STIPA has worked towards the commercialization of sorghum production whereby a total of 2,144.75 acres has been under production, to enhance the sustainability and continuity of the project, 97 key stakeholders have worked closely with STIPA to ensure that farmers produce up to 837,087 kgs of sorghum. A cumulative total of 343,933 kgs has been sold to the markets like community neighbours as seeds for adoption, community millers, hotels and small-scale grain sellers to earn a total of Kes. 34,393,298.00 (thirty-four million, three hundred ninety-three thousand, two hundred ninety-eight Kenya Shillings only).
• The project has also enabled the creation of jobs for 74,746 people and seen a total of 247 farmers graduating from subsistence production to commercial sorghum production.