Spreading the agribusiness gospel from Israel

Kenneth Chepkwony addressing an agribusiness stakeholders dinner organised by Kenarava in 2019.

Photo credit: Pool

What you need to know:

  • Ken believes that lack of specialisation often overwhelms local farmers as they try to fill gaps in the agriculture supply chain.
  • ‘‘Opportunities in the agro value chain are infinite. When you specialise, you are able to find a niche in the chain. My niche is consultancy. But it is on the use of farming technology, from application of weather intelligence and irrigation, where Israelis are winning, Ken says.

BY JAMES KAHONGEH

Growing up in Nandi County, Kenneth Chepkwony watched as his father’s attempts at farming failed miserably year in year out. When he joined Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology to study animal health production, he hoped to become an expert so that he could steer his family’s business to profitability.

As luck would have it, Ken was in the first cohort of 102 graduates from local universities selected in 2016 to participate in an 11-month training programme at Arava International Centre for Agricultural Training (AICAT) in Israel.

There, Ken went through an intensive training programme in state-of-the-art institutions while interning at modern based farms. Between 2018 and 2019, he was askd to lead the third group of Kenyan trainees to AICAT.

It is during his second visit to Israel that Ken met Yvonne Kiere and Ronald Diang’a, and when they returned home in 2017, the trio founded Kenarava Group, an agribusiness consultancy firm. Their vision is to offer advisory support to farmers.

That Kenarava is a 100 per cent youth-led outfit is their best selling point. As the vice chairman, Ken is the organisation’s contact person and is tasked with reaching out to farmers. Yvonne, the chief agronomist who is pursuing a Master’s degree in Israel, handles the company’s technical issues while Ronald, the executive chairman, is the strategist.

Their company is now a key player in regional agribusiness affairs, and the trio has been consulted by among other notable entities, a United Nations arm.

‘‘We organise free trainings and stakeholder forums for farmers to teach them better farming methods. We help them tailor solutions for sustainable farming at the lowest microeconomic level. These activities are organised through partnerships with the private sector and other development partners,’’ Ken says, and adds that trainings for agribusiness-oriented outfits are however conducted on a pay-first basis.

‘‘We developed the messaging for AgriNow 2020, an agricultural startup event organised by the Israeli Embassy in Kenya,’’ he adds.

Next year, during the African summit of the World Vegetable Centre to be held in Tanzania, Kenarava plans to organise a youth event. Lessons from his experience in Israel have shaped his perspective on agribusiness, but none quite like the organisation of agriculture as a business.

‘‘With this model, producers are encouraged to concentrate on production while marketers, suppliers and policy makers are called upon to do their specific jobs. It is a properly coordinated system where no one tries to do everything,’’ he says.

Ken believes that lack of specialisation often overwhelms local farmers as they try to fill gaps in the agriculture supply chain.
‘‘Opportunities in the agro value chain are infinite. When you specialise, you are able to find a niche in the chain. My niche is consultancy. But it is on the use of farming technology, from application of weather intelligence and irrigation, where Israelis are winning, Ken says.

‘‘Israel is a desert. It rained only twice during my year-long stay in the country, but farmers till the land all year long because they have adopted climate-smart technologies,’’ he says.

But even as they empower agribusiness farmers, Kenarava has a bias for those practicing horticulture, which, according to Kenneth, is a strategic approach.

‘‘Horticulture brings in revenue fast, making it suitable for farmers who may not have huge outlays. It is also a safe bet in areas with unpredictable weather patterns because crops take a shorter time to mature,’’ he notes.

However, many young Kenyans are still disinclined to practice agribusiness. It is no wonder, therefore, that the average age of a Kenyan farmer is 60 years. Why aren’t young people farming as much as they should? Kenneth blames ignorance.

‘‘People associate agribusiness with actual production. That if you aren’t producing then you aren’t an agribusiness entrepreneur is a fallacy,’’ he emphasises.

To Ken, there are many avenues for making money in the agribusiness chain, including the internet of things (IOT).
Ken sees the company as a disruptive entity that will change the way Kenyans farm. Already, Kenarava is driving agribusiness conversations on social media, with trending hashtags such as #Moneyinthesoil and #Biketofarm.

‘‘We take great pride in what we have achieved so far. The agribusiness agenda needs to be moved forward.’’
On targets, Ken says the company hopes to reach and train 100,000 farmers every year in the medium term, and to have a continental coverage in the long-term.

His father may have given up farming after years of loss making, but Ken has a mission: To continue supporting and educating farmers and those in the agribusiness chain so that they can realise better returns.

‘‘We look forward to becoming the link between global climate-smart technologists and smallholder farmers in Kenya,’’ he says.