By Felix Ochieng Akech

A new system of aeration centres that the government is building countrywide, for farmers to sell their produce through, will eventually completely replace middlemen with a state network for agriculture, according to a facility manager in Homa Bay.

“An aeration centre is like a halfway house between the farm and the market,” said Kennedy Nyayal, a local farmer and operator at an aeration facility in Rangwe, Homa Bay. “Farmers bring their produce here after harvest. We clean, dry, and aerate it using controlled airflow so that moisture and temperature are balanced. That keeps mould and rotting away. Once it’s ready, we store it safely, and the farmer gets a receipt showing quantity and quality, which can even be used to get short term credit.”

The centre then links farmers directly to millers, processors, and feed manufacturers, helping them secure better prices. Plans are also underway to integrate the facility into the National Warehouse Receipt System, enabling farmers to trade digitally without moving their produce, and as part of a nationwide move to get a centre set up in every ward in the country.

 “Once every ward has a working centre, middlemen will be history,” said Kennedy. “Farmers will sell directly to processors and exporters. This is how we build agricultural industries right from the village.”

Kennedy claims that the centre was built in Rangwe, most farmers stored grain in sacks at home or under plastic sheets. Within weeks, the grain would heat up and attract pests. “We used to lose 20% to 30% of our maize within a month,” he said. “Some farmers were forced to sell early, at as low as Sh40 per kilogram, just to avoid total loss.”

The Rangwe centre is a partnership between the county government and local cooperatives, after many drying and cooling facilities across the county had fallen idle, operating below 20% of their potential. With support from local SACCOs, many of these facilities are now being revived and linked directly to farmers at ward level.

At the Rangwe aeration centre, the process begins with weighing and moisture testing. If moisture exceeds 13%, the grain goes through a dryer before being aerated to stabilise temperature. “We blow air evenly through the grain to prevent fungal growth and keep the colour and texture fresh,” said Nyayal. “After that, the farmer gets a receipt and if they need cash, they can borrow up to 70% of the value while waiting for prices to rise.”

According to Nyayal, post-harvest losses have dropped from 30% to below 5%, while average earnings have increased by up to 20%. “Farmers now understand the value of quality,” he said. “They don’t rush to sell wet maize anymore, and some have even expanded their farms because they trust they won’t lose what they harvest.”

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One farmer, Beatrice from Ndumberi, “used to lose half her beans every season. Last year, she brought her harvest here. We dried and stored it, and three months later she sold through the centre, earning Sh28,000 more than usual. She told me it was the first time farming had felt profitable.”

Still, the centres face challenges. Unreliable electricity in some rural areas makes it difficult to run dryers efficiently, and many farmers still underestimate the importance of proper aeration. 

“We have to keep training them,” said Kennedy. “Some think it’s just fancy storage, but once they see the difference in quality, they understand.”

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