By George Munene
The agriculture ministry has launched phase two of the Kenya Integrated Agriculture Management Information System (KIAMIS) which aims to build an online nationwide farmer database, disseminate government services to farmers as well as help them access markets.
The Swede Government financed the project through a Sh649 million ($5.2M) grant.
“KIAMIS will be a one-stop shop for agricultural data. We are currently registering farmers and all the information we collect from them will be collapsed into one platform so that whoever is sourcing for any agricultural data across the country will be able to access it from a single source,” said Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi.
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According to the CS, this technology will be critical in helping deal with the country’s hunger crisis and achieving the targets of the Agriculture Transformation and Growth Strategy (ASTGS), 2019 – 2029 through offering revolutionary services such as:
- Having the Kenya Farmer Register– a national farmer registry that will capture farmer numbers, their location, acreage, and crops they grow
- Giving authenticated farmers access to subsidised farm inputs such as fertilisers and seeds
- Access to information from the Ministry of Agriculture
- Offering free online extensions content such as what crops to grow for your Ward, localised weather forecasting, and other scientific data available to the ministry.
- Creating an up-to-date online marketplace
“KIAMIS will be a digital platform that will offer solutions to farmers in terms of improving their lives monetarily and in terms of their nutrition,” outlined FAO Kenya Representative Carla Mucavi.
Information gathered from the system will also be accessed and used for policy implementation by the national and county governments given agriculture is primarily a devolved function.
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The programmes Implemention will be done by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development and The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
The project’s first phase was the rapid national farmers’ registration through the National Government Administration (Chiefs, Assistant Chiefs and village elders) which has thus far registered 4.2 million farmers.
Present during the lauch at Kilimo House were the Swedish Ambassador to Kenya H.E Caroline Vicini, PS Crop Development Kello Harsama, FAO Kenya Representative Carla Mucavi, Assistant FAO Kenya Representative-Programmes Hamisi Williams and other Senior government officials.