With Kenya’s maize yields lagging behind regional neighbors, agribusiness players are stepping in with new solutions aimed at reversing decades of stagnation in the country’s staple crop production.
While farmers in Tanzania and Zambia average between three to 3.5 metric tonnes of maize per acre, Kenyan farmers remain stuck at around two a gap attributed to a mix of outdated farming practices, ineffective pest control, misuse of agricultural inputs, and limited access to innovation.
This persistent shortfall has forced the country to rely on maize imports year after year to bridge local demand, raising concerns over food security and long-term sustainability.
In a recent agricultural field event held in Naivasha, attended by over 5,000 farmers, industry stakeholders called for a rethink in how Kenyan farmers access and use agricultural chemicals. They emphasized the need for products that are both affordable and aligned with current environmental standards.
Rainbow Company East Africa’s Managing Director, M.L. Sharma, highlighted that many farmers continue to use the wrong pest control products or apply them ineffectively, leading to heavy losses especially from pests like the fall armyworm.
“Farmers are dealing with the same problems year in, year out mainly due to improper chemical use,” Sharma said. “We’ve now introduced new products that are both cost-effective and designed to handle some of the toughest pests affecting maize.”
Sharma said that the company’s latest pest control solutions could potentially raise yields by 10 percent, while also lowering input costs by 7 percent a promising shift for smallholder farmers battling thin margins.
Rainbow CEO Wicky Wang added that the products meet both local and international environmental safety standards, a move aimed at reducing chemical toxicity on Kenyan farms.
“We are committed to ensuring farmers don’t just get better harvests, but that they do so sustainably,” Wang said.
As Kenya grapples with climate change, soil degradation, and an expanding population, experts believe that smarter pest control and input application could be the missing link in unlocking greater food productivity but only if accompanied by better farmer education and stronger regulation of the agricultural supply chain.
