More than 900 tea farmers from Kimunye Tea Factory in Kirinyaga County have successfully completed a six-month training programme designed to improve their income and enhance environmental conservation. The training focused on crop diversification, proper land management, and transitioning from conventional practices to climate-smart and regenerative agriculture.
The initiative, launched in 2020, aims to empower over 50,000 smallholder tea and coffee farmers across Kirinyaga and Embu counties. It has been implemented in collaboration with farmer cooperatives, tea factories, county governments, and community-based organisations to strengthen rural livelihoods.
During the graduation ceremony, farmers were encouraged to diversify their income streams by investing in different cash crops, organic farming, and small enterprises. Trainers highlighted the importance of proper record-keeping in agribusiness, noting that many smallholders often struggle to track their profits, making it difficult to plan and expand their farming ventures. By equipping farmers with bookkeeping skills, the programme encourages them to treat farming as a commercial enterprise rather than just a way of life.
The programme has also contributed significantly to environmental conservation around the Mt Kenya ecosystem. Farmers were trained on sustainable practices such as riparian preservation, use of green energy, and environmentally friendly methods of cultivation. This is particularly important as the region is a vital water tower, providing more than 75 percent of Kenya’s renewable surface water and supporting hundreds of thousands of smallholder farmers.
To adapt to climate change and rising production costs, farmers have embraced innovative solutions such as black soldier fly farming, beekeeping, vertical farming, and the use of disease-resistant tea varieties that produce higher yields. Additionally, intercropping and mixed farming techniques are helping farmers maximize land use, while kitchen gardens provide healthy, organic vegetables for household consumption.
Leaders from the programme emphasized that sustainable agriculture combined with environmental protection has a direct impact on local economies. With better farming methods, farmers are seeing higher harvests and improved resilience against the effects of climate change.
Tea farmers in Kirinyaga now view farming not only as a source of livelihood but also as a business opportunity. By adopting these new practices, they are positioning themselves to achieve long-term sustainability, increase profits, and protect the natural environment for future generations.
