FARM CONCERN INTERNATIONAL NURTURES THE GROWTH OF AGROPASTORALISTS

Farm Concern International (FCI) is a highly specialized Africa-wide agri-market development agency and a leading strategic direct implementing partner in Africa with a focus on profitable smallholder commercialization, value chain analysis, market access, trade development and private sector alliances for sustainable rural economic growth.
Tearfund UK has funded FCI to implement agro-pastoralist commercialization and market linkages for 4,161 agro pastoralist households organized into eleven commercial villages in Marsabit, Kenya. The agro-pastoralists have recorded sales worth USD 2,319,127 from 2015 – 2016 through the commercial village model [CVM]. The trade was realized from the sale of 903 metric tonnes of green grams, 128,840 litres of camel milk, 988 cattle, 23,797 goats and sheep as well as other staples. The market-led programme has triggered agricultural investments through catalyzing agro-pastoralists profitable commercialization, aggregation, market access, innovation dissemination and village savings for financial inclusion.
Agro-pastoralist commercialization and market development is an intense process which demands strategic business partnership with the private sector, government, farmer organizations and development partners.
FCI has developed business partnership with thirty three wholesale buyers, eleven commercial villages, twenty six commercial producer groups, twenty six integrated implementing partners, financial institutions and input suppliers. The agro-pastoralist market-led programme has increased the acreage under green gram production from seventy seven to nine hundred and eight acres. The intervention is transforming the economic landscape for 1,801 women [43%] and 824 youth [20%] through competitive participation in agro-enterprises and value chain-wide employment opportunities. FCI through its Food Basket Model has created an enabling farm-level crop and livestock diversification programme for food and nutrition security as well as climate resilience. The integrated ASAL initiative that focuses on livestock and crop commercialization, markets and trade development in Northern Kenya has benefited 17,443 individuals.
FCI aims at sharing statistical evidence based on end-term data that has been gathered through action research embedded into the implementation and end of project evaluationfor the anchor value chains including green grams, goats, sheep, cattle and camel milk. It aims at convening local, regional and international private sector partners, agro-pastoralists, buyers, county and national government representatives, research organizations, universities and development organizations for strategic scaling up of arid and semi-arid value chains’ opportunities in Kenya.