Many farmers rarely conduct a post benefit analysis, which only means that at the end of every season, they do not have a clear picture of the amount of inputs and outputs from the farm.
So they have no knowledge on whether they are making profits or losses.
Most of the farmers also underestimate the potential of good and timely land preparation while others have continued to hold on to the traditional methods of farming despite mechanisation.
Chris Onyango, 40, is a businessman and projects manager at the West Kenya Machinery Ring (MR) with over 10 years of experience in the field of project management. At the West Kenya MR, he promotes use of machines to over 5,000 smallholder farmers as a way of maximising their produce and earnings. He has worked in more than five projects, all centred around promotion of smallholder farming in Bungoma and Nyandarua counties. He believes in creating opportunities for others while utilising the available chances instead of waiting for white collar jobs.
What does your job entail? As a project manager, my role includes establishing machinery ring hubs. The hubs work as service centres for farmers within a given area of operation. Due to the challenges faced by farmers in finding a sustainable and dependable market for their produce, we facilitate access to machines including mobile shellers and small milling machines to aid in reducing postharvest losses, improving quality of produce and also diversifying the market for that produce.
