Agricultural Marketing Strategy - 2023-2032.

This Agricultural Marketing Strategy for Kenya (AMS), covering the years 2023-2032, aims at contributing in the transformation of the agricultural sector into a productive and efficient sector that is competitive both locally and globally, and thus addresses key challenges in the agricultural marketing sector, such as: inadequate market infrastructure, non compliance with standards, low value-addition, returns for farmers and agricultural producers, poor market access, affordable prices for agricultural commodities for the consumers, exports of Kenya’s agricultural commodities and favourable balance of trade for the country. The Strategy moves from the consideration that agriculture plays a critical role in ensuring food and nutrition security for the Kenyan population, and that the sector employs most of the rural population and is the principal source of rural incomes and livelihoods, and thus emphasises the transformation of small-scale agriculture from subsistence activities, marked by low productivity and value-addition, to an innovative, commercially oriented, modern and internationally competitive agricultural sector, by improving competitiveness and transport infrastructure, mitigating risks, and adopting modern market infrastructures.
The Strategy identifies several constraints along the marketing chain of agricultural produce and products that can positively change the landscape of agricultural marketing, if well addressed, and thus stimulate agricultural transformation: inadequate supply of produce and products; high post-harvest losses; limited value-addition; underdeveloped marketing channels; poor access roads to physical markets; inefficient logistics for local and international trade; inadequate market information for decision-making; low adoption of technology and innovations in agricultural marketing; poor management of markets and marketing inefficacies; inadequate access to financial services. Thus, in order to address these constraints, the Strategy outlines the following nine strategic areas and related actions: 1) improving infrastructures of agricultural market, particularly sanitation services and water facilities; 2) ensuring compliance with quality standards for agricultural produce and products, proper handling of produce and food safety measures; 3) strengthening supply of agricultural produce and products; 4) promoting value-addition activities for agricultural produce, such as processing and packaging; 5) development of marketing channels for agricultural produce, focusing both on domestic and export markets; 6) ensuring efficient and timely transportation from production areas to markets; 7) use of market intelligence, technology, and innovation to improve decision-making and efficiency in agricultural marketing; 8) training and capacity-building initiatives for farmers; 9) facilitating trade and market opportunities for farmers.