The ingo youth selling their pasture

A group of young people passionate about agriculture in Kakamega County set out on a life-changing journey that led to the creation of the Ingo Agri champs Youth Association. Their story is an embodiment of how knowledge, community involvement, and determined minds can yield a positive change. The Ingo Agri Champs have embarked on fodder production to exploit the market opportunity created by Kakamega County investment in the dairy sector.

Kakamega County is determined to develop the dairy sector to reduce reliance on imports from other counties and create employment opportunities for local populations with an emphasis on youths. To spear head this effort the County formed a parastatal referred to as the Kakamega Dairy Development Corporation (KDDC) which intends to establish 12 dairy farms across the County. FAO saw this opportunity and mobilized groups of young people to take advantage of the opportunity leading to the formation of the Ingo Agri champs Youth Association.

Youth Empowerment

The youth group as an association that brings together both youth groups and individual members currently 140 in number. FAO through the Mastercard Foundation funded Livestock Commercialization Project has supported the youth to do fodder production and take advantage of the emerging market opportunity for fodder.

The biggest hurdle to this group initially was access to land as there are competing value chains for the high potential agricultural land in the County. To solve this; FAO in partnership with the County Government supported the youth access 10 acres of public land at Bukura Agricultural Training Centre and Kakamega ASK Showground for fodder production.

The youth have realized gross margins of 63% from the fodder enterprise with one acre giving an average gross margin of KES 71,400 per harvest.  This translates to KES 2,142,000 annually. The fodder is harvested 3-4 times in a year. The good profits have motivated the youth to acquire more acreage from the initial 10 acres to 53 acres. 43 acres out of the total being from private land.  The group has received supply orders for fodder from private individuals and FAO is supporting them diversify their market outlets.

For more information contact

Pauline Akolo

Communication Specialist

Email – [email protected]