More than 20,000 smallholder farmers, livestock keepers, cooperatives, and agri-food enterprises in Nakuru county are set to benefit from a Sh1.5 billion initiative aimed at revitalizing key value chains in the agriculture sector. The initiative, a partnership between Kenya and Italy's Lombardy Region, will promote resilient, inclusive, and circular agri-food systems while strengthening the capacity of farmers, cooperatives, and agricultural micro, small, and medium enterprises to participate more effectively in agricultural value chains.
The 42-month program, known as AGRIPACT, is directed towards improving productivity, value addition, market access, and climate resilience practices in the dairy and horticulture sectors. Deputy Governor Dr David Kones stated that the fight against poverty in Kenya is highly dependent on the revitalization of key value chains in the agriculture sector. He noted that agriculture consists of at least half of the country's Gross Domestic Product and is the sector where almost 90 percent of Kenyans derive their livelihoods.
Dr Kones indicated that Nakuru was committed to providing the technical leadership and coordination required to ensure that the investment translates into sustainable benefits for farmers and other actors in the targeted value chains. He said Nakuru has enormous potential in dairy and horticulture and this partnership provides an opportunity to unlock that potential through technology, knowledge transfer, value addition, and stronger market linkages.
The Deputy Governor further stated that the project would complement ongoing county efforts to strengthen agricultural value chains by supporting farmers to move beyond primary production towards value addition, better market access, and commercially viable enterprises. Dr Kones observed that stronger cooperatives and producer organizations would be critical to enabling smallholder farmers to aggregate their produce, access services, and negotiate better markets.
Lombardy Region, led by Undersecretary to the Presidency for International and European Relations Mr. Raffaele Cattaneo, said Lombardy was committed to sharing its technical expertise and experience with Kenyan farmers and cooperatives to strengthen agricultural value chains and create sustainable economic opportunities. Mr. Cattaneo noted that the partnership would focus on practical solutions to challenges affecting agricultural value chains, including low productivity, post-harvest losses, weak producer organization, and limited access to markets.
The initiative is part of the broader cooperation between Kenya and Italy under the Italian Government's Mattei Plan for Africa, which seeks to strengthen partnerships with African countries in areas including agriculture, food security, skills development, enterprise development, and sustainable economic growth. AGRIPACT was approved in July 2026 by Italy's Joint Committee for Development Cooperation and brings together Lombardy Region, development cooperation actors, and implementing partners, including the United Nations Industrial Development Organization.
The program is expected to directly benefit about 20,800 people, including smallholder farmers and livestock keepers, cooperatives, and producer organizations, agri-food MSMEs. Nakuru County Chief Officer for Agriculture Engineer Margaret Kinyanjui said the project would strengthen existing county programs aimed at improving agricultural productivity, supporting farmers, and expanding value addition.
Key points
- Over 20,000 smallholder farmers in Nakuru county to benefit from Sh1.5 billion initiative
- The 42-month program aims to improve productivity, value addition, market access, and climate resilience practices in the dairy and horticulture sectors
- The initiative is part of the broader cooperation between Kenya and Italy under the Italian Government's Mattei Plan for Africa
