Project News

3rd Project Steering Committee meeting was held!

The 3rd Project Steering Committee (PSC) meeting was held on 24th February, 2022. This PSC meeting was a two-day program based on the proposal by PSC member in which participants visited the SHEP target farmer groups in Kitui County on the first day and held a meeting on the second day. The two main agenda items of the PSC meeting were 1) progress report of project activities and 2) approval of 10 counties for the 2nd batch of SHEP components.

PSC members were divided into three groups and visited SHEP farmers. One farmer group is still continuing the market survey, crop selection, and crop calendar making learned at SHEP. As a result of the market survey, that farmer group is focusing on Kale production which can be sold high prices in the local market. The PSC member commented that he reaffirmed the value of the SHEP Approach as it was continued by the farmers themselves after the project intervention.

About one year has passed since the project started. In the project progress report, it was reported that a series of activities for 1st batch 10 counties were conducted such as sensitization, baseline survey, Farm Business Linkage Stakeholder (FABLIST) forum, Joint Extension Staff & Farmers Dual (2) Gender (JEF2G) training, Facilitators' Training for Farmers' Demand Driven Extension (FT-FaDDE) training, etc. In addition, the collaboration activities with Powerhive and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) as collaboration activities other than county were also shared.

Next, the process and criteria of the selection of the 2nd batch 10 counties was explained. The Project divided the candidate counties into three categories: SHEP PLUS target counties, SHEP UP target counties, and counties where SHEP has not been conducted so far. Then, potential counties were scored on agricultural potential and capacity to implement agriculture extension policies and 10 counties were proposed. While participants pointed out that there may be a lack of regional balance, the Project explained that the Project cannot target the area where the JICA's safety measures does not allow experts to enter. Eventually, the proposed 10 counties were approved, but PSC member advised that the Project should be prepared to explain as the same questions which are likely to be asked at the upcoming Joint Agriculture Sector (JAS) meeting in March where the national project is examined for implementation.

The Project also presented the proposal of the revision of the project design matrix (PDM). Although PSC members have generally understood the revisions of both the SHEP component and the Agribusiness component, the Project will continue to consider the indicators of the Agribusiness component of Output 4. Based on the detailed activity plan of the pilot project that the Agribusiness component will carry out, the Project will review the indicators of Outcome 4 again and aim to approve the changes of the entire PDM at the next PSC meeting.

Participants visiting a SHEP farmer group

3rd PSC meeting