Kowuor Central Village Youth Group from Ahero in Nyando Sub-County has been named the winner of a brand new John Deere 5050D make tractor.
The competition was organized by Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), American Agricultural Machinery manufacturer John Deere, and its dealer with Mascor Kenya Limited.
Out of the 85 contestants, Kowuor Central emerged winners with the best business plan outlining how they would use the tractor for agricultural mechanization.
The initiative is a milestone in the government’s efforts to avail mechanization services to all farmers, it’s also significant in on boarding more Youth into the Agriculture space
Gilchrist Okuom
AGRA’s Kenya Country Manager, John Macharia said the group had a strategy that was aligned to generating a profitable business while increasing the region’s uptake of mechanization.
“Kowuor Central Village Youth Group’s business plan stood out because it outlined a clear strategy for transforming the tractor into a profitable business, all while increasing the uptake of mechanization in their region,” said Macharia.
The contestants
The contestants were required to have been registered in Kenya and engaged in agriculture for the last three years.
We already have an existing clientele but have been unable to serve them due to a lack of adequate machinery. This winning is critical in taking our business to the next level
Dickens Muga
Macharia said the competition, targeting groups with members aged 18 – 35 years, was part of AGRA’s plan to popularize agricultural mechanization services in Kenya.
The manager emphasized the need for African countries to promote agricultural mechanization saying it is a key food system growth driver.
“East African countries failed to keep up with India’s pace in mechanization uptake with the latter now having 100 times more tractors in use,” he added.
The winners
According to Dickens Muga, the group’s chairperson, the tractor will be of help in transforming their business by increasing their capacity to serve more farmers.
“We already have an existing clientele but have been unable to serve them due to a lack of adequate machinery. This winning is critical in taking our business to the next level,” assured Muga.
Kisumu’s County Executive Committee Member for Agriculture Gilchrist Okuom highlighted the critical role of mechanization in increasing efficiency and productivity in crop production.
“The initiative is a milestone in the government’s efforts to avail mechanization services to all farmers, it’s also significant in on boarding more Youth into the Agriculture space,” Okuom said.
Okuom further proposed to have the Youth Group as the County’s Mechanization Champions, pledging to help build the capacity of the leadership of the Group.
