Christine’s Maize Yield Jumps 50% With Mucuna Soil Cover
From the Field
Success stories, news and developments from PAFID’s programmes across Kenya
KSh 312,000 from 6 Acres: How Eunice Mwaura Cut Production Costs by 60% Using Conservation Agriculture
Before PAFID’s intervention, Eunice spent over KSh 80,000 on her 6-acre farm in labour alone. After adopting Conservation Agriculture through the FtMA programme, her production costs dropped by 60% and her income tripled.
Christine’s Maize Yield Jumps 50% With Soil Cover — Kakamega County
Using mucuna as a cover crop, Christine transformed her yields while cutting weeding costs dramatically.
MSP Vincent Chelule Fabricates Own Ripper from Scrap — Nakuru County
Rather than buying expensive equipment, Vincent welded his own CA ripper and built a thriving business serving local farmers.
Stories of Transformation
from Kenya’s Farms
Real results from real farmers. Conservation Agriculture, solar irrigation, women’s empowerment and youth entrepreneurship — across 25 counties.
KSh 312,000 from 6 Acres: How Eunice Mwaura Cut Production Costs by 60% Using Conservation Agriculture
Before PAFID’s FtMA intervention, Eunice spent over KSh 80,000 on labour alone per season. After adopting Conservation Agriculture, her costs dropped by 60% while her income tripled within a single season.
Christine’s Maize Yield Jumps 50% With Mucuna Soil Cover
Using mucuna as a cover crop, Christine transformed her yields while cutting weeding costs by over half.
Joan Cheserem’s Potato Yields Hit 10 Tons Per Acre Using Surface Planting
Using CA surface planting techniques, Joan dramatically outperformed her neighbours using conventional methods.
Vincent Chelule Fabricates Own CA Ripper from Scrap — Builds Ripping Business
After PAFID training, Vincent welded his own ripper and now serves dozens of farmers in Nakuru, leading a “ditch the disc” campaign.
Conservation Agriculture Creates Employment for Local Artisans — Kakamega
Engineer Washington Mukabana expanded his fabrication workshop after PAFID created demand for CA rippers in Kakamega County.
Eunice Wanjiku: CA Success Attracts Struggling Conventional Farmers — Meru County
FSC Kigen Bags Additional Income Stream in Ripping — Elgeyo Marakwet County
Madam Tabitha: High Iron Beans Thriving Under Conservation Agriculture — Meru County
KSh 112,000 from 0.5 Acres: Transforming Potato Farming Through CSA — Nakuru County
KSh 312,000 from 6 Acres: How Eunice Mwaura Cut Production Costs by 60% Using Conservation Agriculture
Production Costs
in 5 Months
Nakuru County
The Challenge Before PAFID
Eunice Mwaura farmed 6 acres in Molo Sub-County, Nakuru. Like most smallholder farmers in the region, she relied entirely on conventional disc ploughing — spending over KSh 80,000 per season on land preparation alone. After factoring in seed, fertiliser, and hired labour, her total production costs often exceeded KSh 150,000 — leaving little margin for profit, and nothing to buffer against a bad season.
“Before conservation agriculture, we could not manage 20 sacks of 90 kilogram of unshelled maize from an acre,” she recalls. The numbers simply didn’t add up.
PAFID’s Intervention
Through the FtMA programme’s Farmer Service Centre (FSC) model, PAFID field officers introduced Eunice to Conservation Agriculture (CA) — specifically minimum tillage ripping, crop residue retention, and crop rotation. The training was hands-on, practical, and delivered directly at the farm level.
The Results
Within a single season, Eunice’s results were dramatic. Her production costs fell from over KSh 150,000 to below KSh 60,000 — a 60% reduction. Meanwhile, her yields rose from 20 bags per acre (unshelled) to 35 bags per acre (shelled) — a quality and quantity improvement that commanded premium prices from buyers who now came to her farm directly.
- Production costs reduced by over 60%
- Yield increased from 20 bags (unshelled) to 35 bags (shelled) per acre
- Total income: KSh 312,000 from 6 acres in 5 months
- Buyers now come to her — she sets her own price
- Sells soft maize directly from the farm — no post-harvest drying costs
What Happened Next
Eunice has since become a Lead Farmer in her community — demonstrating CA techniques to neighbouring farmers who had been sceptical. Her success directly inspired several conventional farmers in her village to transition to CA, creating a ripple effect that extended PAFID’s impact far beyond the initial training cohort.