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.

“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 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.