Findings range from information on land size and ownership of land, to water availability, food security, and usage of various mobile-based services such as mobile money and digital farming groups. Below are some highlights from the data, and you can download the full, 20-page report on farming in Kenya here.

Climate Change is a Key Challenge for Farmers

Unpredictable weather, drought and climactic changes were cited as major issues farmers in Kenya face that affect their yield and make it challenging for them to farm. Climactic changes were found to be the biggest factor affecting yield for farmers, and 27% said it was one of the key challenges they face. In addition, only 36% of farmers said that water was frequently available for farming. Respondents in counties that have gone through dry spells recently, such as Narok County and two other counties in the Rift Valley, reported lower levels of water availability than those in counties on the border with Uganda.

Insights on Mobile Phones and Farming

While GeoPoll’s panel is skewed in terms of mobile usage, as all respondents have a mobile phone and surveys are taken via SMS or other mobile-based methods, we nevertheless can glean interesting findings on how farmers are using mobile phones. GeoPoll found that, of this mobile-owning population, a high percentage own a smartphone, with 53% owning some sort of smartphone, and Android devices being by far the most popular operating system. There were some differences by gender, with females being more likely to own a basic phone with SMS and voice only. We also unsurprisingly observed that younger farmers were more likely to own smartphones than farmers in older age groups.

GeoPoll also examined usage of mobile money and other mobile services, including mobile lending and mobile banking, WhatsApp groups, and farming apps, finding that mobile banking and lending are the most popular services used by farmers in Kenya, likely driven by the prevalence of mPesa throughout the country. However, even among this mobile-owning segment of the farming population, most farmers get their information from word of mouth, with other farmers and agricultural officers combined being the biggest source of information, over social media and mobile apps.

Download the Data on Farming in Kenya

GeoPoll’s full report on Kenya’s agricultural sector and the effect of mobile technology in modern Kenya includes additional insights on upcoming trends in farming, including open-ended responses directly from farmers on what they see as the biggest trends, farm inputs, farm size, popular crop types by age, and much more. Download the full report here, and contact us if you are interested in conducting your own research with GeoPoll’s farmer panel in Kenya or any other country we operate in.

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GeoPoll is pleased to announce the launch of its new farmer panel in Kenya, consisting of over 18,000 farmers who are ready to take GeoPoll surveys. Agricultural research organizations, international and local NGOs, governments, donors, and consumer companies can collect insights directly from individual farmers and use this information to improve farmer outcomes and grow profit margins. GeoPoll’s initial farmer panel in Kenya has been recruited over the past two months through a partnership with MediaE – who create educational information for farmers through media including radio, TV, and print – and Kenyan agricultural TV show Shamba Shape Up. GeoPoll plans to expand our farmer recruitment efforts to additional countries over the coming months – to learn more about our country coverage or partner with us, please contact us.

Conducting Mobile Surveys with Farmers

Conducting surveys of farmers has been a topic of interest for many of GeoPoll’s partners, due to the wide-ranging effects of agriculture on local livelihoods, national economies, and related industries in the agricultural value chain. Smallholder farmers, those who farm on small plots without much external labor, are an incredibly important part of producing the crops we rely on across the globe, but it can be hard for governments, NGOs, and companies to reach these farmers and gain knowledge about their farming practices. This is especially true when they are located in rural areas, as is the case for many farmers across Sub-Saharan Africa.

GeoPoll has previously worked with organizations including CIMMYT, IFPRI, and Farm Radio International to survey farmers who grow specific crops, and we are excited to expand this effort by recruiting farmers in Kenya who are ready to take GeoPoll’s mobile surveys. Organizations can set up a one-time survey or regular, recurring surveys with GeoPoll’s farmer panel to gather ongoing data on weather patterns, land preparation growth progress, crop or input prices, and more.

GeoPoll can employ its full suite of mobile survey modes to reach its farmer panel, including SMS surveys, voice calls (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing or Interactive Voice Response), or online survey modes such as mobile web or mobile application. Using the GeoPoll mobile application, farmers can upload pictures to demonstrate crop progress based on the use of different seeds or fertilizers and can access other tools such as GeoPoll community polls, where app users can ask each other questions. Organizations with existing farmer databases can also use GeoPoll’s platform to engage with them via one- or two-way messages.

Data on Agriculture in Kenya

As part of this launch, GeoPoll will release an in-depth examination of our survey results on agriculture in Kenya, based on responses from over 900 respondents on a wide range of topics. The survey information areas include preferred crop types, use of inputs such as fertilizer and seeds, information on where crops are sold, external factors affecting yield, and insights into the biggest challenges facing farmers in Kenya today. The survey has a gender split of 54% female to 46% male, an age breakdown of 32% age 15-24, 34% 25-34, and 33% age 35+, and respondents from locations throughout Kenya.

Initial high-level insights show that 48% both grow crops and raise livestock, and 44% report they engage in commercial farming as opposed to subsistence farming. Of those who engage in commercial farming, just 7% sell to international or export markets, with the vast majority reporting they sell goods to local markets. Regarding farm size and income, 68% identify farming as their main source of income, and 80% of respondents report that their farms are under 2 hectares in size.

While 72% report that they are making a profit from their farming activities, farmers in Kenya face a variety of challenges, from pests to drought and seed quality. The changing climate is also a concern, with 27% listing climate one of the key challenges they face, and 50% saying climactic changes have impacted their yields.

In the coming weeks GeoPoll will release a full report with analysis of our in-depth survey with the farming community in Kenya, and over the coming months we will expand this panel to additional countries. To be the first to know about this report, sign up for GeoPoll’s newsletter here. If you’d like to conduct your own custom survey with GeoPoll’s panel of farmers in Kenya or are interested in reaching farmers in other areas around the world, please contact us today.

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