Nuru Kenya Market Seeks Fair Prices for Farmers

Nuru Kenya Market Seeks Fair Prices for Farmers

In the 2015 long rains harvest season, Nuru Kenya piloted an approach of linking farmers to reliable markets where they can commercialize their crops. By aggregating and selling farmers’ surplus produce, Nuru Kenya helps farmers optimize their earning potential and make the most of their crop yields.

Market linkage activities involve a number of steps from the initial purchase from farmers, transport and aggregation, and the ultimate resale of grain. This photo series, from Kiomakebe and Komomange sub-locations in Migori County, Kenya, depicts just a few of the steps that farmers experienced as they took their grain to a Nuru Kenya purchase point.

Farmers sieve the maize kernels through a screen to remove impurities such as soil, vegetation or pebbles. Producing high quality maize helps farmers fetch a better price at market. By applying these practices at home, farmers are able to store their grain longer and more reliably.
Farmers sieve the maize kernels through a screen to remove impurities such as soil, vegetation or pebbles. Producing high quality maize helps farmers fetch a better price at market. By applying these practices at home, farmers are able to store their grain longer and more reliably.
Nuru Kenya’s clerk weighs the maize and offers the farmer a fair price. For the first time with Nuru, farmers were afforded the option to be paid through a mobile money platform. This smart technology solution enhances efficiency, security and transparency, as no one is handling cash, only mobile money transactions that can be managed by a farmer’s basic cell phone.
Nuru Kenya’s clerk weighs the maize and offers the farmer a fair price. For the first time, Nuru Kenya farmers were afforded the option to receive payment through a mobile money platform. This smart technology solution enhances efficiency, security and transparency, as no one is handling cash. Mobile money transactions can be managed by a farmer’s basic cell phone.
The maize is moved to where it can be placed into a clean bag. Nuru Kenya’s dedicated staff perform the heavy lifting, hand in hand with the community.
The maize is moved to where it can be placed into a clean bag. Nuru Kenya’s dedicated staff perform the heavy lifting, hand in hand with the community.
Clean, dry, high quality maize is prepared in sacks for its transport to Nuru’s granary for its later resale.
Clean, dry, high quality maize is prepared in sacks for its transport to Nuru Kenya’s granary for its later resale.
Nuru Kenya’s Field Officer with one of her Nuru farmer households. This pair of husband and wife farmers sold two metric tons of maize and made nearly $500. Linking farmers up with fair market prices helps achieve Nuru’s mission of ending extreme poverty in remote rural areas.
A Nuru Kenya Field Officer with one of her Nuru farmer households. This pair of husband and wife farmers sold two metric tons of maize and made nearly $500 USD. Linking farmers up with fair market prices helps achieve Nuru’s mission of ending extreme poverty in remote, rural areas.
About Tom Nyongesa Juma

Nuru Kenya Agriculture Program Manager — Tom joined Nuru Kenya in May 2012 as the Agriculture Program District Manager. Previously, he worked on the System (HDSS- Webuye) VLIR Belgium Project as a Field Supervisor for Health Demographic Surveillance for four years. He also served as a Field Officer for Innovation for Poverty Action (IPA). Tom graduated with his BS in Forestry and Masters in Soil Science from MOI University. His professional accomplishments include conducting a soil survey for the entire Kuria West District and earning certification in project management and monitoring and evaluation. Tom is passionate about helping farmers in poverty improve their farming systems.

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