3KM Members Demonstrate Strength in Numbers Through Aggregation and Value Addition

For years, farmers in Kimilili, Bungoma County, had a familiar problem. They were working hard on their farms, but finding a buyer for the harvest was often harder.

“I used to have bananas ready for sale, beans drying in the sun or green grams waiting to be harvested, yet the volumes were too small to attract reliable buyers. Sometimes the quality varied too. It is frustrating, especially when farming is the main source of fincome for the household,” says Brigit, a farmer in Kimilili.

The farmers eventually decided they would have a better chance if they worked together.

That decision led to the formation of 3KM, a farmer organisation serving Kimilili, Kibingei and Kamukuywa wards in Bungoma County. Established in 2020, the organisation now has about 1,160 members. Women, youth and older farmers make up 65 per cent of the membership, while men account for 35 per cent.

As members attest, the change has been as much about mindset as it has been about markets. “When we started, most farmers simply produced food without considering the quality of seeds or the benefits they could get from their produce,” says Ms Wafula, the group chairperson.

Many families were farming almost throughout the year but still earning little and struggling to put nutritious food on the table. That began to change when 3KM partnered with development organisations working in the area, led by Biovision Africa Trust. Farmers received training on better production practices, sustainable farming and ways of producing enough food for both household consumption and sale.

“We wanted to ensure sustainable food production that caters for a balanced diet throughout the year and still affords the farmers a source of income,” says Brigit.

The lessons helped farmers see their farms differently. What they grew could feed their families, but it could also become a source of steady income if they paid attention to quality, volumes and the market.

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They once struggled to find markets. Nowthey struggle to meet demand.

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Bringing Farmers' Harvests Together.

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At 3KM, aggregation begins long before farmers arrive at a collection centre with their harvest.

Farmers are encouraged to use quality seed and follow good production practices so that the produce coming together at the end of the season is of a standard that buyers can rely on.

Bananas have become one of the organisation's strongest value chains. The area produces plenty of bananas, and because the crop does not require heavy inputs, it fits well into the farming systems of many households. Farmers also intercrop bananas with beans, getting two harvests from the same piece of land.

3KM has collection centres in each ward. When the bananas arrive, they are checked for maturity, quality and signs of disease. Farmers receive Ksh14 per kilogramme for green bananas and are paid immediately.

From there, the bananas move to a central storage facility rented by the organisation. They are cleaned and placed in a ripening chamber, where large quantities can ripen naturally before being supplied to customers. It is a simple system, but it has made a significant difference. Farmers no longer have to look for buyers one by one or worry about whether a small harvest will attract a customer.

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The Market Is Available

Schools, institutions, individual customers and county markets have created a steady outlet for the produce. “There is sufficient market, but not enough supply,” says Brigit. Kimilili for example, has about 34 high schools, but 3KM currently supplies only two. Each has roughly 2,000 students. For a group that started by looking for markets, it is an unexpected problem to have.

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Diversifying Produce for the Market

As the group discovered the power of aggregation, they diversified the produce to include beans and green grams. 3KM focuses on the Nyota bean variety, sourcing quality seed through the improved seed company- HarvestPlus, and making it available to members at an affordable price.

The variety matures in about 75 days and is valued for its iron and zinc content. With good farming practices, a farmer can harvest between 6 and 12 bags per acre. A kilogram of Nyota costs Ksh160.

Having popularize the Nyota bean variety within its locality, 3K has immensely influenced the nutritional intake of learners in schools and families. “The beans are now finding their way into schools, where they add nutritional value to meals served to learners. At home, farmers have beans, green grams and bananas to feed their families,” says Brigit.

The group members are now conscious of the need for balance between household nutrition and income generation.  “As women leverage the linkage to markets, they have more control over income from their farms,” she says.

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More than Bananas and Beans

3KM is also encouraging farmers to diversify their enterprises. Members who keep chickens are connected to markets, extension services and sources of chicks. Farmers have been trained to formulate feeds for poultry and other livestock, including the use of alternatives such as azolla. They are also learning practices such as vermicomposting. “The idea is to make farming more resilient. If one crop performs poorly or prices fall, farmers have other enterprises to fall back on,” Brigit explains. The organisation works through 136 groups and has a monitoring and evaluation officer and an accountant supporting its activities.

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The Market is no Longer the Problem

The success of aggregation has brought a new challenge, the demand now exceeds supply. In a season, 3KM collects about 10 tonnes of beans from its members, which is far much less than the market requires.  The farmers also face competition from neighbouring Uganda, where some produce reaches the market at lower prices. Some of the banana varieties demanded by local buyers are also more readily available across the border.

The way forward is clear for 3KM. More farmers need to produce, and those already farming need to increase their volumes while maintaining quality. The organisation has already done the difficult part of finding buyers. Now it needs to keep the supply coming.

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A Different way of Looking at Farming

Brigit notes that the most rewarding change is the way farmers now think about their work.

They are asking different questions. What should we plant? What quality does the buyer want? How much can we produce? Who will buy it? And what will we earn? That business mindset has made farming more purposeful.

The story of 3KM also shows that aggregation is about more than putting farmers' produce in one place. It brings farmers together around quality production, collection, storage, value addition and markets.

The benefits ripple outward. A farmer has somewhere to sell. A school receives nutritious food. A family has more food choices. A woman earns an income from her farm. And together, farmers have enough volume to approach markets that would be difficult to reach on their own.

Brigit observes that farmer organisations need to start with a clear reason for coming together. They also need strong structures and leaders who listen to their members.

3KM began because farmers wanted to solve a market problem. Today, they have buyers waiting. Their challenge now is to grow enough to keep those buyers supplied.

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