Kwale Agribusiness Strengthening Project (MKUKI-Kwale) - Final Report

The ‘Mradi wa Kuimarisha Kilimo-Biashara Kwale’ (MKUKI-Kwale) project aimed to develop a sustainable and inclusive value chain change model in a mine-dependent smallholder farming community.

The project was delivered as a partnership between the Palladium Group, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), Pwani University, Kwale Pamba, and Viazi Farmers’ Cooperative Society (“PAVI”). It took advantage of the opportunity to build off an established livelihoods program, the Kwale Livelihoods Program (KLP).

Although MKUKI-Kwale was originally planned as a five-year project, it was terminated 12 months into the project period. Despite the project’s early termination, it achieved several findings and results, including baseline research, the establishment of farmer schools, and a revised business model focusing on cotton, maize, and the associated value-added products of stockfeed and maize flour. As a result of these changes, several micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) opportunities were identified.