Kenya Breweries commits to sustainable agriculture with new skills-equipping program

KENYA – Kenya Breweries Limited (KBL) has pledged to equip 60,000 farmers with skills associated with sustainable agriculture and resources that will help them build their economic and environmental resilience in the face of climate change.

The brewer announced at an agricultural forum it hosted, which aimed at fostering meaningful discussions about regenerative agriculture and climate change.

KBL also plans to equip smallholder farmers with the means to successfully build a profitable enterprise while ensuring the utmost quality product enters their supply chain.

EABL Group Corporate Relations Director, Eric Kiniti, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to locally source sorghum and barley, the raw materials for brewing their products.

“Our local sourcing programme is a crucial business priority for us. It enables us to grow value together with the farmers in Kenya. We invite more farmers to join us and assure them of a steady market and good prices for their produce,” said Kiniti.

Agriculture is a crucial sector in the economy, contributing 21.2 percent of the country’s total GDP, Kenya National Bureau of Statistics data shows.

The Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Mithika Linturi, said there is a need for concerted efforts by all players in optimizing the opportunities in the agricultural sector to achieve food security.

“As a Ministry, part of our mandate is to create an enabling environment for agricultural development, enhance national food security, and improve market access and trade,” said Linturi.

“We are committed to providing adequate and affordable working capital to farmers and deploying modern agricultural risk management instruments that ensure farming is profitable and income is predictable.”

In October last year, KBL said it was looking for an additional 5,000 farmers to supply sorghum to the company as the demand for its Senator Keg beer increases.

The company has 40,000 farmers in its database who supply the crop which is the main raw material in beer production.

At least 22 counties have been listed as potential areas where the crop can do well and the farmers from the counties will directly supply the crop to the brewer.

Farmers to benefit from the programme are from Tharaka Nithi, Migori, Meru, Homa Bay, Kisumu, Siaya, Baringo, Nakuru, Kitui, and Makueni.

Others are from Taita Taveta, Kwale, Kilifi, Kajiado, Machakos, Isiolo, Embu, Kirinyaga, Narok, Bomet, Muranga, and Malindi.

“We want farmers to be economically empowered. That is why we intend to engage more people in sorghum production,” Kenya Breweries’ manager in charge of sustainability and stakeholders’ engagement, Waithera Mwai said.

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