By Suleiman Mbatiah
The availability and quality of forage seed in Kenya remains a major challenge for farmers and pastoralists, with experts warning that the country’s capacity to meet demand is limited.
Dr. Simon Kuria, Director of the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) Arid and Rangeland Research Institute, said data on seed distribution in Kenya is scarce, making it difficult to determine how much reaches farming communities.
“We don’t have data from different actors, those who are involved in selling the seed. That data is not readily available. Better information would help us understand the actual acreage under production,” Dr. Kuria said.
He noted that the quality, availability, and distribution of seed remain major challenges, not only in Kenya but across the region. While KALRO is addressing the issue, he revealed, the current capacity is insufficient to meet the growing demand for quality seed.
Dr. Kuria decried that the forage seed sector faces limited private-sector interest, with companies prioritizing more profitable food crops and treating forage seed production as a side business, leaving farmers struggling to access sufficient, high-quality seeds for rangeland restoration.
“There are questions around the quality of the seed that farmers are getting. We have had cases of farmers buying seed that did not germinate, and some traders falsely claimed it came from KALRO,” he added.
Dr Kuria revealed this in Naivasha, Nakuru County during a regional workshop convened by the African Union – Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) through the African Pastoral Markets Development (APMD) Platform. The workshop aimed to discuss feed and rangeland security in the pastoral regions of the Horn of Africa.
The meeting brought together technical experts, government officials, pastoralists, and regional bodies to review the progress of feed and rangeland strategies and agree on coordinated measures to strengthen regional feed security.
Dr. Kuria added that weak extension services limit farmers’ ability to adopt modern rangeland restoration techniques, noting that although KALRO develops seed varieties, county governments, responsible for disseminating the technology, are currently underperforming in ensuring farmers access these innovations.
Currently, KALRO is tackling degraded rangelands through a combination of measures, including removing invasive species, reseeding, planting trees, establishing grass banks, and promoting agroforestry, while water harvesting structures are used to support grass growth and ensure fodder availability during dry seasons.
“We want to resolve the problem of feed. We cannot run away from this. Ledge grass restoration is a must-do thing. We must restore these areas. If we are not able to do that, then we stand no chance. But at the same time, harvesting, we get so much forage coming up,” Dr. Kuria emphasized the urgency of these interventions.
He also decried raising concern over the fast-spreading invasive plants that are shrinking grazing areas, reducing forage and disrupting local fodder production, saying an already difficult environment is becoming even harder to manage as more land disappears under the thickets.
Invasive species like red-bark acacia (Acacia reficiens), prickly pear cactus (Opuntia), and mesquite (Neltuma juliflora) are consuming rangelands, displacing native vegetation, reducing biodiversity, and weakening soil and water systems, with pastoralists reporting negative impacts on herd health and increased hardship during dry seasons.
Koija Community Land rangeland coordinator Joseph Kinder said the drop in livestock production is worsening food insecurity and pushing pastoral and agro-pastoral households deeper into poverty. He noted that communities now have fewer income options and less resilience during droughts and other climate shocks.
He said the community was spending heavily on labour to control invasive species, particularly Acacia reficiens, which have overrun much of their rangeland and can harm livestock if ingested. They try to manage the spread collectively, often through voluntary efforts.
“The community comes out to clear at least a certain percentage, but because of the coverage we have not been able to keep up. We estimate we’ve only cleared about half of it because of the plant’s dominance and how fast it grows,” he said.
APMD Platform Policy Pillar Lead, Professor Ahmed Elbeltagy, stressed that healthy rangelands are essential for pastoralist resilience and livestock productivity, warning that fodder shortages, droughts, land degradation, climate variability, and weak policies increasingly threaten livestock, markets, and livelihoods.
The forum aimed to review progress in implementing continental and regional feed and rangeland policies, identify gaps and opportunities for coordinated action, strengthen private sector involvement in feed production and trade, and develop a unified regional feed and rangeland security roadmap.
The workshop’s outcomes will inform the creation of an AU feed security coordination task force, translating policy coherence into tangible impact. Additionally, the best practices, policy briefs, and private sector frameworks developed will guide lasting continental action.