Researchers, policymakers, farmers, agribusinesses, development partners, and innovators will next week gather for the Second Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) Scientific Conference and Innovation Expo, aimed at advancing agricultural transformation and strengthening food security.
Speaking during a pre-conference stakeholder and media breakfast meeting at KALRO Headquarters, Director General, Dr. Patrick Ketiem, said the event will showcase cutting-edge technologies, research findings, and innovations designed to improve agricultural productivity and resilience.
Dr. Ketiem noted that the conference will feature scientific paper presentations, technology demonstrations, and exhibitions of innovative products and solutions, delivered through both physical and hybrid formats to enable wider participation.
He added that side events will address key agricultural challenges, including aflatoxin contamination, which remains a major food safety concern in Kenya.
The conference will also provide a platform for business engagement, networking, and partnerships among farmers, researchers, policymakers, private sector actors, and development partners to accelerate the adoption of research-driven innovations.
Among the technologies to be showcased are climate-smart crop varieties, including maize, rice, sorghum, and vegetables.
KALRO has developed more than 100 climate-smart crop varieties, alongside numerous technologies, aimed at enhancing food security, strengthening climate resilience, and improving farmer incomes.
Dr. Ketiem highlighted the bat-escaping sorghum varieties, which can reduce crop losses caused by bats by up to 90 per cent in arid and semi-arid regions.
He also pointed to innovations in disease surveillance, vaccine development, and breed improvement, including Sahiwal cattle, which are widely preferred by farming communities.
KALRO will further showcase advancements in livestock production, disease surveillance, vaccine development, fodder production, soil testing, water harvesting technologies, and post-harvest loss reduction.
KALRO Board Chairman, Dr. Thuo Mathenge, encouraged farmers, investors, businesspeople, and scientists to attend the conference, showcase their work, and interact with researchers.
He noted that government policy supports collaboration between the public and private sectors to enhance production and distribution within the agricultural sector.
KALRO Director of ICT, Simon Mulwa, said the institution has invested heavily in digital infrastructure and artificial intelligence to enhance agricultural services.
“We host a big data platform that supports various digital solutions, including weather advisory applications and crop selection tools.
We are also integrating emerging technologies such as drones, Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, and digital soil mapping to improve data collection and analysis,” he said.
He explained that the soil mapping project will enable KALRO to develop a spectral library and provide farmers with more accurate soil management recommendations through AI-driven analytics.
Mulwa further noted that KALRO’s database of more than seven million farmers provides a strong foundation for delivering AI-based agro-advisory services across the country.
He added that KALRO is collaborating with Suffolk and Strathmore University teams to develop an Artificial Intelligence model capable of generating agricultural advisories with minimal human intervention.
In addition, he said the institution is working towards establishing an AI-enabled call center that will allow farmers to access agricultural information and advisory services around the clock through automated virtual agents.
The free-to-attend event will also feature business-to-business (B2B) networking sessions, providing a platform for partnerships, investment opportunities, and knowledge exchange.
The theme of the conference, which will take place from 15th to 19th June, is “Innovation for Sustainable Agri-food Systems, Climate Change Resilience, and Improved Livelihoods.”
By Wangari Ndirangu
