Farmers risk losing half their harvest, agency warns
Business
By
Ryan Kerubo
| May 15, 2026
Kenyan farmers risk losing up to half of their expected harvest due to counterfeit and uncertified seed, warns the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), raising concerns about the growing threat posed by fake farm inputs to food security.
Speaking at a farmer awareness campaign organised by Bayer, Ephraim Wachira, Deputy Director for Seed Certification at KEPHIS, said that fake seed remains a major challenge for maize production nationwide.
“You can imagine a farmer who has prepared land, bought fertiliser and used labour, only to harvest maybe 50 per cent because of poor-quality seed,” Wachira said.
He said counterfeit seed sellers continue to exploit farmers by packaging fake products that resemble genuine certified seed.
To curb the problem, KEPHIS and seed companies are promoting verification systems that enable farmers to confirm the authenticity of seeds using scratch codes on the packets.
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Farmers scratch the code and send it to a toll-free number for authentication before planting.
“This sticker is what helps farmers distinguish between genuine and fake seed,” Wachira said, adding that KEPHIS inspectors are conducting surveillance operations and taking enforcement action against counterfeit dealers.
The warning comes as farmers grapple with rising production costs, unpredictable rainfall and increasing pest outbreaks linked to climate change.
John Kanyingi, managing director for East Africa at Bayer, said changing weather patterns are forcing seed companies to invest in early-maturing and drought-tolerant seed varieties.
“We are seeing shorter rainfall seasons, higher temperatures and more disease pressure than before,” Kanyingi said.
He said the company is also trying to make certified seed more accessible to smallholder farmers through smaller and cheaper packaging.
“We have tried to make the seed affordable and available in the last-mile areas so farmers do not travel long distances looking for seed,” he said.
According to Everlyn Musyoka, who leads Bayer’s Smallholder Business Unit across Africa, smallholder farmers produce nearly 80 per cent of the food consumed on the continent, despite mounting climate and economic pressures.
She said agriculture must become profitable if more young people are to view farming as a viable business.
“The negative association between agriculture and poverty needs to change,” Musyoka said.
The awareness campaign also rewarded farmers who participated in the seed verification programme with prizes ranging from knapsack sprayers to a pick-up truck.
Raphael Juma, a farmer from Kisii who won the grand prize after using Dekalb seed for the first time, said he was drawn to the seed after hearing about its performance.
“The yields and returns from hybrid seed are high, and I would encourage fellow farmers to consider using them,” he said.
Another farmer, Dorothy Mwikali Musyoki from Machakos County, said she has used the seed for two years and has seen improved returns.
Officials say ensuring farmers have access to genuine certified seed could play a critical role in protecting yields and strengthening national food security.