NCBA, in a strategic partnership with the Kenya Seed Company, today convened over 150 maize seed farmers in Kitale to address the critical pillars of the upcoming planting season: financial solutions, enhanced productivity, and robust market linkages.
The forum, themed Financing the 2026 Planting Season: Productivity and Market Linkages, served as a platform for direct engagement between farmers, agribusiness traders, and industry experts. It was held in Trans Nzoia County, a region vital to Kenya’s national food security.
Kitale is the nerve center of Kenya’s grain economy, generating over Ksh. 23 billion in maize production annually. With increasing diversification into dairy, poultry, and high-value crops, alongside a growing agro-processing infrastructure, the region represents a multibillion-shilling ecosystem.
The forum provided attendees with:
- Financial Literacy: Specialized insights into managing agricultural enterprises.
- Advisory Support: Direct access to NCBA agribusiness specialists.
- Tailored Solutions: Financial tools designed to bridge the gap between planting costs and harvest returns.
“Our approach goes beyond financing; we are building ecosystems that connect farmers to inputs, technical expertise, and reliable markets,” said Robert Kiboti, Director of Commercial & SME Banking at NCBA. “Through partnerships with industry leaders like Kenya Seed Company, we are creating structured solutions that enable farmers to access timely financing and operate sustainably within organized value chains.”
NCBA’s support in the Trans Nzoia region extends across the entire agricultural spectrum. The Bank’s current initiatives include:
- Livestock Programs: Structured financing and market linkages for beef fattening.
- Mechanization: Asset Finance solutions for farm machinery in partnership with Inchcape plc.
- Working Capital: Facilities for agri-SMEs and distributors to manage seasonal cash-flow volatility.
- Trade Finance: Letters of Credit and export solutions for agribusinesses looking to scale into regional and international markets.
Nicholas Sang, Production Manager at Kenya Seed Company, highlighted the necessity of such collaborations: “Access to affordable and timely financing remains one of the biggest challenges facing seed growers. This partnership helps bridge that gap, aligning financial solutions with the agricultural cycle to support improved yields and greater income stability.”