Implementing Agency:
Department For International Development (DFIDEA)

Managing Institute:
NRI (Natural Resources Institute)

Project Code: 031-500-030	Start Date: 01/11/1990	End Date: 01/12/1994
Commitment: £2,288,748	Status: Completed	Type of Funding: Bilateral - TC

Project Background:
The GoK is committed to feed its rapidly expanding population. One of the measures adopted to achieve this goal is the funding of the National Agricultural Research Programme (NARP) of which support to National Agricultural Research Laboratories (NARL) and National Agricultural Research Centres (NARC) in crop protection is a part. One of the main objectives of the NARP is to increase agricultural production through improved research outputs, especially for smallholders, the project's target group.

The NARP still has to address fully the issues of producer participation in research programme formulation. DFID believes it must be tackled at the programme-wide level and that the role of the social and economic input in this project will serve as a model for Kenyan Agricultural Research Institute generally.

The project is designed to support NARP in the general area of crop protection research and specifically in crop pest research. DFID have previously been involved in support to crop research projects in Kenya, notably maize research, and in pest control, most recently armyworm control. Greater involvement in support of crop pest research is thus a logical expansion of these inputs.

Project Objectives:
The objectives of the Crop Protection project are: To enhance the capability of KARI to conduct research which will generate appropriate crop protection technologies in support of commodity programmes To establish a reference framework for crop protection research in Kenya To collect and review information on crop pests to set initial research priorities and initiate research in areas where little work is currently being undertaken in Kenya, for example pesticide application and weed science To create a new coordinating unit at NAL Kabete to integrate the research activities of entomology, plant pathology, weed science , pesticide chemistry as they relate to crop protection To strengthen the physical resources of selected component disciplines within Crop Protection Science at NAL Kabete and KARI virology at Muguga To generate a research programme relating to crop protection requirements of small farmers To establish research programmes in Regional Research Centres and adjust medium and long term research to farmer demands. The Crop Protection project has three sub-components:- Plant Nematology Weed Science and, Plant Pathology.

Intended Outputs:
Comprehensive pest survey and information review.

New functioning crop protection and pest management unit at National Agricultural Research Laboraory.

Cadre of trained research staff.

New research programmes.