The Faculty of Agriculture comprise four departments namely Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness Management, and Agricultural Education and Extension (AGEC/AGBM & AGED), Plant Sciences (PLSC), Animal Sciences (ANSC), and Food Technology (FTEC). The Faculty of Agriculture (FAGRI) aims to eliminate poverty and improve community livelihoods by producing graduates with skills and competencies that contribute toward increased food productivity through sustainable utilization of locally available resources. FAGRI’s niche is to extend creative climate-smart farming solutions to increase agribusiness and agricultural product value addition to create wealth and sustainable development. Kenya’s population is 55 million with an annual growth rate of 2%. Our major challenge is to improve on food and nutrition security in terms of food availability, accessibility, utilization and stability while conserving the soil, water and atmospheric environment. FAGRI also aims to achieve its mission through collaborative research with stakeholders in society. The Faculty realizes that farming is an industry based on science and technology and therefore offers courses relevant to the changing climate and societal needs for industrial growth. In addition to providing knowledge and skills to the students to be competent, they are also equipped with entrepreneurial and managerial skills for self-employment.
The training offered to our graduates in FAGRI is key towards improving crop and livestock productivity through better research and extension services, agribusiness management, policy analysis, and agricultural products value addition. Our students have the capacity through entrepreneurship skills imparted to initiate income-generating activities like high-value horticultural crops production, nursery management, poultry production and apiculture, food processing, farm agribusiness planning and policy analysis among others that have a multiplier effect in creating employment opportunities.
The faculty researchers are also involved in dissemination of research findings. One of the principal teaching and research facilities used by the Faculty is the University Demonstration and Research Farm at the main campus in Ndagani, Chuka and at Kairini in Igambang’ombe. The Farm is a service unit and plays a significant role in the teaching and research programmes of all the Departments in the Faculty. It is the laboratory of these Departments where practical experiences in crop and livestock management, handling and maintenance of agricultural machinery and implements, and agribusiness management are acquired. Our staff and graduates through training, research and outreach programmes are tackling some of the biggest issues of the 21st century aligned to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including sustainable food production, biodiversity conservation, animal welfare, food security, poverty alleviation, agribusiness, international partnerships and development, climate change adaption and mitigation, resilient food systems and consumer health.