RE-GAIN program launched in Kenya, marking a new commercial era for grain markets

The RE-GAIN program, funded by the Green Climate Fund and AGRA, and implemented by Africa Harvest and the Eastern Africa Grain Council, was officially launched in Tharaka Nithi and Embu counties on 17th and 19th February 2026. The program introduces a major shift in how Kenya addresses food loss treating it not only as a food security issue but as a high-potential commercial opportunity for farmers, technology providers, and financial institutions.

For years, smallholder farmers have lost up to 30% of their maize and beans after harvest due to poor handling and lack of equipment. Africa Harvest CEO Dr. Florence Wambugu called post-harvest loss "a silent thief," noting that while many initiatives focused on boosting yields, few tackled the costly losses occurring after harvest. RE-GAIN directly addresses this gap by driving adoption of Food Loss Reduction Solutions (FL-RS) including threshers, shellers, hermetic storage, and improved handling systems ensuring that increased productivity translates into higher incomes and better-quality grain.

A key highlight of the launch was the clear positioning of FL-RS as a business solution. Farmer and Village-Based Advisor Bonfrey Mugambi emphasized that most farmers cannot afford equipment individually, leading to reliance on wasteful traditional methods. Through RE-GAIN, farmers are encouraged to form groups that can jointly invest in shared machinery, offer post-harvest services to other farmers, and create new income streams.

EAGC Executive Director Gerald Masila reinforced this commercial message, noting that "when farmers work in groups and adopt Food Loss Reduction Solutions, they save more grain, cut transactional losses, and access higher-value markets, unlocking real business opportunities for farmers, service providers, and financiers alike."

The program, therefore, builds not just technical capacity but a market ecosystem where private-sector actors benefit from increased demand, organized farmer markets, and predictable service-payment models.

County leaders echoed the economic importance of reducing food loss. Patrick Njue, Embu County Director for Agriculture, urged households to reduce waste at consumption level, while Alex Muratha, County Secretary for Tharaka Nithi, noted that post-harvest losses directly erode farmer incomes. Mercy Karimi, a Village-Based Advisor from Embu, stressed that women in particular stand to gain, as improved post-harvest handling will help them retain more grain and increase earnings for household needs.

The commitment of county governments was formalized through signed MOUs, ensuring coordinated support from county extension officers and sustained farmer mobilization. H.E. Hon. Justus Kinyua Mugo, Deputy Governor of Embu County, pledged county support and emphasized that food security remains a priority.

RE-GAIN is expected to benefit over 143,000 farmers including 20% youth and 50% women by improving incomes, enabling access to climate-smart technologies, and strengthening market linkages. Beyond the numbers, the program signals a major market shift: loss reduction is becoming a profitable business opportunity, opening pathways for FL-RS companies to scale, and for banks, SACCOs, and MFIs to finance capital-intensive technologies through safer, group-based models.

The RE-GAIN program will redefine grain market competitiveness in Kenya, ensuring farmers save more grain, access better markets, and operate within a commercially-driven ecosystem. EAGC and Africa Harvest anticipate an era where every kilogram saved is income gained and where technology providers, financiers, and farmer groups all benefit from a more efficient, climate-smart grain system.

For more information about the REGAIN project and opportunities for collaboration contact EAGC and Africa Harvest on contacts below :

Eastern Africa Grain Council (EAGC)

Lavington |Mbaazi Avenue, off King'ara Road | P.O. Box 218-00606 Nairobi, Kenya

Tel. +254 710 607 313| Cell. +254 733 444 035

Web: www.eagc.org

About the Eastern Africa Grain Council (EAGC)

EAGC, headquartered in Kenya, is a regional member-based organization for grain value chain stakeholders, legally registered in Kenya in 2006. Its mandate is to develop, facilitate, promote, and support the development of Inclusive Structured Grain trading systems and influence policies in the region. EAGC operates in 10 countries, including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Malawi, Zambia, South Sudan, and DR Congo.

Africa Harvest Biotech Foundation International

Spring Valley Business Park, Westlands 2nd Floor, Suit 6-Block A

P.O Box 642 - 00621 Spring Valley, Nairobi, Kenya.

+254 710 469 266

Web: www.africaharvest.org

About Africa Harvest Biotech Foundation International

Africa Harvest Biotech Foundation International is a non-profit organization headquartered in Kenya and founded in 2002. It exists to realize the vision of an Africa free from Hunger, Poverty, and Malnutrition; and to disseminate appropriate innovative agricultural technologies and institution approaches through the whole value chain to improve the livelihoods of rural communities.