Kenya’s economy heavily relies on agriculture. Although its contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) decreased from over 40% in 1964 to less than 20% in the 21st century, agriculture still provides raw materials to the manufacturing sector, brings in tax revenue and foreign exchange, and employs most of the population.
After gaining independence, the government aimed to distribute the land, which generated a significant portion of agricultural exports.
Despite the existence of numerous large farms, ranches, and plantations, the majority of farms are smaller than five acres (two hectares).
Throughout history, coffee has significantly generated foreign exchange earnings that continue contributing to the economy. However, its significance and income started to decline in the 1990s, partly due to market instability and deregulation.
Kenya is a major supplier of pyrethrum, a flower used to create the natural pesticide pyrethrin, to the global market.
The demand for this product varies depending on the level of interest in the United States, which is the largest consumer of this commodity. In the early 1990s, the regulation of national boards controlling the export of significant types of crops such as coffee, tea, and cotton was deregulated.
Agriculture plays a crucial role in Kenya’s economy, but significant challenges hinder its growth. Kenya faces substantial challenges regarding limited resources such as water, inadequate infrastructure, and a lack of arable land.
Less than 10% of the country’s land is suitable for farming. Despite the government’s efforts to improve irrigation, only about 20-25% of the area with irrigation potential has been developed.
However, many issues can be solved with the help of technologies and innovations, including ndvi feature in crop classification.
Main Crops in Kenya
Kenya is home to various crops, although some have greater economic significance than others. There is a range of primary crops cultivated in Kenya.
Kenya’s highland areas are a significant source of tea, an important export crop that supports over 500,000 small-scale farmers and provides employment to over three million people.
The global demand for Kenyan tea is high, making the country the leading exporter of black tea worldwide. This success can be attributed to favourable weather conditions and government policies that promote exports.
Coffee is another significant crop type grown mainly in the central and eastern regions of the country. Coffee production is believed to be the source of income for over 700,000 households across the country.
Despite its significance to the economy, coffee production has declined due to several factors, including inadequate farming practices and low prices offered by international buyers. However, farmers’ cooperatives and government agencies are working together to revive this sector.
In Kenya, the horticulture sector is a vital aspect of agriculture that focuses on producing fruits, vegetables, and flowers. These crops are primarily grown for export, and Europe is their top destination.
The country benefits from a favourable climate and soil conditions that facilitate the growth of horticulture crops. This sector is a significant source of employment for many people, particularly women, who play a crucial role in flower farming.
Maize, tea, coffee, and horticulture are providing both food and income for farmers and contribute to the economy through exports. That’s why the classification of field crops can be extremely crucial in this region.
In Kenya, cotton is mainly cultivated in the eastern and coastal regions, specifically in Kilifi and Taita-Taveta counties. The cotton produced in these areas is a critical raw material for the textile industries that operate within the country.
Kenyan cotton farmers struggle with low yields and financial stress due to primitive methods and competition from low-cost producers like China and India. Many turn to alternative cash crops.
Impacts of Climate on Agriculture in Kenya
Climate change is affecting agriculture. Depending on the region, the effects of these changes may vary.
Negative impacts include reduced productivity of fields. In addition, livestock and fish populations are decreasing due to climate change.
The frequency and intensity of extreme weather events are changing, as well as temperature, which varies the physical and chemical properties of the habitat of different creatures.
Kenya’s agriculture largely depends on rainfall, making it susceptible to climate and temperature changes. It often results in poor land management and unsustainable use of agricultural water.
Monitoring and Crop Classification Using Remote Sensing
Remote sensing in agriculture involves collecting information from devices to analyze crop yield and identify areas for improvement. It helps address threats like pest infestation and weed growth.
In agriculture, devices and sensors can aid in the early detection of potential issues and alert farmers to identify crop issues and take appropriate measures to protect their crops.
This process is carried out across various sizes and types of land and crops. Remote sensing provides a variety of ways to collect and analyze crop and agriculture landscape data.
Optical sensors provide valuable information on crop conditions, vegetation indices and land cover.
Multispectral data allow the calculation of vegetation indices, including NDVI. In this way, it is possible to assess the condition of crops.
Hyperspectral sensors provide high spectral resolution, enabling detailed analysis and identification of specific materials and vegetation characteristics.
This data is valuable for disease detection, nutrient assessment and detailed crop classification.
By utilizing thermal sensing, it is possible to evaluate the level of water stress in crops, gauge the effectiveness of irrigation methods, and keep track of crop health through temperature changes.
Radar sensors provide information on crop structure, moisture and topography. Radar data is significant in terrain mapping, monitoring soil moisture levels, and evaluating crop growth stages.
Light Detection and Ranging sensors are a valuable tool for precision agriculture applications.
They provide highly accurate three-dimensional information on crop height, canopy structure, and topography, which can be used for crop height estimation, terrain modelling, and canopy characterization.
UAVs with various sensors provide a flexible, high-resolution way to gather crop information. They can detect diseases and aid in precision farming.
Identifying field crops accurately is crucial to running a successful agricultural business.
However, traditional methods of crop classification can be tricky. So how to identify crops?
EOS Data Analytics, a reliable provider of satellite data analytics with an extensive experience in precision farming and AI-technologies application, provides a quicker and simpler method to complete the task.
Combining SAR data with optical imagery allows us to assign a class to each crop type. Neural networks are trained to recognize more than 15 different types of crops in any area of interest.
Based on the obtained data, a crop-type map is built to meet the customer’s requirements. Depending on the ground data’s accuracy, the maps’ accuracy is up to 90%.
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