As erratic weather patterns push up food prices and wipe out harvests across Kenya, Agri-tech platform FarmBizAfrica has unveiled an artificial intelligence-powered advisory tool designed to help farmers reduce climate risk and significantly increase earnings.The new platform, HarvestMAX, uses AI to generate customised crop plans based on a farmer’s specific location, soil type and long-season weather forecasts — offering a technology-driven alternative to traditional rain-fed guesswork.
Last season’s uneven short rains exposed the vulnerability of Kenya’s agriculture sector. Coastal maize farmers reported near-total losses due to failed rains, while upcountry producers saw tomatoes, beans and avocados destroyed by waterlogging.
“With nearly all our crops remaining rain-fed, just planting the same crops whatever the weather is wrecking farmers’ incomes and driving up everybody’s food prices,” said Antynet Ford of FarmBizAfrica.
Data-driven crop decisions
HarvestMAX analyses projected weather conditions and recommends “bounty crops” suited to each farm’s conditions. The tool also calculates expected input costs, projected earnings and potential profit margins for every recommended crop — allowing farmers to compare options before planting.
Farmers can access the platform without downloading an app and receive week-by-week growing guidance. Each user receives a permanent account to revisit recommendations throughout the season, and plans can be printed for offline use.
According to the company, the tool provides free long-season crop recommendations. For a one-off Sh500 administrative fee, farmers receive a detailed crop plan outlining:
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Optimal seed or rootstock selection
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Planting schedules
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Weather-contingency strategies
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Crop management guidance
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Harvesting and pricing strategies
Closing Kenya’s farm income gap
FarmBizAfrica says its data shows that better crop selection alone can dramatically raise smallholder incomes.
“Many farmers earn as low as Sh50,000 per acre per season, where there are options that can generate Sh250,000 or even Sh500,000 with the right crop choices and support,” said Ford.
Chief Executive Officer Jethro Tieman said Kenya was the natural launch market for the platform, noting that 55 per cent of FarmBizAfrica’s more than three million monthly readers and subscribers are based in the country.
“FarmBizAfrica has worked with farmers for 15 years, and what we’ve consistently seen is that farmers perform far better when they plant the right crop for the weather, receive practical guidance, and choose crops with strong market demand,” he said.
Tech stepping into the extension gap
Kenya’s agricultural extension services have long struggled with limited reach, leaving many farmers dependent on trial-and-error planting. By embedding AI, weather modelling and profitability analysis into one accessible platform, HarvestMAX signals a broader shift toward digital farming advisory solutions.
As climate variability intensifies, technology-driven decision support tools such as HarvestMAX could play a growing role in stabilising farmer incomes — and, ultimately, food prices.
