As unpredictable weather patterns continue to threaten Kenya’s food security, agricultural information service FarmBizAfrica has launched HarvestMAX, an AI-driven tool designed to help farmers navigate the 2026 long rains season.
The tool arrives at a critical moment as climbing food prices and regional crop failures underscore the urgent need for data-backed planting decisions.
The platform addresses a growing crisis: the extreme variability of recent seasons. Last year, coastal maize farmers faced total harvest losses while upcountry growers struggled with waterlogged beans and avocados. HarvestMAX aims to end this “guesswork” by delivering customized farm plans based on a farmer’s specific location and soil type.
By calculating likely earnings, input costs, and potential profits for every recommended crop, the AI tool provides a roadmap for farmers to transition from subsistence to high-earning yields. FarmBizAfrica reports that while many farmers currently earn as little as Sh50,000 per acre, the right crop choices could elevate that income to over Sh250,000.
“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.
Accessible via a mobile-friendly web interface with no app download required, HarvestMAX provides free crop recommendations. For a one-off Sh500 admin fee, farmers receive a comprehensive plan that includes agronomist guidance, week-by-week management steps, and strategies for both early and late rains.
With 55% of FarmBizAfrica’s three million monthly readers based in Kenya, the launch represents a major step in digitizing agricultural extension services. The tool doesn’t just suggest crops; it provides the technical “how-to” for success, including rootstock selection and harvesting strategies to secure the best market prices.
CEO Jethro Tieman emphasized that the tool is the culmination of 15 years of field experience.
“What we have seen over and over is that farmers do so much better when they plant the right crop for the weather, get support in how to grow it successfully, and choose crops that sell easily and earn well,” Tieman noted.
