In September 2025, participatory varietal reviews took place in Laikipia, Kenya, with 80 farmers, equally split by gender and scale of operations. Led by Anne Gichangi, the farmers reviewed wheat lines being trialled by the Cereal Growers Association and KALRO.
The farmers enjoyed being part of this review process and provided detailed scoring for a range of agronomic properties. These findings will feed into UK-CGIAR Centre research and KARLO wheat breeding programmes to ensure improved varieties meet the needs of diverse farmers.
Dr. Anne Gichangi, an Agricultural Economist at FCRC- KALRO, said
“What I found most exciting about this work was seeing farmers take such an active role in shaping the future of wheat in Kenya. Their evaluations and discussions reflected deep local knowledge and practical insight. Bringing farmers’ voices directly into the breeding process ensures that the wheat varieties developed are not only high-yielding but also truly suited to their farming systems, preferences, and livelihoods.”
Photos of the workshop
Images credit: Anne Gichanci & KALRO.