Thailand to Offer Agriculture Scholarships to Kenyan Students

Agricultural students in Kenya are set to benefit from postgraduate scholarships through a planned Thailand-KSA partnership. The programme will target master's and postgraduate diploma training in agro-technology and related agricultural fields.

New Training Programme Planned

The Royal Government of Thailand is expected to announce when the scholarship programme will officially begin. Discussions on implementation are expected to be held between Thai officials and the Kenya School of Agriculture.

Thailand has maintained a partnership with KSA since 2022, with support already provided towards institutional development. The collaboration has included financial assistance, equipment donations and capacity-building programmes at the Nyeri-based institution.

A total of Sh28 million has reportedly been contributed towards equipment and staff capacity building. Further support is expected to expand advanced agricultural training opportunities at the institution.

Farmers to Receive More Training

Small-scale farmers in Nyeri and neighbouring areas are also expected to benefit from continued training. The programme will promote practical mechanisation and modern husbandry techniques aimed at improving agricultural productivity.

Thai Ambassador to Kenya Jirusaya Birananda said the training would extend beyond students. Farmers are expected to be included as beneficiaries as agricultural knowledge and technologies are transferred through trained personnel.

The initiative is intended to create a broader platform for sharing agricultural experience and appropriate technologies. Smallholder farmers are expected to receive practical knowledge that can be applied within their farming operations.

Machinery Introduced to Farmers

Several pieces of agricultural equipment have already been provided through Thailand's support programme. Among the machinery supplied is the Agropro 365 tractor designed for small-scale farming operations.

The multi-purpose walking tractor is powered by Kubota and distributed locally by Green Africa Group. Its fuel consumption has been estimated at approximately two litres of diesel for every acre ploughed.

The machine is supplied with cage wheels, a disc plough, a rake and a moldboard. Its reported cost stands at approximately Sh850,000, making affordability an important consideration for potential users.

KSA Envisioned as Regional Hub

The partnership is also expected to strengthen the Kenya School of Agriculture's role in agricultural knowledge transfer. A broader training network is being envisioned to connect students, personnel and farmers.

Trained personnel are expected to serve as trainers who can facilitate the transfer of agricultural experience. Farmers in Nyeri and surrounding areas would subsequently be reached through the expanded training platform.

The long-term ambition is for the institution to become a regional agricultural learning centre. The proposed hub would serve farmers from across Kenya and eventually support agricultural learning throughout East Africa.

Thailand's continued involvement is expected to support both institutional development and farmer capacity building. The next phase will focus on postgraduate training, scholarships and expanded agricultural technology programmes.