By Ongaga Ongaga
FarmBizAfrica has launched a new artificial intelligence–driven platform aimed at helping farmers make smarter crop choices amid worsening climate shocks and rising food prices.
The tool, dubbed HarvestMAX, is designed to guide farmers on what to plant during the 2026 long-rains season by analysing location, soil type, weather patterns and market performance to identify the most resilient and profitable crops.
The launch comes as Kenya reels from an erratic agricultural season marked by floods, droughts and widespread crop losses. Food prices have continued to climb, with experts warning that future supplies will increasingly depend on farmers’ planting decisions.
“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 in a statemen.
Last year’s short rains were uneven across the country, exposing farmers to severe losses.
While maize farmers at the Coast failed to harvest due to poor rainfall, growers in highland regions lost tomatoes, beans and avocados to waterlogging caused by excessive rains.
According to FarmBizAfrica, HarvestMAX addresses this challenge by offering free, AI-generated farm plans that recommend “bounty crops” suited to a farmer’s specific location and soil conditions.
The platform also calculates expected earnings, input costs and profits for each recommended crop.
In addition to the free recommendations, farmers can access a detailed planting and management plan for a one-off fee of Sh500. The plan includes agronomist guidance throughout the season, advice on what to do if rains arrive early or late, recommended seed varieties or rootstocks, and harvesting strategies to secure the best market prices.
“We know that farmers can earn even five times more from their plots with better crop choices,” Ford said.
“Many earn as low as Sh50,000 in a season from an acre, where there are options that can get them over Sh250,000 or even Sh500,000 with help on the best crop choices and extension on how to succeed.”
FarmBizAfrica CEO Jethro Tieman said Kenya was chosen as the launch market because it represents the organisation’s largest audience.
“FarmBizAfrica reaches over three million farmers a month, but 55 per cent of our readers, subscribers and followers are in Kenya, making it obvious to launch HarvestMAX here in Kenya first,” Tieman said.
The platform does not require users to download an app and creates a permanent account for each farmer, allowing them to revisit their farm plans as often as needed.
The recommendations are also available in printable format, offering a full, step-by-step guide to achieving optimal yields.
Drawing on 15 years of working directly with farmers, Tieman said the organisation has consistently observed better outcomes when farmers align crop choices with weather conditions and market demand.
“FarmBizAfrica has worked with farmers for 15 years, and 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 on how to grow it successfully, and choose crops that sell easily and earn well,” he said.
HarvestMAX is available countrywide via FarmBizAfrica’s digital platforms, with the basic crop recommendation widget offered free to all users.