The HortIMPACT Greenhouse Capacity Development Project strengthened LRC Foundation’s capacity to deliver professional greenhouse training, farm operator certification, and agribusiness advisory services to Kenya’s rapidly growing horticulture sector. Implemented between 2016 and 2019, the project responded to the growing demand for skilled greenhouse operators and practical business support by developing competency-based training curricula, farmer handbooks, and a network of highly skilled trainers and consultants.
Through a combination of classroom instruction, practical demonstrations, farmer field schools, and on-farm coaching, the project trained 217 greenhouse farm operators, 479 greenhouse farmers, and 23 trainers and consultants across multiple counties in Kenya. It also introduced innovative greenhouse technologies, including integrated pest management (IPM), substrate cultivation, fertigation, climate control, nursery management, and greenhouse business planning. Beyond strengthening technical capacity, the project created employment opportunities for trained farm operators, improved greenhouse productivity, enhanced access to professional advisory services, and established LRC as a leading centre of excellence for commercial greenhouse production and agribusiness incubation in East Africa.
The project was funded by HortIMPACT and implemented by LRC Foundation in collaboration with Delphy (Netherlands), Koppert Biological Systems, SoilCares, Boosman Hoogendoorn Horti Support (BHHS), KHS, and the Agriculture and Agribusiness Association of Kenya (AAK). Additional collaboration with county governments, greenhouse farmers, agro-dealers, independent consultants, and agribusiness service providers ensured that innovative greenhouse technologies and best practices reached farmers across Kenya, contributing to increased productivity, stronger agribusinesses, and a more competitive horticulture sector.