More than 120 farmers from Kenya’s drylands gathered at the ICRISAT Kiboko Research Station in Makueni County to help shape the next generation of climate-resilient finger millet varieties during a Farmer Participatory Variety Selection (PVS) field day under the Biodiversity for Opportunities, Livelihoods and Development (BOLD) Project.

The event brought together 128 farmers, including 96 women and 32 men, alongside researchers, breeders, development partners and agricultural experts, highlighting the central role farmers play in developing crop varieties that respond to local needs, farmer preferences and the realities of a changing climate.