The Ministry of Agriculture will use Uasin Gishu County as a model in a number of pilot projects geared towards attainment of national food security and more farming ventures.
Uasin Gishu forms the biggest muscle of the country’s breadbasket, North Rift, and boasts an annual maize and wheat production of over four and 2 million bags. The county also claims a sizeable portion in dairy production.
Governor Jackson Mandago and Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Willy Bett have earmarked the county to be used in model projects including exploiting opportunities in horticulture.
Bett appreciated several agricultural projects that are currently being rolled out in Uasin Gishu. The Kijana na Eka seeks to woo the youth into farming. The Inua Mama na Kuku programme gives out chicks to women for self-sustenance and improvement of livelihoods.
With good soils and the good climate, the county’s department of agriculture in conjunction with that of trade are giving out loans and sensitising constituents on the need to pick up fruit farming to avoid overreliance of cereal cultivation.
Bett said the Ministry of Agriculture will partner with Uasin Gishu County to roll out the avocado farming, adding that there were good markets for the fruits in Europe and Asia.
Mandago said over 100 youth groups had already been empowered to do tree nurseries for production seedlings. Most are already doing avocado and mangoes crafting, sentiments echoed by County Executive Committee (CEC) member for Agriculture Dr Cyril Cheruiyot.
Uasin Gishu County will also be used to be the first in implementation a plan where maize farmers will be required to join cooperatives and groups in a move expected to curb cartels who buy fertilisers in bulk.
There have been concerns that some individuals who do not do farming usually purchase fertilisers in large volumes for later sale to farmers, but for exorbitant prices.
“When farmers are in Saccos, it will be easy for them to just pay for the amount they need and the input will be delivered to their stores. That way we will be solving this issue middlemen and cartels draining our depots,” Mandago said.