Kiambu County Assembly Majority Leader, Patrick Chege has urged the department of Agriculture to establish effective information centers in the county to help farmers adopt modern farming technologies.
Chege noted that farmers in the county are willing to advance their activities but lack skills and guidance.
“The county government needs to provide information about market for produce and new breeds to our farmers and this will see speedy growth in the agriculture sector,” he said.
The MCA made the remarks on Tuesday when contributing on the motion of adoption of a report prepared by the Committee of Agriculture, Livestock Development and Fisheries after touring Israel with a view of expanding their horizons of knowledge in matters relating to Agriculture and especially the best practices in dairy production.
The Majority Leader said a farmers training service at ward level should be established and advised farmers to install CCTV cameras in the cowsheds to improve the security of their livestock.
He noted that agricultural training has been adopted by Israel as one way of improving agriculture and said the same should be availed to Kiambu farmers.
“Mechanisms should be put in place by the county government at ward level to ensure that there is enough agricultural training especially on areas of production, marketing and consumption,” Chege said.
Gitaru Ward MCA, Charles Arahuka, who was moving the motion informed the house that the government of Israel has an information centre known as department of Research, Economy and Strategy Division and provides farmers with current data on global markets of fresh agricultural produce and activity in competing Countries.
He lamented that Kiambu County produces cabbages, potatoes and milk but the ministry of Agriculture never updates the farmers on the current market competitors.
“The department gathers information, analyses factors that affect various markets, identifies marketing opportunities and provides consultation and instructing services for the development of new initiatives in agricultural export. I do not believe any of us has ever received a report from the ministry”, said the MCA.