Farmers have been advised to embrace alternative farming from maize as one way of dealing with food insecurity.
This follows the crop’s poor production due to Maize Lethal Necrosis Disease (MLND),
Kisii County Agriculture CeC Vincent Sagwe says: “Due to fast spread of MLND, all farmers should change from this crop to others like potatoes, sorghum, beans among others since this will eliminate the disease from our shambas,” he said.
At the same time, Sagwe has warned farmers against fraudsters who cheat that they have resistant maize seed.
“Farmers must be wary of fraudsters selling uncertified seeds since no seeds have been proven yet to be resistant to the disease,” Sagwe warned.
He added they are spearheading as the ministry to put up at least one satellite cereal depot in every Kisii Sub-county to enable farmers get certified seeds and even sell their products.
“We will put up nine satellite cereal depots in our county as affirmative action to bloc middlemen and fraudsters who cone farmers. Farmers can sell their products to the depot in their respective constituencies to deny fraudsters and middlemen opportunities of stealing from them and to ensure food security,” he promised.
Among the centres where these depots will be erected according to the executive are; Marani, Riana, Nyamarambe, Sengera and Masimba, and after they are erected stringent policies will be set up to deal with fraudsters.
The Minister also said they will organise farmer field schools to educate farmers on how to conduct their farming since there are few officers comparing to the county population.