The Nakuru county government will issue seedlings to 4125 farmers in the county to boost them during the planting season. Minister of agriculture Stanley Kiprono Chepkwony stated that they will distribute beans and Irish potatoes seeds to needy farmers who cannot afford to purchase the seeds. “We will give the seeds to 75 farmers from each ward that will be identified as the neediest by the chiefs and other community leaders,” he added. Speaking to the press at his office, the Minister stated that his ministry will also give the farmers sweet potato vines in order to diversify their harvest. “We have refrained from issuing farmers with maize seeds due to the maize nuclerosis diseases that affected farmers last year. We want to ensure that the disease does not recur this year,” he added. Chepkwony lamented that many farmers lost a lot of money after refusing to heed to the warning by the ministry not to plant the seeds that were already affected. “We are calling on our farmers once more to refrain from planting the maize seeds. This is the reason for the drought that this area has been experiencing and hence could be prevented if only the farmers were obedient,” he added. He also called on farmers to plant certified seeds.

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