A section of farmers in Homa Bay county are delighted following the rolling out of an agricultural project aimed at enhancing climate resilience in crop production.
Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga said that the programme was being implemented through the support of the European Union (EU) in partnership with the Homa Bay County Government.
The programme encompasses agricultural production which reduces emission of carbon into the atmosphere through the use of organic fertilizers.
The Governor said over 3000 farmers have already begun to benefit from a package of farm inputs which includes seeds and organic fertilizers.
The beneficiaries access the farm inputs at subsidized prices in which they pay only a tenth of the total cost of the package.
Each package comprises maize, beans, sorghum, beans and fertilizers. The farmers hail from Ndhiwa and Rachuonyo North Sub-counties.
Wanga said that the fertilizers were distributed by dealers who have been approved by the programme implementers and research institutions.
She said already over 6000 farmers have been trained on climate-resilient agricultural practices through the programme.
Governor Wanga spoke today when she received a host of diplomats led by EU Ambassador to Kenya Henriette Geiger in her office.
The ambassadors in the entourage included Sebastian Groth (Germany), Arnaud Suquet (France), Christian Fellner (Austria), Miroslaw Gojdz (Poland) and Caroline Vicini (Sweden).
Deputy Governor Oyugi Magwanga expressed optimism that the programme will boost food production in the county.
He said the programme is going to encourage many farmers to participate in food production in the county due to the efficiency of the new technologies.
“We are grateful as a county that over 3000 farmers are going to benefit from seeds and bio-fertilizers while 6000 others were going to benefit from capacity empowerment on climate-smart Agriculture,” Magwanga said.
He appealed to the EU and other partners to include sweet potato production in Rachuonyo East Sub-county as a value chain supported in the programme.
“We have Rachuonyo East sub-county which produces sweet potatoes. I appeal to you to include sweet potato production in this programme,” he said.
Geiger urged the farmers to utilize the programme to transform their lives.
“The EU is planting a seed in you but it is up to you to utilize the seeds and make it profitable in a manner that can transform your lives,” Geiger said.
She urged the youth in Kenya to embrace agriculture to improve food security.
“We are making agriculture attractive to the youth through the introduction of new technologies which enables farmers to reap more from their sweat,” she said.
She said the EU is committed to promoting the green economy through climate-resilient agricultural practices.
By Davis Langat
