Tana River County government, through the Department of Agriculture, has embarked on a move to transform agricultural practices from the traditional forms into modern agriculture.
To achieve the initiative, the county government has bought 10 tractors worth Sh90 million.
Through the move dubbed “modernisation and mechanisation of agriculture in Tana River County,” the county government aims at changing agriculture in the region from being rain fed to irrigation based farming.
“The programme will also incorporate use of machines in land preparation, planting and harvesting,” explained the County Executive Committee Member for Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock, Mr. Javan Bonaya,
Bonaya said the devolved unit aims at achieving food security at the same time using the surplus produce for economic improvement of residents.
“We are modernising and mechanising agriculture through farming using machines such as tractors and through irrigation. This move will ensure increased yields for food security,” Bonaya said.
Bonaya said the County government had bought 10 tractors, and distributed them to the three sub counties, to be used in the farming projects.
CEC Bonaya was speaking in Mikinduni village, in Galole Sub County Friday, where he supplied irrigation pipes and seeds to Emmaus’ Catholic and women farming groups’ projects.
“We have already bought and distributed the tractors to the sub counties with three of them going to Bura, three others to Delta and the other four to Galole Sub-Counties,” Bonaya added.
He noted that his department, with support from Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), had acquired Sh20 million seeds comprising maize, Sukuma Wiki and Onions, which they are planning to distribute to farming groups in the county.
Bonaya said preparation of 14 irrigation schemes in different parts of the county was underway, as a move to accomplish the desired enterprise.
By Simon Guruba/Felix Mulu
