Maize and coffee farmers in Kisii and Nyamira counties are set to benefit from subsidised farm inputs under the National Value Chain Support Programme (NVCSP) by the national government.
Speaking during the training of Agriculture Extension Officers on the E-voucher system at the Kisii Agricultural Training Centre, Kisii County Executive Committee Member for Agriculture, Esman Onsarigo, said that registered farmers will present the voucher to selected agro-dealers and get fertilisers at a reduced price.
“We want to start with maize farmers whereby a farmer will be required to pay 60 percent of the cost of the fertiliser and the national and county governments will pay the remaining 40 percent,” said Onsarigo.
The CEC noted that after the training, the programme will initially be rolled out to Magenche, Moticho, Sensi and Kisii Central wards within Kisii County and later expanded to the other forty-one wards in the region.
He noted that farmers in the four wards will begin to redeem their E-vouchers starting Monday, the February 14, and a mass registration exercise of farmers will also commence in the county.
“I am making an appeal to all our farmers who are doing value chains that are being supported by this programme to immediately start registering at our Ward offices and Sub County headquarters through the Ward Agricultural Officers,” Onsarigo added.
He expressed his gratitude to the county and national government leadership for selecting Kisii County to implement the programme.
Onsarigo pointed out that the programme will increase productivity through affordable inputs and greatly contribute to one of the Big Four Agendas of food security.
Nyamira County Executive Committee Member for Agriculture, Peris Mongare, noted that the prices of farm inputs are currently on the rise and the subsidy will enable the farmers to afford the inputs.
Mongare urged the farmers to purchase the recommended seeds, plant early and follow the agronomic practices that are required to enable them to get high production.
“When farmers are food secure, they can also be able to sell the surplus and achieve other amenities so that the livelihood of small-scale farmers will be improved,” she said.
Kisii and Nyamira counties are among the 12 pilot counties supported by the National Value Chain Support Programme, an initiative where the national and county governments will collaborate with agro-dealers, Mpesa and Kenya Commercial Bank to provide farmers with subsidised inputs through an electronic-based input management system (E-voucher system).
By Mercy Osongo
