The County government of Nakuru is in the process of registering all farmers to update their data and come up with plans and strategies on how to revamp agriculture across the county.
The exercise which will involve all agricultural officers at all the Sub-counties, including chiefs and their assistants is aimed at assisting farmers get advice on emerging crops, new farming methods and weather patterns.
The exercise will also see farmers across the Sub-counties benefit from the recently launched programs including access to government subsidies.
Nakuru County Chief Officer for Agriculture, Dr. Enos Amuyunzu said the registration will be done online and will ensure farmers’ access subsidized fertilizers once it was completed.
Amuyunzu further said the exercise is part of the national government’s wider plan to have all farmers registered biometrically and that farmers will be required to provide a copy of title deed or a certificate of lease and a national identity card for easier verification.
Addressing the press in Naivasha, Amuyunzu said for a very long time the county did not have a data base with the number of farmers noting that the latest initiative will help in planning the department’s activities.
He at the same time said that the county had launched the pyrethrum revival strategy for farmers in areas where the crop was doing well, adding that those in other areas will also benefit from the programs detailed under Governor Lee Kinyanjui’s manifesto.
“We are assisting our farmers to have value for their products by helping them plant certified seeds that take less time to mature and this can only be done if we know the numbers we are dealing with,” he said.
Last year, Agriculture CS, Mwangi Kiunjuri said they had partnered with ICT ministry to have all farmers in the country registered electronically.
He said that a similar exercise in 2009 had failed, adding that the government was committed to the process which will see the farmers easily access farm implements and inputs.
Kiunjuri had at the time admitted that the government did not have any data on the country’s farmers, saying the process was part of increasing productivity and seeking new markets for their produce.
By Esther Mwangi and Mercy Kihugu
