Farmers have been urged embrace Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) technologies that sustainably increase productivity, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enable communities to adapt and build resilience to climate change.
Kitui county governor Dr. Julius Malombe has said that climate change impacts had negatively affected food production, thus affecting livelihoods of the people in the area.
Speaking when he presided over the official opening of this year’s Kitui Agricultural Show and Trade Fair, being held at Ithokwe Showground in Kitui Central Constituency, Dr. Malombe noted that Climate change is an undeniable reality that poses insignificant challenges globally, hence the need for mitigation measures to fight the same.
He said the agricultural sector has been the most affected on account of extreme weather conditions and erratic rainfall, resulting in reduced crop productivity, food and nutrition insecurity, water scarcity and increased vulnerability of rural communities.
This situation negatively impacts the livelihoods of the area residents, most of whom rely on rain-fed agriculture, added Malombe.
Consequently, the governor appealed to local farmers and visitors to the county to take time and visit the exhibitions to sample various showcased technologies, innovations and management practices by a wide range of stakeholders in the Agriculture and Trade sectors, so as to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Some of the climate smart practices showcased at the Kitui Agricultural Show and Trade Fair included zai pits, drought tolerant crops production, farm ponds, ripping, kitchen gardening and pasture production.
Malombe reiterated that agriculture is the backbone of the country’s economy, contributing 20 percent directly to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 27% indirectly through its sector economic linkages, with other sectors.
The key sector also employs 40% of the total population and above 70% of the rural populace as per the Monetary Policy Committee Agriculture Sector Survey of 2023.
“In Kitui County, the agricultural sector contributes 40% to the County’s GDP and provides income to 83% of the rural population as per the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, Gross County Product 2019,” said the governor, who is also patron of the 6th edition of the three-day long Kitui Agricultural Show and Trade Fair.
“The Agricultural Shows bring together farmers, entrepreneurs, investors, consumers and learners, creating a conducive environment for networking and forging strategic partnerships. It is through such collaborations that the full potential of the agricultural sector can be unlocked to stimulate economic growth and improve livelihoods of people,” added Dr. Malombe.
He further observed that the Kitui Agricultural Show and Trade Fair is contained in his manifesto dubbed, The Kitui Promise flagship project, under the County Ministries responsible for Agriculture and Livestock, Trade, Industry, MSMEs, Innovation, as well as Cooperative and it attracts exhibitors and participants from the county and beyond.
Malombe explained that the event serves to highlight innovations in agricultural practices, machinery and trade linkages.
It also offers an opportunity to interact with government agencies and leadership, while also appreciating diversified cultural practices of the people.
“Key sectors such as Agriculture, Livestock, Water, Environment, Cooperatives, Manufacturing, Financial Services, ICT, sports, Health, Education and Trade are of special interest to us as a county Government mainly because of their impact on the livelihoods of our citizens.
As we gather here today, we acknowledge the need to prioritize climate resilience in our agricultural practices, hence the theme for this year’s show, Promoting Climate Smart Agriculture for Food & Nutrition Security and Trade Initiatives for Sustainable Economic Growth,” said the governor.
He also encouraged farmers to adopt the showcased Climate Smart Agriculture practices to improve food and nutrition security, adapt to climate change and contribute to global climate change mitigation.
At the same time, the governor emphasized on the endeavor to shift from over reliance on rain-fed agriculture to irrigated agriculture, saying this was one of key interventions to transform agriculture.
Additionally, he expressed concern that climate change has negatively impacted agriculture, leading to high levels of poverty and the current high cost of living amongst communities across the nation, especially in the rural areas.
“Agricultural productivity has stagnated, even as our population increases,” he said.
Therefore, the governor reiterated that his government will continue to create an enabling environment for farmers and traders to engage in Climate Smart Agriculture value chains.
“This is in line with the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, The Kitui Promise and the County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP) that makes agriculture and trade a high priority aimed at strategic socio-economic interventions,” he added.
He further encouraged the local farmers and residents to seek out for innovative technologies and practices that can enhance productivity and profitability of the agricultural ventures and trade initiatives.
“Most importantly, learn from one another’s experiences and success stories. By doing so, we can collectively build a stronger and a more resilient agricultural sector in Kitui County,” added Malombe.
