Maize farmers from Juja Sub-County received a boost following the distribution of free certified maize seeds and fertilizers by the County Government.
Area Governor Kimani Wamatangi presided over the launch at Kalimoni Ward in Juja Sub-County on Tuesday.
Speaking during the distribution exercise, the governor noted that the overall objective of the programme was to not only increase acreage of land under maize crop in the county, but more importantly to enable the government address the problem of food shortage.
“Many of our people are impoverished and cannot afford fertilizer and seeds, which are the backbone of any farming community. This is why we decided to embark on this initiative to assist such farmers engage in meaningful farming activity in order to improve their living standards,” he said.
“We have also noted that our farmers are getting poor harvests because they have been planting the wrong seed varieties in their regions. This is why we are distributing seeds that have been certified and developed by researchers so as to do well in this region, seeds that have been developed on the basis of altitude, rainfall, type of soil, temperature and other climatic conditions that affect Kiambu County,” said Wamatangi.
The Governor also acknowledged the move by the national government in providing subsidized fertilizer, noting that it had enabled most farmers in the region to access the crucial farming commodity.
He further stated that phase one of the distribution of the fertilizer focused on maize farmers and that only the ones who had registered would receive the commodity.
Mr James Maina, a farmer in Kalimoni ward, thanked the county administration for the initiative saying it was significant in ensuring the area farmers planted at the appropriate time.
“We have already prepared our farms and are also expecting the rains to fall at any time as forecasted by the weather man. The seeds have been distributed at the perfect time and we are now ready to begin the planting season having been equipped with what we need,” said Maina.
The distribution programme targets a total of 100,000 vulnerable farmers spread all over Kiambu County.
By Hellen Lunalo
