The county government of Kitui has embarked on a fact finding mission to establish a status report on food security.
This is in line with the Presidential Big Four Agenda which ties up with Governor Charity Kaluki Ngilu’s manifesto of Food and Water, Healthcare, Education and Youth Development, Women Empowerment and Wealth Creation.
Speaking during a meeting with Sub-County Agriculture extension officers on Friday, the CEC Agriculture, Water and Livestock Development, Mr. Emmanuel Kisangau said the county government was committed to making the county food secure.
“We are using a target based farming approach where we target villages and task our officers to help farmers achieve this,” he said.
The County Government has come up with a series of projects among them being the Ndengu Revolution launched in October 2017.
The projects among other initiatives, include progress in farmers profiling, horticultural programmes, farmer trainings, livestock programme and pasture establishments.
With Ndengu being the key pioneer project, the county government is committed to increasing productivity per acreage through upscaling of the drought resistant crops where they are targeting at least four bags per acre.
On the horticulture program, the county government has already distributed seeds to farmers, helped in tilling their lands through the farm ploughing project and issued them with pesticides for spraying the vegetables.
Speaking during the meeting, Agriculture, Water and Livestock Development Chief Officer, John Mbii Songolo said that one of the biggest resources the county has is extension services.
He urged extension officers to work closely with farmers for better results since the County posses all the 4 factors of production.
Songolo further said that the county had so far received seven artificial insemination kits from the Kenya Genetic Resource Centre for the livestock programme, adding that they are targeting 12,000 improved calves within a year.
Speaking on the same, Kisangau, urged extension officers to pilot the pasture establishment programme to more farmers since the county has more opportunity for livestock. By Yobesh Onwong’a
