The Frontier Children Development Organization has donated 300 bags of livestock supplementary feeds to support households affected by last year’s desert locust invasion in Turkana County.
The intervention targeting 150 households in Turkana Central, Loima and Turkana North Sub-Counties with special focus on dairy goats’ farmers who are set to get supplement at a cost of Ksh.850, 000.
The organisation has mapped out vulnerable households in Turkwell, Lobei/Kotaruk, Kanamkemer Lodwar Township and Lakezone Wards.
The objective of the supplementary livestock feeding exercise is to increase availability of feeds and improve nutrition status of the targeted households through milk availability, especially for children.
It’s also meant to reduce food insecurity and improve purchasing power through better income realized from sale of healthy animals.
County Executive for Agriculture, Pastoral Economy and Fisheries Philip Aemun presided over the distribution of the livestock feeds to targeted beneficiaries at Nauren Puu and Nadapal areas of Turkwell Ward.
The County Executive, in his remarks, lauded the organization for the donation and appealed for more support from well-wishers and other livestock stakeholders to support farmers noting that agro-pastoralist had been greatly affected by the prolonged drought that had been compounded by livestock diseases.
He revealed plans to organize more meeting to source support towards drought affected households. The support, he said, will include off-take programmes for emaciated goats/sheep.
On his part, County Chief Officer for Livestock Abdulahi Yusuf outlined the department’s intervention which includes plans to upscale pasture production, rangeland management and livelihood diversification enterprises such as poultry production and bee keeping.
County Director for Livestock Production Bobby Ekadon called for prudent use of the feeds while Frontier’s Development representative Peter Kamais assured of organization commitment to collaborate with the County Government on future interventions.
Also present were Livestock Deputy Directors John Eipa (Range management) and Ernest Anzenze (Livestock Marketing).
Loima Sub-County Livestock Production Officer James Atana as well as Turkwell Ward Administrator Imadis Ekuleu were in attendance.
By Peter Gitonga
