A World Bank funded programme in Siaya County has allocated Sh18m to train 13,000 farmers on skills to improve productivity and marketing.
Agricultural Sector Support Development Programme (ASDSP) Phase II, county coordinator Ken Owuor said the farmers would be trained in the current financial year on improved production and marketing of indigenous chicken, mango and fish.
“The training aims at imparting innovative technologies to the farmers to increase production for food security and income,” said the coordinator when he met leaders of the farmers’ groups in Siaya town Saturday.
Owuor said the training would also emphasize strategies of sustaining the productions when the programme ends in 2022.
He said immediately after the training by end of this year, ASDSP officers would task the farmers with targets to gauge their competence and levels of self-reliance.
The farmer’s representative Albert Olwendo said the main challenge in commercial production among them has been lack of extension officers to impart skills and markets for their produce.
By Paul Olale
