Empowering Farmers, Ensuring Food Security in Tharaka Nithi County
Governor Muthomi Njuki during a past interview
By Muthomi Njuki
To combat food insecurity in the country, the government must empower smallholder farmers by equipping them with the necessary farming knowledge that assures maximum production.
The unpredictable rain patterns occasioned by global climate change and the emergence of crop diseases and pests must be countered by the use of the right farm inputs including planting of certified seeds, and use of the right fertilizer and pesticides.
When I took over the leadership of Tharaka Nithi County as the governor in 2017, crop production was very low, resulting in the residents begging for relief food from the government and other well-wishers.
I realized that one of the main reasons why crop farmers especially in the lower parts of the county laboured in vain was the planting of wrong seeds which either gave very little or no harvest.
The farmers planted seeds scooped from their stores which they had harvested in the previous season or even bought from the market without caring about the variety or even the fertility.
To change the habit, I immediately rolled out a programme for the distribution of free certified seeds every planting season, an exercise that has continued to date.
On average, 50,000 farmers across the 15 Wards benefit from the programme every season resulting in improved crop production and my people no longer rely on relief food and my target is to make this county total food secure.
The programme also involves agricultural officers going around the villages to ensure that all the other necessary measures are taken for a bumper harvest.
Because the free seeds cannot reach all farmers across the county, others buy the same variety distributed by the county government according to the zones.
Approximately 90,000 bags of maize, beans, and green-gram seeds are distributed every planting season.
The variety of seeds is mainly informed by forecasts by the Kenya Metrological Department, which includes factors likely to result in reduced agricultural output across the county.
Kenya Kwanza government’s decision to give farmers subsidized fertilizer is a big boost to our farming programme and farmers are advised to embrace the use of the fertilizer.
With the reduced fertilizer prices and its availability, more farmers access it and as county government, we ensure smooth disbursement and where possible take closer to the farmers to avoid more spending on transportation.
The writer is Tharaka Nithi County Governor
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