Farmer groups and producer organisations in Kisii have received Sh55 million to improve their agricultural production for more income.
The money that was distributed to the groups by Governor James Ongwae was given under the National Agricultural Inclusive Growth Project.
The farmers are drawn from across 20 wards in the county.
“This project uses value chain approach and in Kisii, four value chains including banana, dairy cow (milk), chicken, and local vegetables are being supported by the project,” Ongwae said.
He was speaking at the Kisii Agricultural Training Centre where he laid the foundation stone for the construction of a resource and training centre.
Nine selected producer organisations from every subcounty also got a share of Sh9 million.
Ongwae said the programme aims to enhance horticulture development, dairy farming and other smallholder agricultural activities.
He urged the beneficiaries to diligently use the funds so they can attract further funding.
County programme coordinator Samwel Okumu said the project seeks to boost productivity and profitability of rural targeted communities in selected counties.
It will also provide effective responses in the event of a crisis.
Okumu said the project is being implemented in 21 counties and thanked the development partners for choosing Kisii.
Farmers will also benefit from a model resource and training centre jointly funded by the World Bank and the county government.
The model centre will enhance and increase farmers’ knowledge of agricultural production and value addition in line with President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Big Four Agenda.
“My administration is working towards the realisation of the President’s Big 4 Agenda on food security,” Ongwae said.
The single-storey centre will comprise of a podium with a sitting capacity of 800, a library, training boardrooms including a computer server room, storerooms for training exhibits, kitchen and serving area with detailed dry and cold storage facilities and lavatories, including those for people with disabilities.
In August last year, the county disbursed the first tranche of Sh22 million across the 20 implementing wards.
Agriculture executive Esman Onsarigo said the NARIGP links rural smallholder farmers with common interest groups and vulnerable and marginalised groups organised along selected priority value chains to markets.
He appealed to the youth to take advantage of the programme to form common interest groups along the four value chains in order to benefit from the NARIGP fund.
edited by p. obuya