Africa-Press – Kenya. Over 9,000 households have benefited from Sh81.5 million farm inputs in Machakos. The beneficiaries are family members belonging to 367 farmers’ groups who received the inputs on Saturday.
Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti said the farmers were from Kola, Kalama, Masii, Muthetheni, Katangi and Ikombe wards. “These inputs will go to 367 farmers’ groups and will benefit 9,993 households,” Ndeti said.
Ndeti presided over the inputs’ distribution launch that she said was key to her administration’s ‘Chakula mezani, pesa mfukoni’ initiative. “I’m pleased to launch this very important activity of agricultural input distribution in Machakos. This is the second time we are launching such a program,” Ndeti said.
The governor said the farm inputs’ distribution exercise was a clear indication that her administration was committed to transforming agricultural production in Machakos.
“Agriculture contributes to around 70 per cent of most of the households’ income in Machakos,” she said. She said agriculture was a key sector in her government.
Ndeti said it was important in alleviating hunger and poverty alongside increasing the income of households, not only in the county but also in the country at large.
“Today’s occasion is in preparation for the coming season. This being a recovery period after the last two years’ drought,” Ndeti said.
She said her administration was mobilising the available resources to ensure farmers from Machakos recover from the effects of drought and go back to their normal livelihoods.
To improve agricultural production, the governor said her government had initiated several projects including ‘Maziwa na Mali’ initiative that aims at increasing dairy milk production among farmers.
“To achieve the ‘Chakula Mezani, Pesa Mfukoni’ vision, my government has partnered with various institutions and organizations,” Ndeti said.
“Key among the partners is the World Bank which has funded three agricultural projects in the county.”
The projects she said include the Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture, Emergency Locust Response and National Agriculture Value Chain Development Project. Ndeti said a community development-driven approach had been used in delivering these projects.
“This is where communities identify their needs and develop action plans for addressing those needs. The projects also encourage communities to form their committees at the ward level,” Ndeti said. Ndeti urged farmers to use the inputs provided to increase crops and livestock productivity.
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