Agriculture,
Over 70, 000 farmers from across Murang’a County have received certified maize seeds and fertilizer from the county government ahead of the short rains in a bid to improve food security.
Speaking at Muruka dispensary in Kandara sub-county during the final distribution exercise, Governor Irungu Kang’ata highlighted that the exercise that has been ongoing across the county since September 23 was successful, having reached over 70,000 farmers against a target of 57,000.
“We had targeted 57,000 farmers but the turnout has been impressive with about 70,000 farmers turning up to receive the maize and fertilizer,” Kang’ata said. Kang’ata stated that they were giving farmers a 2kg bag of certified seeds and 16 kilos of fertilizer noting that together, the farm inputs would have cost the farmers up to Sh4000 because the seeds alone cost Sh1600.
He stated that the seeds have been sourced from Simlaw Seed Company and Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) which are government entities. The Governor noted that the distribution of maize and fertilizer was a long-term project as they intended to distribute the inputs every season if the County Assembly allowed the move.
The project aims to improve food security in the county as well as help farmers commercialize maize farming in Murang’a.
Peter Ndung’u, one of the beneficiaries, celebrated the move by the county government saying the maize and the fertilizer would go a long way in boosting food security. “I appreciate the maize and fertilizer I have received and I believe I will be able to produce more food for my family,” he said, noting that many farmers could not have managed to buy the farm inputs due to the tough economic times.
Mary Nduta, an elderly farmer from Muruka, observed that with the county’s favourable climatic conditions, the programme initiated by the county government would help the farmers attain food security at the domestic level.
“Many of us have been planting without fertilizer and the harvests have not been good, now with fertilizer we believe we will have better harvests,” Nduta said. The farmers celebrated the many projects initiated by the county administration in sectors such as agriculture, health, and youth empowerment, saying the projects have improved the living standards of the residents.