Allow me to take this opportunity, on behalf of Nyeri County residents to welcome all of you who have come to participate in this year’s Central Kenya Agricultural Show. Let me also take this opportunity to register my appreciation to the Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK) and all the Exhibitors whose hard work and commitment has availed a platform where the latest technologies in agricultural production and agribusiness are being exhibited during this period. This has provided a great opportunity for our farmers to learn new and modern farming technologies.
I call upon all of you to take advantage of this great event to learn as much as you possibly can in order to improve productivity in your various agricultural enterprises and businesses.
The ASK has this year come up with the theme- ‘Promoting Innovation and Technology in Agriculture and Trade’ – a theme that’s emphasizing on the importance of innovations and technology as key drivers in enhancing food security, agricultural growth and trade, factors, which significantly contributes to the development of this County and the Country at large.
My Government is keen in playing its role by promoting competitive and commercially oriented agriculture through utilization of modern and efficient agricultural technologies. I therefore wish to call upon all the farmers and other stakeholders to take farming as a serious business, like any other, so as to develop a vibrant agro-based industry and trade in this great County.
Food security and the economic well-being of our people remains a priority objective for my County Government. Towards this end, the Government of Nyeri is keen to address the challenges facing the Agricultural sector in order to ensure food security for all. To demonstrate our commitment on this, the County Government in the last Financial Year had allocated over Kshs 200 Million to this sector, through the Directorate of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, to enhance Agricultural development and as a result boost overall rural development.
My Government was able to achieve the following through the department of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries in the financial year 2017/18;
Procured and distributed 100,000 bags of Agriculture Lime to the farmers at a total cost of Kshs 50 M. This will improve soil health hence increasing its productivity.
Procured and distributed fruit tree seedlings worth Kshs 30M. This initiative will help to increase tree cover within the County as well as improve livelihoods of Nyeri farmers through complementing their income with fruit farming.
Improving mobility of the agricultural extension officers and the Artificial Insemination providers by procuring vehicles and motor cycles for them at a cost of Kshs 20 M for prompt delivery of services.
In diversifying the agricultural activities in this County, the Fisheries sector is coming up well and the department was able to rehabilitate 226 ponds at a cost of 14M and initiated cage fishing technology in the county where 10 cages were established and each stocked with 1,000 mono sex post- fingerlings at Chinga dam. This initiative will help revitalize the Wamagana fish processing plant that provides a ready market for these fish farmers.
Installed 12 milk coolers in the county dairy societies and this were done in collaboration with National Government. The cooling facilities will increase milk value as it can keep for longer period thereby allowing the societies/producers to transport the milk to markets without losses and farmers will also be able to market evening milk thus earning more from dairy enterprise. The project is ongoing and the county expects to install more coolers to benefit marketing groups producing over 3,000 litres of milk daily.
In helping the onion farmers to reduce post-harvest losses and to ensure that they reap handsomely from their labour, the government has initiated establishment of a ware house for the onion farmers at Kiawara market to serve as a storage facility as well as a selling point for this produce which is ongoing.
To improve on Agriculture mechanization and revenue collection, the county government procured of 3- Disk plough, 5- disk mower, 4-Disk rake, Bailer and seed drill planter. This initiative is a step towards reviving the Agriculture machinery station at Naromoru. This will help to improve agriculture mechanization in the county.
To make Wambugu ATC center of excellence the department has initiated the construction of a common user Cottage industry for value addition at a total cost of 10M and completion of a modern hostel.
The department has continued to support county free A.I services to the dairy farmers. Ksh 10M was used to procure semen and liquid nitrogen last financial year. So far over 20,000 dairy cows has been served
In addition, my Government has planned the following activities in the current 2018/19 financial year in contribution to achieving food and nutrition security as well as improved income to our farmers.
To address soil fertility: The Department of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries is planning to undertake feasibility studies for soil profiling and mapping in the County. The mapping of the soil resources in the County will provide valuable information on the intrinsic properties of the soils and their specific areas of distribution. This crucial information will guide appropriate soil management extension packages especially in the coffee zones where the soil health has been proved to be an issue due to acidity.
The department of Agriculture will upscale the greening initiative programme. This will be done by proving farmers with fruit tree seedlings for planting.
Through the directorate of fisheries the county will continue rolling out the fish farming through cage culture system in other public dams within the County and promoting greenhouse fish farming which enhances faster growth rate.
The county has targeted 28,000 households in Kieni’s Sub counties who are food insecure in rolling out the food security initiative programme such as fodder establishment, rearing local poultry, establishment of Kitchen garden, water harvesting and drip irrigation technology etc.
Completion of the common user value addition facility at Wambugu ATC. This facility will be used to incubate farmer groups in the county.
The department will continue to support Artificial Insemination and breeding programme by increasing the number of inseminators one per ward and transport facility.
Through the department of agriculture the county is strengthening disease surveillance for both crops and Livestock diseases. The County is up-scaling the pant clinics for crop disease diagnosis and purchasing strategic vaccine reserve for vaccinating livestock against notifiable diseases.
To mitigate the effect of climate change in the county the department in collaboration with National Government through Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Project (KCSAP) is packaging various climate resilience technologies in the ASALs areas to improve on food and nutrition security.
The County Government in collaboration with National Government is implementing Small Irrigation and Value addition Project (SIVAP) in Kieni East which focuses on poverty reduction by enhancing agricultural productivity and income, and food security among beneficiaries. Currently the project is at the initial stage of developing the infrastructure for the project and is funded by the Africa Development Bank.
Also Nyeri County is also working closely with coffee sector implementation committee and is one of the counties earmarked to pilot implementation of coffee reforms recommended by the presidential task force. This will be underpinned on the eight pillars cutting across from production to consumption i.e. the whole coffee value chain. These pillars include coffee sub-sector legal reforms, input subsidy program, establishment of coffee cherry advance payment scheme, institutional support, debt waivers and co-operatives audit, modernization of Nairobi Coffee exchange, Marketing of Kenyan Coffee and Youth involvement in coffee sub sector. A team from state department of cooperative is carrying on performance audit of the 23 coffee Cooperative societies.
With these remarks, may I welcome you all to the Central Kenya National Show and encourage you to learn and gain from the technologies exhibited for you to adopt and enhance help ensure food security and national growth for a better Kenya.