Farmers given boost for food security
More than 2000 farmers in Tharaka Nithi county have something to smile on after receiving tonnes of high quality seeds aimed at fighting food insecurity in the drought hit region.
Through Better Farms Better lives,the regions which occasionally face acute food shortage due to lack of sufficient rainfall are among the 16 counties mapped by Bayer Company to receive post Covid-19 crop relief targeting 150,000 smallholders farmers across Kenya.
Speaking during a field day at Magenka, programs manager Sammy Osebe said Sh100 million worth of seed was distributed to help in mitigating Corona Virus challenges faced by farmers amid targeting to increase crop yields this season.
"We know smallholders farmers are essential to providing food security to billion of people but the on going pandemic is placing extra challenges on their ability to produce food for their communities so Better Farms Better Lives together with Bayer' s overall aspiration is out to help build a world where there is health for all and hunger for none," said Liam Condom the company president.
Also speaking Tharaka Nithi, governor Muthomi Njuki lauded the initiative that donated 30 tonnes of certified seedlings saying they will partner with the organisation to ensure region is food secure.
"This region some parts being dry areas are occasionally hit by drought a move that bring a lot of challenges to people that why my government has focused greatly on improving agriculture by ensuring people are connected to water which can be used for both irrigation and household use and by having such charity gesture to give our farmers high quality hybrid con and vegetables seeds this a great milestone because we are receiving improved production," said the Governor .
He further called on all relevant agriculture stakeholders to continue extending knowledge through training to farmers to accelerate production that he said will lead to fast growth of economy and food security in the region.
" There is no other way that we can make our people comfortable other than making their stomach full and putting some money on their pocket and this can be made possible by improving agriculture with modern farming skills and planting improved high quality seeds that can bring better yields, " added Njuki.
Speaking Elizabeth Njeru and Ntwiga Kanja who lost their jobs and resulted to farming after strike of Corona Virus said they cannot regret their decision since they have benefited greatly after growing the high quality con for both commercial and home consumption .
" I was working on a private company and workers were laid down after strike of Corona virus and I just came home I faced a lot of challenges because we could not provide for my family anymore and I just resulted to farming which I cannot regret because the seedlings have given us high production and this has solved most of my financial problems ," added Kanja.
