30 farmers group to benefit from over Ksh 6 million annually in grant – KBC

At least 30 irrigation farm groups in Garissa County will receive over Ksh 6 million in grant from the Agricultural Sector Development Support Program (ASDSP) each financial year.

According to Garissa county ASDSP coordinator Dr. Ahmed Hasan each group will receive between Ksh 200,000 and Ksh 250,000 annually until the end of programme in 2022.

Agriculture and livestock CEC Mohamed Shale while officially opening the one-day Value Chain forum at a Garissa hotel said the funding program ‘was not only timely’ but had come at a time when the farmers have been adversely affected by recent floods, locust invasion and Covid-19 pandemic in a span of 6 months.

“This support has come at a time when our farmers are faced with a triple tragedy. In December last they lost their crops to the floods. In early January we had the locust invasion and now the Covid-19,” Shale said.

“The funding will go a long way in alleviating the sufferings our farmers have had to endure for this period. Some of them had lost hope but I belief they will utilize the funds wisely and recover from the huge losses,” he added.

The CEC noted that the farmer requires more support from other players in the sector to boost their productivity.

He urged the value chain actors producing tomato, beef and camel milk to come up with valid proposals before August for approval

Shale regretted that huge losses incurred by crop farmers during the recent floods and locust invasion.

The CEC hinted at ‘a more aggressive second generation locust’ from Yemen through Somalia following warning raised by FAO and other experts who have been following the trends of the locust invasion.

He said the county Government was fully prepared and there a number of its staff members are undergoing training on how to combat the desert locust invasion.

Shale appealed to the farmers to cooperate with Kenya Red Cross who currently conducting the assessment impact on the first invasion to roll out a recovery project for the affected crop and livestock farmers.