Bungoma County Governor Kenneth Lusaka has challenged local residents to embrace mixed farming to promote food security in the region.
Speaking during the official opening of Daraja Mungu Coffee Pulping Factory at Kibingei Kimilili Sub-County, the governor encouraged the small-scale farmers to engage in both short- and long-term agricultural activities to diversify their income and production.
He urged them to plant coffee as a long-term source of income and at the same time rear animals to make full use of the newly launched Kimilili Integrated Animal Feeds Plant as part of efforts to boost household incomes and drive sustainable economic growth.
The governor underscored the importance of the coffee value chain in empowering farmers, noting his administration’s commitment to revitalizing the sector through cooperatives and connecting local farmers to established markets.
Lusaka said that coffee farming has the potential to transform livelihoods in this county. “My government is committed to supporting farmers by linking them to markets for better returns,” he affirmed.
The governor later presided over operationalization of the Kimilili Integrated Animal Feeds Plant at Chebukwabi, Kimilili sub-county, where he encouraged residents to take advantage of the facility to enhance livestock productivity and cut costs.
The governor said that the plant will save farmers the burden of sourcing feeds from distant places.
“This facility is here to strengthen local value chains and improve farmers’ earnings,” said Lusaka, while reaffirming his government’s commitment to agricultural diversification and sustainability.
By Douglas Mudambo
