Farmers in three irrigation schemes in Arror ward along the Kerio Valley, Elgeyo Marakwet county, are set to earn Sh73 million from the sale of sorghum and maize seeds.
The county executive for agriculture, Edwin Kibor, said farmers at the 400 acres Chepkum irrigation scheme will receive Sh22 million from the Kenya seed company after selling maize seeds, which they harvested in the first planting season.
Kibor said the same farmers are set to earn Sh20 million after they received 2 tonnes of the seredo sorghum variety for this planting season.
He said farmers in the area preferred the said variety, as it doesn’t attract birds.
Speaking when handing over the seeds to the Chepkum farmers cooperative society, the county executive said with proper management, they are expected to harvest 520 metric tonnes of sorghum, which will give them Sh20 million.
The Arror ward agricultural officer Justus Kemboi said farmers in the Kamsiwet irrigation scheme will earn Sh15 million, while those in the Kabanon-Kapkamak scheme will receive Sh16 million from the sale of sorghum.
Kibor said with peace returning in Kerio Valley, farmers from the area who had escaped the conflict to live in the escarpment are now going back to engage in farming.
“The Kerio Valley is quite productive and with irrigation the area has the capacity to feed the country,” he said.
Kibor said farmers in the area currently do not need to use fertiliser, as the soils are quite productive, but added that with farmers planting more than once in a year, the situation will have to change, as they will need to use fertiliser to boost the soil productivity.
He hailed farmers for embracing contract farming, saying it was the way to go, as it ensures that there is a ready market for their produce.
By Alice Wanjiru
