About 1,777 farmers in Laikipia County have benefitted with Sh30.24 million from Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Project (KCSAP) aimed at increasing agricultural productivity and enhancing resilience amid the ongoing drought.
Speaking during the cheque issuance in Nanyuki, KCSAP Laikipia Coordinator Lincoln Njiru said that their objective was to empower farmers to adopt agricultural technologies and at the same time reduce greenhouse gases emission.
“We are looking at project development objectives of increasing agricultural productivity, resilience and at the same time reducing greenhouse emissions in our activities,” said the coordinator adding that since the inception of KCSAP in 2018, they had disbursed a total of Sh234.24 million.
He noted that in Laikipia, they were working with at least 12,689 beneficiaries who were organized in farmers’ groups.
“In Laikipia, we have selected five agricultural value chains including dairy farming, sheep, indigenous chicken, sorghum and beans. Our main objective is to increase productivity in those value chains among small scale farmers,” said Njiru.
He further said they offer extension services to farmers’ groups and fund KCSAP micro projects to help farmers acquire farm inputs.
“After the farmers have received the grants, they are expected to procure farm inputs and services to enhance their production in the farm,” said the county coordinator.
He revealed that they have also organized the groups into farmers’ producer organizations to leverage on economies of scale, marketing, farm input acquisition and value addition.
Njiru said KCSAP projects, which are a World Bank funded initiative, were being implemented in six wards of Laikipia which are Rumuruti, Olmoran, Salama, Ngobit, Tigithi and Segera.
Laikipia Governor Joshua Irungu said his administration is keen on supporting local farmers to enhance their production.
By Muturi Mwangi
