Farmers in Kakamega County are set to receive grants worth Sh.18.9million in inputs and equipment to facilitate climate smart agricultural projects.
The County Coordinator of Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Project (KCSAP), Merina Adhiaya said the micro projects would be in the four value chains including fish, poultry, dairy and African leafy vegetables.
Adhiaya stated that capacity building forums have already been conducted through Community Driven Development Committees (CDDCs) which also helped the farmers come up with proposals on the type of equipment and input they need to start the projects.
“The beneficiaries include Common Interest Groups (CIGs) and Vulnerable Marginalized Groups (VMGs) registered under five CDDCs operating at ward level across three sub counties of Malava, Navakholo, and Lurambi,” she explained.
She added that the CDDCs, which are responsible for coordination and management of funds for the micro projects, undertook procurement but are monitored by the KCSAP office to ensure the products being purchased meet the standards.
“We distributed the funds equitably where Shinoyi-Shikomari CDDC received Sh.4.5 million, West Kabras Sh. 5.3 million, South Kabras Sh. 861,000, Butsotso Central Sh. 2.4 million while Ingotse Matiya was allocated 3.5 million,” confirmed the KCSAP accountant, Harison Okema.
The Project Procurement Officer, Elias Lusiche said that the farm products had been procured and distribution started last week after the delay occasioned by covid-19 pandemic.
“We have procured feeds, herbicides and vaccines, de-wormers, milking cans, seeds and fertilizers for vegetables and animal feeds,” he said.
Other things, include solar irrigation pumps, storage tanks, horse pipes, wheel barrows, shovels and digging equipment, knapsack sprayers, fingerlings (25,000 per ward), liner paper, nets and harvesting pails, cooler boxes, deep freezers, one day old chicks (600 per group) and building materials for poultry structures.
He said they have also availed African leafy vegetables seeds which, include giant amaranths (dodo), cowpeas, black nightshade (sutsa), sunn hemp (miroo) jute plant (murenda), pig weed (tsimboka) spider plant (saka), jew mallow and crotolaria.
The officer said the farmers also requested for tree seeds of gravellier, sesbania, moringa, croton, avocado, calliandra, and pawpaw trees which have also been acquired.
He noted that the delivery process will involve value chain anchors specialized in items across the four value chains to ascertain, inspect and confirm quantity, value as well as quality of the inputs and equipment.
The KCSAP is a World Bank funded project aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change by upscaling Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices and supporting smallholder farming and pastoral communities in the country.
By Sammy Mwibanda/Remigius Maloba
