Meru County government has successfully liaised and partnered with relevant players to assist farmers embrace modern farming technology for better income.
Speaking to the media, CEC for agriculture Carol Mutiga said many crop and livestock farmers in the county had started enjoying their hard work using modern farming methods and practices.
Mutiga said planting of recommended seeds and use of certified pesticides were among other practices attributed to increased farm yields from rain fed and irrigation farming activities in the county.
The CEC said the national and county government was committed to initiating and supporting existing irrigation projects to safeguard food security and the economic welfare of people living in the dry areas of the region.
She said some parts of Meru County receive very little rain per year to any crop to get to maturity for harvesting.
Mutiga commended the national government administrators led by County Commissioner, Karuku Ngumo for embarking on a physical crackdown on those flouting regulations put in place to protect farmers from exploitative brokers and cartels.
The CEC commended fish farmers for venturing into cage fish farming, saying the new method was working in favour of farmers where most of them had started recording an increase in production.
She urged the public to include fish in the family diet to give a local market for fish produced in the region, saying the county was still struggling to get a reliable market for the fish produced by the increasing number of farmers outside the county.
Mutiga said the county government will continue sensitising the public in the villages on the nutritional value of making fish a regular part of the family menu, now that fish was locally available.
‘We no longer need to import any type of fish from other counties, since our farmers decided to venture into pond and cage fish farming in the upper and lower parts of the county,’ Mutiga said.
By Makaa Margaret