A public-private partnership initiative targeting 3,000 farmers in Nakuru county has been activated to scale up adoption of Climate-Smart Agriculture practices.
According to Nakuru County Livestock, Fisheries and Veterinary Services Chief Officer Dr. Michael Cheruiyot, the beneficiaries, who are mainly women and youth farmers, were being trained on application of improved farm practices coupled with the planting of high yield and climate resilient seeds.
Dr. Cheruiyot explained that the farmers were recipients of green employment opportunities, climate-smart agriculture, and strengthened avocado and dairy value chains through the Green Employment in Agriculture Programme (GEAP), being implemented by the Micro Enterprises Support Programme Trust (MESPT) over the last five years.
The Chief Officer spoke at the county headquarters where he hosted a GEAP forum that brought together county government officials, development partners, farmer organizations, private sector players, academia and other stakeholders to reflect on the achievements, lessons learnt and long-term impact of the programme.
He said the venture was part of efforts, aimed at achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal number 2 of ending hunger, achieving food security and improved nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture.
The chief officer further said that the program intended to increase technical know-how of farmers on Climate-Smart Agriculture approaches, unlock market driven value-chains for youth and women and improve their capacity to participate in productive land and water management and increase the women in agribusiness’ access to finance.
He pointed out that the devolved unit had rolled out various programs that encourage farmers to adopt agroforestry which leads to improved productivity, less erosion and healthier ecosystems. It also restores soil health, which reduces the need for fertilizer while increasing incomes.
Agroforestry is a land-use management system in which trees or shrubs are grown around or among crops or pastureland.
The approach helps to improve soil fertility, soil structure, retain soil moisture, protect the crops and increase crop yields.
Dr. Cheruiyot regretted that the current food production systems faced an enormous challenge, made even more frightening by climate change and insisted that there was need for drastic scale up of climate-smart agriculture (CSA), an approach to food production that improves productivity, increase resilience to climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“Agroforestry will protect the crops from strong winds and pests. These beneficial roles of trees will help increase crop yields,” he added.
Dr. Cheruiyot noted that the partnership between the County Government and MESPT had significantly contributed to empowering farmers, creating employment opportunities for youth and women, and advancing climate-smart agricultural practices across the county.
He emphasized the county government’s commitment under the leadership of Governor Susan Kihika to sustain the gains realized through the programme and strengthen value chains that improve livelihoods for farmers.
Dr. Cheruiyot said that farmers were being encouraged to engage in integration and use of trees in crop fields, farms and across agricultural landscapes adding that they were empowering them to grow on their farms trees and fruit crops such as mangoes, macadamia, oranges and avocados.
In doing so they were empowered economically by selling the fruits while pressure for firewood and timber was reduced on forests in water catchment areas.
“Trees buffer climate change impacts and variability and diversify land use and farming systems, providing additional livelihood and environmental benefits not delivered through land management without trees, “the official elaborated.
Dr. Cheruiyot observed that climate change had adversely impacted on the amount of yields of various crops due to increased exposure to high temperature, water stress, flooding, diseases, pests and salinity.
As a mitigation measure the venture was promoting use of crop varieties that are early maturing and resilient to climate change, added the chief officer.
He was happy that Farmers can grow trees which are also fodder crops such as calliandra that have high amounts of proteins required by cattle for the production of quality milk.
Most of these fodder trees are resistant to drought and leguminous compared to napier grass often used as it will require adequate irrigation.
The Chief Officer stated that adoption of Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) was effective in enabling communities to adapt to the impacts of climate change, while sustainably increasing productivity, and delivering co-benefits of reducing/removing GreenHouse Gas emissions for environmental sustainability, nutrition and livelihoods.
He assured farmers that the county administration was committed to supporting institutional, policy, and investment environments, which can help Climate Smart Agriculture innovations reach scale rapidly.
Dr. Cheruiyot observed that the farmers were also being equipped with skills to manufacture and use renewable, biodegradable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly organic fertilizers and pesticides on their enterprises.
GEAP Programme Manager, Doreen Kinoti observed that the initiative had helped build resilient farming enterprises, while supporting green economic opportunities and sustainable agricultural development.
Kinoti indicated that the project seeks to strengthen youth and women’s capacity to meaningfully engage in Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA).
“We recognize that food security starts and ends with women, who account for 60-75 per cent of the labour force in smallholder agriculture in Kenya, as well as in many other countries in Africa. It is therefore crucial to leave no one behind in the quest to attaining food and nutrition security for all,” noted the County Director for Gender and Culture.
The programme manager added that women were disproportionately affected by overlapping challenges of poverty and food insecurity caused by floods, droughts, locusts and now Covid-19.
By Esther Mwangi
