In Efforts To Revamp Agriculture In Laikipia
Agriculture is the main source of livelihood for the majority of people living in Laikipia according to the Laikipia County Statistical Abstract 2021. Farming is key to solving major challenges of feeding a growing population, creating wealth, reducing poverty, and managing the degradation of natural resources in the county.
The sector has been doing poorly in the County and Country in the past years due to various challenges associated with the adverse climate change which is a major threat to food security and poverty eradication.
Most farmers in Laikipia are smallholder farmers without the basic agricultural inputs, lack of knowledge of modern technology, and financial support.
said Agriculture CECM Wangari Wachira.
The Food Agricultural Organization through the United Nations in partnership with the County Department of Agriculture are working together to economically empower farmers through Climate Smart Agricultural practices. The farmers will later be trained on proposal writing and more than 15 groups will be selected and funded with not less than Ksh. 20,000 each.
The County Agricultural extension officers have been training different farmer groups in three wards (Mukogondo East, Umande, and Tigithi). Over 50 local chicken brooders have been constructed for individual farmers having recruited over 23 farmer groups. Seven groups have already adopted the technology. The department has also helped procure pasture seeds for farmers in Mukogodo East. One group in the same ward is practicing geranium farming on contract.
This project mainly focuses on enhancing the capacity of vulnerable communities, with a special focus on women, youth, and the disabled to adapt to climate change through a variety of Climate Smart Agriculture practices. The project aims at enabling the individual farmer groups to increase their agricultural production and income generation which will be reflected in their household nutrition status but also significantly reduce poverty. All these efforts will stabilize the agricultural and pastoral landscape thus enhancing rangeland and water resource conservation and management.
FAO in partnership with the Department aims at funding over 10 farmer groups to venture into modern farming activities from various value chains, the major one being indigenous chicken. Other value chains are Improved Indigenous chicken, Beekeeping, Dairy goat, Sheep(Dorper), Irish potatoes production, and Bean production.
