Sh47 million boost for Western farmers

by Joel Okwayo

The Government has disbursed more than Sh47 million as grants to farmers in Western Province.

Western Provincial Director of Agriculture John Cheruiyot said the money was given to groups whose proposals were vetted and approved by the District Agricultural Committees. It is to help farmers start projects to improve their income.

Boosting lives

He said some of the proposals funded focused on poultry, bee keeping and planting crops aimed at boosting lives of people living with HIV.

"The Government is to release more grants as proposals from various districts have been forwarded and will soon be approved," said Mr Cheruiyot. He said the ministry would, however, supervise the funded groups to keep them going. He said more than 200 groups had been funded for the last three years.

Cheruiyot also told farmers not to sell maize cheaply to middlemen, who have invaded the area, saying higher prices were expected next year.

He was speaking in Kimilili during an inspection of the National Agricultural and Livestock Projects. He said his ministry was concerned many farmers who planted in anticipation of rains risk recording loses.

Cheruiyot said the rain patterns were not favourable. He added the harvests would decline by about 30 per cent, as most crops planted for the season did not have the required nutrients.

Farmers, he noted, were blaming the Kenya Meteorological Department for misleading them over the rain patterns. Coast Province is, however, reported to be receiving heavy rains compared to Western and Nyanza provinces.

 

 

Read all about: Farming Heavy Rain

 

 

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