Amason Kingi unveils county’s food security plan

By JOSEPH MASHA

Kilifi, Kenya: The Kilifi County Government has launched a scheme to distribute free certified seeds to farmers as a long-term programme to fight hunger in the region.

More than 400,000 people in the county are at a risk of famine in the near future.

Lack of seeds and other inputs is one of the causes of crop failure in the otherwise agriculturally rich area.

 Speaking during the official launch of the seeds and fertilizers at Dagamra in Magarini and Dztisoni in Bahari district of the county  yesterday,  area governor Amason Kingi said his government will distribute 80,000 kilogrammes of certified maize seeds to farmers for  planting during  this long rains seasons.

Mr Kingi said the farmers will also be given 1750 bags of BAT, 3500 bags of MPK and 3500 of CAN fertilisers.

He said farmers will also be offered 20 tonnes of cow peas seeds, 20 tonnes of green peas, 200,000 of cassava cuttings among other farm inputs to boost their farm crop production.

The governor said most farmers did not get good harvest in their farms last year due to inadequate rainfall. He said failure to use modern farming techniques like ploughing the farms with tractors, plant certified seeds and use of fertilisers had also contributed to low crop production.

Ensure self reliance

“Use of outdated farming techniques and not applying fertilisers to crops has contributed to  the low crop production in the county but the problem will end,’’ said Mr Kingi.

The governor said his government was committed to ensuring people are self-reliant in terms of food.

Records from the national drought management authority in Kilifi had in the months of January and February this year estimated that about 400,000 people were facing huger due to lack of food.

According to the  Authority’s co-ordinator in the county Aden Mohamed, the poor harvest  experienced  last year was caused by low rainfalls which made the crops dry up before maturity due to prolonged droughts.

Mr Mohamed said the problem was experienced mostly in Bamba, Vitengeni, Ganze, Magarini and parts of Kaloleni districts in the county.

However, the governor said the problem will be no more as his government has put in place proper measures to improve farm crop productions in the area.

“The trend where people in Kilifi have to rely on relief food will be something of the past,” said Kingi.