Trans Nzoia County Executive Committee (CEC) member for Agriculture Mary Nzomo (pictured) talks policies, state of cooperatives and what the county is doing to prevent fall armyworm disease and post harvest loss.
1. Trans Nzoia is best known as Kenya’s leading maize producing county. What policies are in place to keep farmers in the sub sector despite price instability and escalating production costs?
The average annual maize production in Trans Nzoia stands at 5.4 million bags, a significant contribution to the country’s food security. The county government has been subsidising fertiliser and a variety of seedlings under the crop diversification programme aimed at reducing over dependence on maize.
2. Maize and wheat harvest season has started and the State has neither announced this season’s production prices nor opened National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) stores for the purchase of Strategic Food Reserves (SFRs). What measures has the county taken to reduce post harvest losses due to poor storage?
The county has so far constructed three warehouses and a fourth one will be constructed this financial year.
Agriculture department targets to have one warehouse in each of the five sub-counties for produce aggregation as farmers wait for better prices. The County has also procured two modern and mobile grain dryers to assist farmers dry their maize effectively given the wet conditions experienced during the harvesting period. The county is also promoting storage technologies and innovations such as use of hermetic bags and metal silos.
3. The average age of a farmer in Trans Nzoia county is 60, while majority youths are idle and jobless. Are there legislations that will offer incentives to encourage more youths participation in agri-business?
The youth in agribusiness strategy was launched nationally in July this year and we are in the process of rolling it out in Trans Nzoia. Also, the youth have been mainstreamed in various projects and programmes we are implementing.
4. The soil pH in most farms in Trans Nzoia has turned acidic due to elongated use of particular fertilisers thus affecting yields. What steps have been taken to counter this?
A: Soil testing and mapping has been done and promotion of non-acidifying and crop specific fertiliser like Mavuno, Yara and Baraka varieties popularized through an expansive subsidy programme to enhance uptake. Promotion of lime and other soil conditioners and organic fertilizers is also being done. Farmers are also encouraged to use manure to restore the soil’s organic carbon.
5. East African Community (EAC) protocol has seen cross border influx of agricultural produce from Uganda. What strategies are in place to protect both bilateral trade and local producers from market competition due to glut?
In a liberalised market, prices are determined by market forces and the only way a farmer can remain competitive is by increasing productivity and lowering cost of production.
To ensure our farmers remain competitive, they are encouraged to form producer organisations and aggregate their produce for collective bargaining for better prices and store it when there is glut.
The county will make an effort to link them to millers and other buyers who can offer them better returns. That is what the warehouse are intended to achieve.
6. Continued land fragmentation has been cited for dwindling agricultural production in Trans Nzoia county. What steps have been taken to counter this?
There is a national land policy that requires agricultural land not to be subdivided into units less than five acres. The department of lands mandate is to enforce this requirement at the county level. Sensitization of farmers not to subdivide land into uneconomic units is also ongoing in Trans Nzoia.
7. North Rift Economic Bloc (NOREB) has identified Trans Nzoia county as ideal for milling plants investment to value add cereals. What steps have been taken to actualize this?
Public Private Partnership is being negotiated for investment in a milling plant and a proposal has already been submitted to the Public Private Partnership (PPP) unit at the National Treasury.
Meanwhile, as NOREB member Counties, we are working towards increasing production to ensure we have enough maize to make the milling venture viable and profitable with enough raw materials for processing throughout the year.
8. What other crops have farmers been sensitised to diversify into for them to generate better income?
The Agriculture department seeks to transform livelihoods of residents through programmes that will boost diversification and income generation.
We are promoting Tissue Culture Bananas, Avocado, Macadamia, Coffee and Tea under a subsidy programme where the County governments pays for the farmer 50 percent of the seedling price.
The county is enhancing its subsidy programmes in crop production.
Other ongoing programmes to boost agriculture include crop and livestock diversification, household water harvesting for irrigation to reduce over-reliance on rain fed agriculture, pest and disease control, National Agricultural and rural inclusive growth project to enhance productivity, small holder Dairy commercialisation programme, Climate Smart Agriculture Techniques such as Conservation Agriculture and Agriculture mechanisation programme to increase efficiency in production among others.
9. What role has the agriculture department played to activate dormant cooperatives that had been mismanaged and enable farmers to easily access affordable credit facilities?
The county has employed 10 cooperative officers and five cooperative auditors this Financial Year and deployed to every sub-county to work closely with the dormant cooperatives with a view of reviving dormant cooperatives.
Thorough audit of books is being done and capacity building of leaders on good governance being undertaken. With proper auditing of books and filing of returns, this will enhance the ability of the cooperatives to access credit facilities to be advanced to members.
10. Army worm menace remains a leading hindrance to maize production in Trans Nzoia county. What steps has the county administration taken to arrest this?
The county has created awareness about the Fall Armyworm among farmers and also installed pheromone traps to enhance surveillance, purchase of chemicals, spray equipment, and protective clothing has been done to fight the destructive worm.
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